Meet the team
As a solicitor I work with children, young people and their families to protect their rights and ensure their voices heard.
I work with children's rights experts at CLC to develop learning programmes that help increase knowledge and awareness of children's rights.
I provide legal information and advice on the rights of children and young people.
I work within the legal team, giving specialist support on special educational needs and disability issues.
I am responsible for the management, development and resourcing of CLC. Working with colleagues and CLC’s Management Committee, I ensure CLC is enabled to support children and young people to claim their rights.
My job is to provide legal information and advice on the rights of children and young people.
I provide legal information and advice on the rights of children and young people.
I am the receptionist and admin support. I am usually the first person you see, or voice you hear, when you call CLC.
My job is to make sure we’re using all of CLC’s experience and expertise to engage, inform and influence decision makers to uphold the rights of children and young people.
I provide advice and representation for children and young people with mental health needs at the Mental Health Review Tribunal and take judicial reviews on their behalf.
I am training to be a Solicitor. My role is supported by the Legal Education Fund's Justice First Fellowship. As part of my training, I assist with CLC's legal work. I will also undertake a project on access to justice as part of the Justice First Fellowship.
I manage the communications at CLC, making sure children's rights issues are heard by those who matter, especially children and young people themselves.
As part of the Senior Management Team I am responsible for office and admin management including financial implementation, HR, payroll and procurement.
As Head of Legal Services, I am responsible for the operational management and strategic direction of CLC’s legal team.
I support the Board of Trustees and work along with CLC staff to ensure the smooth running of operations.
CLC Management Committee
Trása Canavan is the Senior Policy & Public Affairs Lead for Barnardo’s NI. Trása works closely with the wide range of services delivered by Barnardo’s NI, to understand the realities facing children in Northern Ireland and uses this evidence to shape policy to achieve the best outcomes for children.
Deborah Drury has worked in education for over twenty years and has a particular interest in special educational needs and neurodiversity. She has experience of directing whole-school policy and implementing initiatives to improve literacy amongst children at post-primary level. Her doctoral degree researched the capacity of emerging technologies to help reduce anxiety among autistic children. She is a Patron of the National Autistic Society in Northern Ireland and is passionate about giving all children a voice in policy related to their needs. Deborah is currently working in the business sector and is Managing Director of her family-run art company.
Duane Farrell has been working in the Community and Voluntary sector in Northern Ireland for over 20 years. During that time, he has worked within the LGB&T community, as well as with older people and children & young people. In these roles, he has developed services, led campaigns and worked to influence legislation and policy.
Currently, Duane is the Secretary and Chief Executive of The Honourable, The Irish Society, a Commissioner with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and a Trustee of Grow NI.
Jerome is the Policy and Practice Impact Adviser at Save the Children. He has worked on a wide range of issues, from early education to climate change to poverty, and experience of working with children and families to campaign for change.
Jerome is committed to human rights and working collaboratively with others to achieve positive social change.
Chris Haugh is a Chartered Accountant, currently working as Claims Team Manager within Invest Northern Ireland. He has more than 10 years post qualification experience working within finance, audit, risk and governance roles in a wide variety of organisations in the public, private and third sector. As a member of the CLC Board and Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, Chris applies his financial skills to assist in the effective governance of the Centre.
Brian is a Solicitor with Worthington's Solicitors where he specialises in judicial review litigation and disputes involving public law and human rights issues in a wide range of areas, with a particular interest in educational law, and in immigration.
Amanda is part of the Senior Management Team at Northern Ireland Youth Forum. She leads on projects that are mainly focussed on housing, homelessness and mental health, ensuring that young people have their voices heard and are involved in decisions that affect their lives. Amanda is currently studying to become a psychotherapist as well as being a mummy to three amazing and lively boys! In her very limited spare time she likes to run (a little bit) and does yoga.
Shirelle is the Northern Ireland Director for the National Autistic Society. There are an estimated 700,000 people with autism in the UK and the society provides a range of services and supports to help them and their families.
Alicia is the Chief Executive of Voice of Young People In Care (VOYPIC) a children’s charity that promotes the rights and voice of children in care, aiming to ensure that every child has a safe, stable, and positive experience of care and is involved in decisions about their life.