Independent Social Work — Ireland

Specialist Social Work Service

The Social Work Practice is a group of highly experienced and specialist social workers delivering independent social work assessments and interventions for children, vulnerable adults and their families. Our practitioners specialise and have expertise across a wide range of fields, including children in care, vulnerable adults, private family law and as expert witnesses across the courts system nationally and internationally.

Our Family Contact Hub assesses, coordinates and facilitates family contact, delivered in partnership with our clinical partners Dr Chris Burke and Sarah Burke, creators of the Safe and Meaningful Contact guidelines.

Find Our Panel Family Contact Hub

In partnership with

Our Panel

The Panel

Our panel of highly experienced independent social workers are available for assessment and intervention with children, vulnerable adults and their families — in both child care and private family law cases.

Our Practice

Areas of Expertise

Assessment of vulnerable adults and children
Assessment skills across the areas of mental health, cross-cultural and cross-language communication, disability, developmental and complex trauma
Extensive knowledge of international protection process, international human rights law, immigration procedures and separated children seeking international protection
Extensive experience of preparing assessments and providing expert evidence for District, Circuit and High Court proceedings
Facilitating cross-agency collaboration and co-ordinating with statutory and state agencies
Forensic interviewing skills
Mediation
Navigating complex family dynamics and supporting relational repair

Family Contact Hub

Child-centred contact, guided by evidence.

The Social Work Practice offers child-centred assessment, coordination and facilitation of family contact between children and their parents. Our practitioners are guided by the evidence-based Safe and Meaningful Contact framework, which ensures contact meets the child’s developmental and relational needs. The Social Work practice will develop individualised, creative family contact plans to ensure quality contact time.

Get in touch

Make an enquiry

To discuss an assessment, intervention or family contact hub referral, please get in touch. We respond to all enquiries within two working days.

Phone
Claire Quinn — 086 319 8658
Val Kerr — 086 844 7286
Francis O’Callaghan — 087 411 6987
Email
info@swpractice.ie
Hours
Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 17:30
Out-of-hours enquiries by appointment

Practitioner Biographies

Claire Quinn

Director & Independent Social Worker

086 319 8658 · claire@swpractice.ie

Career & Practice

Claire Quinn achieved her Degree in Social Work and National Qualification in Social Work from Trinity College Dublin in 1999. Further qualifications include a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Dublin Business School (2004), a Diploma in Legal Studies from Kings Inns (2006), and a Degree of Barrister at Law from Kings Inns, called to the Bar in 2007. She has undertaken training in childhood attachment and holds a postgraduate qualification in mediation and conflict resolution accredited by NUI Maynooth, facilitated by the Law Society. Claire lectures on Social Work courses at several universities.

Claire worked in Community Care Child Protection from 1999 until 2010 with the Health Service Executive — at Social Worker, Team Leader and Principal Social Worker level, on long-term, intake and duty teams.

She was a member of the oversight group with the Office of the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs facilitating consultations with children in care, and is a member of the IASW. Claire has organised a number of national conferences and seminars on social work topics. She became an Independent Guardian ad Litem in April 2010, receives regular clinical mentoring, is fully Garda vetted and is a member of CORU. All qualifications have been independently verified. She became Director of The Independent Guardian ad Litem Agency (TIGALA) in 2015.

Qualifications

1995–1999: Degree in Social Work, Trinity College Dublin
2002–2004: Postgraduate Diploma in Management, Dublin Business School
2004–2007: Diploma in Legal Studies & Barrister at Law Degree, Kings Inns
2012: Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution & Mediation

Further Education & Training

2014–Present: Monthly Professional and Training Sessions with TIGALA
2011: Attachment Training, Infant Care Index — Patricia Crittenden
1999–2010: Social Worker, Team Leader, Principal Social Worker — Child Protection, HSE
2014–2019: Coordinated numerous national conferences on child protection issues
2018–Present: Part-time / guest Social Work lecturer
2018–Present: Independent Social Worker for High Court Wardship proceedings
2010–Present: Guardian ad Litem
2014–Present: Director, The Independent Guardian ad Litem Agency (TIGALA)

Areas of Practice

Child Sexual Abuse · Assessment of Access · Wardship · Childhood Neglect Cases · Vulnerable Teenage Girls (Secure Care & Out-of-State Care) · Socio-Legal Aspects of Child Care & Child Protection

Val Kerr

Director & Independent Social Worker

086 844 7286 · val@swpractice.ie

Career & Practice

Val has been a Guardian ad Litem, a Court Advocate and an Independent Social Worker since November 2014. Since October 2020 she has provided individual and group mentoring to fellow TIGALA Guardians ad Litem, and facilitates the TIGALA Training and Development programme. Val has served on the Board of Directors of EPIC (Empowering People in Care) since June 2019. She is a professionally qualified Social Worker, accredited by the National Social Work Qualification Board since 2005, and has worked in the area of Child Protection and Children in Care since that year.

