Empathy in Action

I provide specialist advocacy, McKenzie Friend support, and mentorship services across England and Wales, supporting parents, carers, and young people involved in education, health, social care, family court and care proceedings, and youth justice.

I am registered with the Society of Professional McKenzie Friends, offering professional, ethical, and informed court support you can trust.

I am well educated, multi-trained, and trauma-informed, holding an MA in Criminology and Applied Criminal Justice, a BSc in Criminology and Social Policy, and a Higher Education Certificate in Working with Vulnerable Adults.

I have over 20 years’ safeguarding experience, alongside specialist training in child protection, sexual abuse and exploitation, neurodiversity (including ASD and ADHD), and recovery-focused practice. I am also accredited as a Rockpool Facilitator, using the PAACE (Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences) Recovery Toolkit to support healing, resilience, and understanding of trauma.

Alongside my professional qualifications, I bring real-life experience of family hardship and system involvement. I understand first-hand the pressures of parenting through adversity, navigating professionals, and advocating for children in complex and emotionally charged situations. This lived experience shapes the way I work — with empathy, clarity, and respect for how trauma impacts families.

I have been involved in high-profile legal challenges, including Isherwood & Others v Welsh Ministers (Cardiff High Court, 2022), and I am experienced in standing alongside families when they are facing powerful institutions such as local authorities, NHS services, and the family courts.

My mission is simple:

to ensure parents, carers, and young people are informed, supported, and heard, not overwhelmed or intimidated by the process. I work with you — explaining what is happening, helping you prepare, and supporting you to assert your rights with confidence and dignity.

My Approach

My work is guided by clear principles that put people — not systems — first:

Prevention-First

Safeguarding should begin before harm occurs, not after damage has already been done. Early intervention, listening, and informed advocacy save families from crisis.

Rights-Based

Every child and every parent has inherent rights under UK law and international conventions. My work ensures those rights are understood, respected, and upheld.

Empowerment

I support people to build their own cases, strengthen their voice, and challenge unfair decisions with confidence and clarity — not dependency.

Independence

I work outside statutory frameworks, free from institutional pressure, enabling me to challenge systems, question decisions, and hold authorities to account without conflict of interest.