Contributor Information

An accomplished presenter and journalist, Barra Best has been broadcasting across the airwaves for BBC Northern Ireland for almost 20 years

After cutting his teeth as a news and current affairs reporter Barra moved to the weather team in 2010 and remains there today, forecasting the weather and reporting on it when weather becomes the news story.

He has also fronted a number of popular BBC 1 series including ‘Walk The Line’, which charted the lost railways of Northern Ireland, ‘Coast Lives’ which examined the lives of those that live, work, and holiday around our coast, and ‘Barra’s Return of The Wild’ which explored some of our threatened native species and the conservation efforts to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Joanne is an experienced leader with over 20 years professional experience co-producing, governing, and delivering innovative clinical and non-clinical services in the community and voluntary and higher education sectors. She is a passionate advocate of community development and engagement approaches to address societal needs and inequalities.

In addition, she is a skilled strategic planner with extensive experience developing organisational plans, achieving strategic aims, and exceeding target outcomes. As CEO Joanne holds overall responsibility for the strategic and operational delivery of Nexus with the support of the organisation’s Board.

Oonagh Ryan is a Detective Inspector with almost 20 years experience in the police, 17 of which have been in the investigation of Serious Crime, including  Major Investigations, Public Protection and most recently as the Inspector in charge of CID for the Mid Ulster Area. As part of this portfolio, her role also includes being one of the PSNI service leads for Sextortion type reports.

Chris Quinn took up appointment as NI Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) in September 2023. 

Chris Quinn brings extensive experience of engagement with children and young people and facilitating their making their voices heard.  He has represented their interests, through a rights lens, locally, regionally and internationally, and has championed children and young people’s direct participation in decision-making. 

Chris Quinn started his career working in the Star Neighbourhood Centre in North Belfast before taking up employment with the Bytes Project working with young people in communities across Belfast. Chris worked for the Belfast City Council as Children and Young People’s Coordinator from 2004-2008 where he set up their first Youth Council. 

In 2008 Chris took up the role of Director at the NI Youth Forum, where he served for 15 years managing the organisation through the review of public administration and supporting young people to lead the youth forum through a changing policy and funding environment. 

He lives with his wife and 4 sons, is a keen Manchester United Supporter and enjoys running.

Stephen Hughes has been a professionally qualified youth worker some 32 years. He has worked for the Education Authority and has spent the majority of his career working in the voluntary and. community sector in some of Belfast most socio=economically challenging communities.

Presently Stephen is the Senior Youth Worker at St. Peters Immaculata Youth Centre in the Lower Falls and has been credited with a significant contribution towards a number of initiatives including Strength Based Youth Work, International youth work and work with young people of promise.

Stephen has been a trainer, lectured on youth work, a researcher and senior youth work practitioner. He has been involved in peace building work for many years and has an international network with a variety of NGO’s. Stephen proudest achievement Is as a husband, father of two and grandfather to two. 

Bill is a founding partner and Chief Operating Officer at Ineqe Safeguarding Group, where he has specialised in the delivery of safeguarding training and consultancy. The Ineqe Safeguarding Group delivers specialist advice, knowledge leadership and technical solutions to identify and reduce risk associated with young people and their safeguarding context.

He is a former senior Police Officer with over twenty-seven years policing experience, both in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and previously in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Immediately prior to his retirement he was the Operational Command Unit Commander for Belfast Region and Deputy to the Assistant Chief Constable. In addition, he was the former President of the European Airport and Seaport Police.

He has extensive experience in multi-agency partnerships including specialist forums to engage young people and hard to reach groups. Bill is a Prince 2 certified project manager who has conducted reviews of a wide range of policing and criminal justice functions across the globe. Bill has an honours degree in Law (LLB (Hons)) and a Master’s degree in criminal justice management. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Bimpe Archer is a regulatory affairs manager at Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, and the online safety and media literacy lead for Northern Ireland. Her brief also includes the Isle of Man. She is responsible for building public awareness of Ofcom’s future regulation of online services and platforms, and engaging with various stakeholders on online safety issues.,

Bimpe joined Ofcom when the online safety role was created in January 2022 following two decades working as a journalist. Following early days freelancing in the former CityBeat radio station, Belfast Telegraph and a stint in the Carrick Times, she joined the Irish News where she was a senior news reporter, duty news editor and columnist. As a journalist and columnist, Bimpe covered a range of topics from politics, legal affairs to social justice. She is passionate about promoting ethical and responsible use of online media and protecting vulnerable groups from online harms. 

Jacqui Durkin was appointed as the independent Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland in November 2019. 

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) is a statutory corporation sole and arm’s length body of the Department of Justice that carries out independent and impartial inspections and Reviews that are laid in the Northern Ireland assembly and published.  

The Chief Inspector develops and delivers an inspection programme across the range of criminal justice organisations across the criminal justice system within CJI’s legislative remit; these include Forensic Service NI, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (but not the judiciary), the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, the Youth Justice Agency and others. 

Before her appointment, Jacqui was a Senior Civil Servant in the Department of Education and held two policy Director roles that included Area Planning, Shared Education Campus capital projects, Special Educational Needs and child safeguarding and protection. 

