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Domestic Violence Assessment Consultancy and Training
Meet the Team
The DV-ACT team have worked together for many years, providing excellent quality expert assessments and verbal evidence to the family courts.
Our experts are educated to post graduate level from related fields, have at least 10 years' experience as experts in the field of domestic abuse with a proven track record of direct work with victims and perpetrators, academic research and providing expert analysis and assessments to local authorities and the family courts.
Domestic violence risk assessment requires particular expertise. It cannot be assumed that those with experience in other areas of child protection work, have the specialist knowledge and experience to assess the complex risks to children presented by perpetrators of domestic violence. With DV-ACT you can be sure that all assessors are truly experts in the field of domestic abuse.
Full CVs are available upon request.
Our Experts
Dr Ruth Phillips
DV-ACT Clinical Manager, Ruth, has more than ten years’ experience of working with domestic violence victims and perpetrators in treatment and assessment roles, including both as a facilitator of intervention work with domestic violence perpetrators and as an expert assessor in care proceedings. She has authored a number of DVPP-related reports and evaluations as well as a briefing paper and a book chapter in conjunction with her doctoral research. Ruth holds both Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in Social Sciences and a Doctorate in Social Policy.
Tracey Boylan
DV-ACT Clinical Manager and Respect accredited assessor, Tracey, has more than 26 years’ experience of working with victims and perpetrators in the domestic abuse field. In the Probation Service, she was part of the development team that first introduced domestic violence programmes such as IDAP. She has created and implemented intervention programmes for domestic violence perpetrators and victims nationwide. She has extensive experience of providing training to professionals and working as an expert assessor in care proceedings. She holds a degree in Anthropology, a Masters Degree in Criminology and a Diploma in Social Work.
Kath Albiston
Kath has over 18 years’ experience in the field of domestic violence and abuse and has been working as an expert assessor in care proceedings for five years. While working in the Probation Service she specialised in risk management and was the area chair for MAPPA. She is a consultant and trainer with particular expertise in the design and implementation of safeguarding assessments. Kath has a particular interest in domestic homicide into which she has chaired and overseen 12 major reviews. She holds a degree in social studies, a diploma in probation studies and a first class degree in community safety.
Jenny Riley
Jenny is a Respect accredited assessor with 15 years’ experience of working with domestic violence and abuse as a Probation Officer, case/risk manager and practitioner for domestic violence groupwork and as an expert assessor in care proceedings. She is currently a Lead Investigator at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) while continuing to work as an expert assessor on a freelance basis. Jenny has degrees in Criminology & Social Policy and Community Justice Studies, and a diploma in Probation Studies.
Pauline Subenko
Pauline is a qualified Probation Officer and registered social worker with more than 25 years’ experience of working with offenders. For the last 10 years she has specialised in the assessment and treatment of abusers, and provided training to probation staff in assessing the risks presented by individuals, particularly in terms of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Pauline has a degree in Sociology, an MSc in Applied Social Studies and a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW)
Sarah Griffin
Sarah has worked within the Probation Service since 2000, and has 15 years’ experience as a Treatment Manager for the NOMs accredited Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme and Building Better Relationships Programme. She has extensive experience of delivering domestic abuse awareness training to a range of professionals, and working as an expert assessor in care proceedings. Sarah holds a degree in Criminology
Zoe Marks
Zoe is a Respect accredited assessor and has 16 years practitioner experience working in the statutory and voluntary sectors. She worked as a probation officer supervising a range of offenders including domestic violence perpetrators. She then worked as a senior risk assessor undertaking assessments of domestic violence perpetrators and victims, and completing group work with perpetrators. She has a degree in Psychology, a first class honours degree in Community Justice Studies and a diploma in Probation Studies
Claire Verney
DV-ACT Director and Practice Manager, Claire, has worked in project management and administration for eighteen years with experience in both corporate organisations and the charity sector.
She has been working alongside the team of assessors for 7 years and, throughout this time, has handled enquiries in complex child care proceedings and managed court ordered activity cases in private law. Claire has a thorough knowledge of the nature of the work and has worked directly with victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
Claire will be your first point of contact and handles all matters regarding finance, funding, referring new cases, complaints and data protection.