Profile Summary
Caroline Boyd is a CORU-registered social worker and Guardian ad Litem with over 28 years of experience across child protection, family support, children in care, fostering, adoption, and residential and special care.
She has held senior practitioner and social work team leader roles, managing complex court proceedings and contributing to multiple HIQA audits. For over three years, Caroline has been practising as an independent Guardian ad Litem, delivering trauma-informed, child-centred advocacy in both public and private family law matters.
Caroline is currently in her final year of systemic family psychotherapy training, which deepens her therapeutic understanding and strengthens her ability to support children and families through emotional and relational challenges.
Current Profile Areas
Qualifications
- In trainingSystemic Family Psychotherapy, final year.
- 1999-2001Masters in Social Work, University College Dublin.
Career History
- 2022-presentIndependent Guardian ad Litem, HAPii.
- Prior rolesSocial Work Team Leader — Children in Foster Care.
- Prior rolesSenior Social Work Practitioner — complex court proceedings.
- Prior rolesSocial Worker across child protection, family support, children in care, fostering, adoption, residential care and special care.
Guardian ad Litem and Advocacy Work
Caroline brings more than 28 years of social work experience to her Guardian ad Litem practice, with expertise across child protection, fostering, adoption, children in care and complex court proceedings.
Her advocacy is grounded in children's rights, child development theory and trauma-informed practice. Caroline has particular expertise in working with younger children, using play-based and creative methods to build trust and elicit their views in ways that are safe and developmentally appropriate.
- Practising as an independent Guardian ad Litem for over three years.
- Experience in both public and private family law proceedings.
- Skilled in producing clear, balanced and solution-focused court reports.
- Section 32 Voice of the Child and Hague Convention assessments.
- Experienced in complex court proceedings and HIQA audits.
Specialist Assessments and Expertise
Caroline's assessment practice is child-led and child-friendly. She uses play-based and creative engagement as her primary tool for building relationships with children and learning about their world and their voice, particularly with younger children for whom verbal communication alone may not capture their full experience.
Her practice is firmly grounded in the belief that working relationships — with children, families and other professionals — are central to providing optimal support and to producing assessments that truly serve each child's best interests.
- Play-based and creative engagement for Voice of the Child assessments.
- Child protection, fostering, adoption and permanency planning assessments.
- Solution-focused court reports for public and private family law proceedings.
- Section 32 Voice of the Child and Hague Convention assessments.
- Child development, children's rights and attachment-informed practice.
Therapeutic Training and Psychotherapy-Informed Practice
Caroline is in her final year of systemic family psychotherapy training. This training deepens her understanding of relational dynamics, family systems and the emotional experiences of children and caregivers — knowledge that informs and enriches every aspect of her Guardian ad Litem and assessment practice.
Combined with her established background in attachment theory, child development and trauma-informed social work, this psychotherapy training equips Caroline to hold a sophisticated understanding of children within their family and relational contexts.
Senior Practice and Service Management
Prior to independent practice, Caroline held senior roles within statutory child and family services. As a Senior Practitioner, she managed the most complex cases before the courts, supported the induction and development of new staff, provided guidance to university students on placement and participated in four HIQA audits.
As a Social Work Team Leader for children in foster care, Caroline developed her expertise in the complex management of frontline services and in supporting practitioners working with children in care and their families.
Publications and Research
- Boyd, C. (2023) Stability in Foster Care: The Child's Voice. Available via Amazon and gallore.ie.
Contact Caroline
For enquiries connected to Caroline's work with HAPii, email Caroline directly.
Email Caroline