Mrs Claire Bowers

Qualifications:

BSc (Hons), PGCertEd, MSci, MSc, PGCertHE

Position:

Senior Lecturer

Department:

School of Social Sciences

Email:

Claire.Bowers@uwe.ac.uk

About me

I originally joined UWE in 2023 as a Senior Lecturer and have taught across various policing, criminology, and healthcare programmes. Now based within the social work team, I module lead and teach on the BSc Social Work and Step-up programmes. I am an external examiner.

My qualifications include two Distinction level Master of Science Degrees in Psychology (2021) and Criminology and Criminal Justice (2004), as well as Post Graduate Certificates in Higher Education (2025) and Secondary Education (2007). I am accredited by AIM to supervise and complete AIM 3 and Under 12 Assessments and interventions for children displaying harmful sexual behaviour (HSB). I also hold a ONLR Level 4 qualification (distinction) with Safe Lives for Service Managers of Domestic Abuse Services. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a registered member of the British Psychological Society.

I have an extensive background of working with children within education, social care and criminal justice, including prisoner rehabilitation at HMP Bristol and Leyhill, and in the Bristol Community Safety Team. Prior to UWE, I was a manager for North Somerset Youth Justice Service, leading a complex portfolio of services supporting children and families, including the Avon and Somerset Young Victims Service, which specialises in trauma informed support for children affected by domestic abuse. I have extensive experience of leading multidisciplinary teams delivering interventions related to mental health, exploitation, and criminal justice involvement, working in partnership with agencies such as CAMHS, NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Systems, and reporting to bodies such as the OPCC and Home Office. I was the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Lead for North Somerset Children’s Services and was responsible for the region's Referral Order Panels, as well as recruitment and training of panel members. My role also included oversight of the High Impact Families Intervention Team, now referred to as the Supporting Families Programme.

In addition to my work in Higher Education, I have over 12 years of senior leadership experience across secondary and post-16 education, alongside roles as an A-Level examiner, and private tutor. I have been privileged to teach at a primary school in Zimbabwe. I am part of the UWE ‘policing blog’ writing and editorial team and I am currently part of a team researching sexism and misogyny.

Area of expertise

My areas of interest and expertise includes safeguarding children, vulnerability and risk, the psychological impact of trauma and trauma informed practice. This includes child exploitation and contextual safeguarding, domestic abuse, harmful sexual behaviour, peer abuse and youth justice. I am passionate about advancing the VAWG agenda through education, research and partnership working across policing, health and criminal justice sectors. 

Publications

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