Linda Hallowell

CQSW
BA (Hons)- Applied Social Studies
Post Graduate Diploma- Child Forensic Studies
Psychology & Law
Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate

Linda worked for Local Authority Social Services departments in Child Protection and Child Care teams, since 1991 as Social Worker, Senior Practitioner and Team Manager prior to becoming an independent social worker in 2002. She has undertaken individual assessments with adult perpetrators of child sexual abuse and young people who have harmful sexual behaviours. Linda was also involved in developing and running group work programmes for adult sex offenders in partnership with Probation Services.
Linda is qualified to interview children, under the ‘Memorandum of Good Practice’ and latterly ‘Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings’. She has been involved in providing multi-agency training to staff from a variety of professions in respect of child protection, and was a member of the District Child Protection Committee in Wiltshire. She has also been involved in developing and providing multi-agency training relating to children who are ‘Looked After’ by Local Authorities.

She has provided supervision to social workers, and co-worked complex cases, chairing meetings for looked after children, children included on the child protection register and children in need. She has been involved in steering groups relating to Adoption legislation and implementation of the ‘Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families’ in Wiltshire which was part of the pilot study for the Assessment Framework. Whilst practising in the Channel Islands, Linda also acted as Court Welfare Officer and Guardian ad Litem.

Since becoming an Independent Social Worker Linda has provided independent risk assessments, including risk of Harmful Sexual Behaviours (HSB), run groupwork programmes for non-offending women, including partners and other family members, assessments of children with disabilities relating to Tribunal Hearings and Judicial Review. She has been commissioned to undertake risk assessments relating to parenting ability, including community-based assessments and assessments of contact between children and their families. She has given expert witness evidence in all the above matters. In 2005 Linda successfully completed the Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness training programme, and has maintained this status through continued training.

Linda is a registered social worker with the Care Council for Wales, Registration No. W/1003994 and The General Social Care Council in England, Registration No. 1016007. She is also a member of the BASW Children and Families Sub-Committee; NOTA (National Organisation for Treatment of Abusers)