Val is currently completing a Specialist Diploma in Developmental Trauma, accredited by the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Val is a qualified Mediator, achieving the Diploma in Mediator Training with the Law Society of Ireland in 2019, and is accredited by the Mediator’s Institute of Ireland. She has completed Levels 1 and 2 of Dyadic Developmental Practice: Parenting and Psychotherapy — a trauma and attachment led approach to working with children and families.

Val developed her forensic interviewing skills through the Joint HSE / An Garda Síochána Specialist Victim Interviewer training in 2011. She actively conducted interviews with children and people with intellectual disabilities who had been victims of violent or sexual crime from 2011 to 2014.

As a Guardian ad Litem, Val has been appointed to cases involving applications under the Child Care Act 1991, Habitual Residence, Special Care, Separated Children seeking Asylum, Section 25 of the Mental Health Act 2001, and the resolution of European Regulations affecting the welfare of a minor. She has been appointed in cases that produced written judgments from the Supreme Court regarding the best interests of a minor under Brussels II Article 15, and a High Court judgment relating to the role of the Guardian ad Litem.

Val worked in Tusla (formerly the HSE) from 2005 to 2014 as a Social Worker and Social Work Team Leader (three years), on both Child Protection and Children in Care cases. She also held a position on the Reach Team, a specialist Social Work team dealing with complex child protection cases. Val is commissioned for independent fostering assessments by a private fostering agency, and has provided trauma-informed training to foster carers. She is a member of the IASW and NAGALRO, attends regular events, conferences and professional mentoring, and is committed to continuous professional development. Val is registered with CORU and holds full, up-to-date Garda clearance.

Qualifications

2023–2024: Specialist Diploma in Developmental Trauma — The Greenane Centre (Accredited by the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy)
2018–2019: Diploma in Mediator Training — Law Society of Ireland (Accredited by the Mediator’s Institute of Ireland)
2018–2019: Dyadic Developmental Practice: Psychotherapy and Parenting, Levels 1 & 2 (Accredited by the DDP Institute)
2010–2011: Child Specialist Interviewing — An Garda Síochána & HSE Joint Training Protocol under Section 16 1(b) of the Criminal Evidence Act
2001–2005: Bachelor of Social Studies & National Qualification in Social Work — Trinity College Dublin (Accredited by the National Social Work Qualification Board)

Further Education & Training

2020–Present: Monthly Sessions, TIGALA Training and Development Programme
2026: Safe and Meaningful Contact Guidelines with Dr Chris Burke — accredited to use the framework
2025: The Meaning of the Child Training (MotC) with Dr Ben Grey — Level 1
2018: Working with Children who have been Sexually Abused — TIGALA
2018: Caring for LGBT+ Children in Care (conference) — TIGALA
2017: Developmental Trauma — Dr Dan Siegel
2016: Neuro-Psychological Assessments of Children — Dr Cathal McAuliffe
2016: Effective Responding to Child Sexual Abuse (conference) — TIGALA
2016: Demystifying Attachment Seminar — TIGALA
2016: Culturally Appropriate Planning for Children in Care (conference) — TIGALA
2015: Access in Childcare Proceedings — TIGALA
2014: Developmental Victimology — BASPCAN
2014: Contemporary Perspectives in Social Work — Trinity College Dublin
2014: The Alienated Child — Barnardos
2014: Cultural Diversity Training — University College Dublin

Employment History

2020–Present: TIGALA Mentor and Training & Development Lead
2018–Present: Independent Social Worker, Origins Foster Care — fostering assessments and trauma-informed training for foster carers
2014–Present: Guardian ad Litem — TIGALA
2014–Present: Independent Family Assessor
2014–Present: Court Advocate
2012–2014: Acting Social Work Team Leader — Child and Family Agency, Dublin South Central
2010–2012: Professionally Qualified Social Worker — Reach Team, HSE, Dublin South City
2005–2010: Professionally Qualified Social Worker — Long Term Team, Dublin South City (excluding 2006 — travelling)

Guardian ad Litem Appointments

Val has been appointed as a Guardian ad Litem in relation to the following applications:

CFA applications for Interim Care Orders and Care Orders under Sections 17 and 18 of the Child Care Act 1991
CFA applications for Supervision Orders under Section 19 of the Child Care Act 1991
Applications for directions affecting the welfare of a child under Section 47 of the Child Care Act 1991
CFA applications to the High Court, Supreme Court and European Courts seeking to resolve care arrangements where there are questions of jurisdictional responsibility under the European Regulations (Brussels II)
Separated children seeking asylum
HSE applications under Section 25 of the Mental Health Act
Special Care Orders
Children subject to criminal proceedings

Voluntary Positions

2019–Present: Member, Board of Directors — EPIC (Empowering People in Care)
2020–Present: Volunteer Mediator — Community Law and Mediation

Areas of Practice

Children who have experienced trauma · Complex attachment difficulties · Children & families who struggle to engage with professionals · In-patient treatment for Eating Disorders & Mental Health · Separated children seeking asylum · Special Care placements

Francis O’Callaghan

Director & Independent Social Worker

087 411 6987 · francis@swpractice.ie

Career & Practice

Francis is a professionally qualified Social Worker who has worked for more than ten years in Child Protection and Fostering Teams, in both Social Work and Team Manager capacities. His direct practice experience includes conducting assessments in relation to allegations of child abuse and neglect, and undertaking Parenting Assessments, Risk Assessments and Fostering Assessments. He has prepared detailed reports and assessments for the District, Circuit and High Courts, and for internal Tusla committees and other professionals. As a Team Manager he was responsible for the day-to-day management and provision of a Social Work service for a private fostering agency, supervising a large Social Work team and ensuring high-quality service to children in care in accordance with all standards, policies and legislation. He has also served on a Tusla Foster Care Committee, ensuring ongoing compliance with relevant standards and legislation in the recruitment, assessment and approval of foster carers in Ireland.

Francis has extensive experience supporting foster carers and children in care. As a qualified trainer in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families, he has trained numerous foster carers and professionals in crisis intervention techniques to support the children in their care and de-escalate crises safely. A key strength is his ability to communicate and build rapport with children and young people — he is highly skilled at engaging with children to ensure their wishes and feelings are known by the professionals responsible for their wellbeing.

Qualifications

2018–2019: Certificate in Management Practice (1st Class Honours) — University College Cork
2015: Certified Trainer in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families — Bronfenbrenner Centre, Cornell University
2008–2010: MSW in Social Work (1st Class Honours) — University of Portsmouth
2004–2007: BSocSc in Social Science (2.1 Honours) — University College Dublin

Further Education & Training

2020: Practice Teacher Training — Trinity College Dublin
2020: Sensory Integration
2020: Parenting with PACE
2020: Management Development
2020: Virtual Reality Trauma Training
2020: Children First Training
2019: Person Brain Training
2019: Parenting Children with Anxiety-Related Behaviours
2019: Analysis in Report Writing
2019: Complaints
2019: Signs of Safety
2018: Health Assessments for People with Intellectual Disabilities
2018: Twelve Core Concepts of Trauma
2018: Complexity of Trauma
2018: Suicidality and Self-Harm
2018: Advanced Attachment for Carers

Employment History

2021–Present: Guardian ad Litem — The Independent Guardian ad Litem Agency (TIGALA)
2020: Social Work Team Manager — Fostering First Ireland
2013–2020: Link Social Worker — Fostering First Ireland
2010–2013: Duty Social Worker — Health Service Executive, Dublin South Central

Areas of Practice

Engaging children & families who struggle with professionals · Developmental trauma & attachment difficulties · Child & adolescent mental health · Non-accidental injury in children · Care planning, access & reunification · Ward of Court proceedings

Elva Dodd

Senior Social Worker

Career & Practice

Elva is a registered Social Worker with over 17 years of experience in the field of Children and family Social Work in both Ireland and the UK. Elva has worked in a variety of Social Work and management roles across the areas of assessment, safety planning and children in care. Elva has experience of people management, supervision, auditing, file reviews, supporting students and new graduates. As a Social Work practitioner Elva is committed to continuous professional development and has a specialist interest and training in Non-Violent Resistance work (NVR), Supportive parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and the Safe and Together Model (Domestic violence informed practice).

Specialist Social Work Service

Child-centred contact, guided by evidence.

Make an enquiry

Enquiry form