Jacqui also has over 30 years’ experience in the Northern Ireland justice system and held senior operational and corporate service roles in the Northern Ireland Court Service. She was the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, created as an agency of the Department of Justice in 2010 on the devolution of justice in Northern Ireland.  

Sheina is a social worker, having worked in family and childcare services initially and then in Learning and Development. She is committed to early intervention and community development approaches, and supporting best safeguarding children practice across the sectors.  

As the Professional Officer for the Safeguarding Board NI she has responsibility to support the work of the SBNI committees,  which includes the Child Sexual Exploitation Committee. Prior to this she was part of the Trauma Informed Practice Team in the SBNI and continues to be engaged with this work as a manager and supporting infusing a trauma informed approach across all of the SBNI work. 

The work of the SBNI regarding CSE has spanned several years where collaborative working of the member and partner agencies has achieved significant development in knowledge and practice to safeguard children and young people.

Paul McConville is Professional Social Work Adviser/Social Services Officer based in the Office of Social Services in the Department of Health. Paul is a qualified Social Worker with 35 years post-qualification experience in work with children and families. He has worked for 18 years as a Social Worker and Social Work Manager in Statutory Social Services and as an Assistant Director in the Voluntary Sector with Action for Children for 5 years prior to taking up post in the Office of Social Services in 2010.

Paul’s experience in the statutory and voluntary sectors has afforded him opportunities to assist design and develop supportive services with local communities and service recipients. Paul’s key areas of responsibility include Safeguarding Children and Child Protection, Trafficked Children and Sexually Exploited Children, Early Intervention with Children and Families, professional oversight of Statutory Functions and Corporate Parenting Reports.

Paul provides professional advice and support to Policy formulation in DoH and to other government Departments and officials and has contributed directly to a range of initiatives to develop and strengthen policy and practice, including the promotion of awareness of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma Informed Practice (TIP).

Paul represents the Office of Social Services on the Domestic and Sexual Violence Strategy Strategic Delivery Board and on the Regional Practice Network for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children & Young People. Paul also represents the Office of Social Services on the North South Ministerial Council Child Protection Officials Group.

Ilja stands as a powerful symbol of hope and resilience in the fight against sexual exploitation and modern slavery. Her journey, marked by personal experiences of human trafficking and exploitation in the sex industry across Europe, aligns deeply with Nexus’ mission of supporting those affected by sexual violence.

Surviving early life challenges, including child abuse and a turbulent time in children’s homes, Ilja emerged not as a victim, but as a formidable advocate and successful entrepreneur. Her story is a poignant reminder of the strength and courage that lies within those who have faced unimaginable hardships. Ilja is dedicated to eradicating modern slavery and helping others find their path to recovery.

Her public sharing of her story confronts the harsh realities of sextortion and sexploitation, shedding light on these often hidden epidemics. Ilja’s work extends beyond awareness; it is a clarion call for action. Recognising the increasing role of the internet in facilitating exploitation, she is passionate about creating protective measures for the most vulnerable, including children in care. Her initiatives reflect Nexus’ commitment to prevention and education in the realm of sexual violence.

As a motivational speaker, Ilja resonates with audiences through a narrative that is both harrowing and inspiring. She has an ability to translate personal trials into a powerful message of hope and change. Ilja’s keynote address promises not only to highlight the challenges faced by survivors of sexual exploitation but also to inspire and mobilise attendees towards meaningful action. Her presence at the conference is a testament to the power of transformation and the enduring human spirit.

Gillian Glass is Human Trafficking Support Worker for Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid. Having worked at BLWA for 10 years Gillian has vast experiences supporting women and children who have suffered domestic and sexual violence.

From her experience working within the refugee population as well as local young women who have been trafficked, Gillian is aware of the impact modern slavery and exploitation can have on this vulnerable client group and is passionate about supporting survivors to recover from trauma, build resilience and imagine new possibilities and hope filled futures.

Gillian has a lifelong interest and love of horses and has completed her Equine Assisted Learning Diploma. She is has delivered equine therapy pilot programmes providing vital therapeutic support for survivors of human trafficking and supported survivors through this innovative therapeutic intervention.

Dympna Thornton has worked in PSNI for 20 years. Prior to joining PSNI she was a teacher with 13 years classroom experience in the Post Primary sector. Dympna leads on Youth Engagement in PSNI’s Strategic Partnerships and Prevention Branch, and has experience across a range of roles in PSNI.

In a recent secondment, between 2020 to 2022, Dympna was seconded to the Northern Ireland Policing Board where she held the role of Director with responsibility for Partnership, Engagement and Communications. Dympna is passionate about PSNI’s engagement with young people and with the key stakeholders who advocate for them.

She is a former recipient of the Criminal Justice Award for Outstanding Commitment to Diversity and she has also previously been awarded the CEOP ThinkUKnow UK Children’s Champion of the Year Award.

Jake Ferris has worked within the LGBTQIA+ community for the last 25 years and has extensive experience at working with LGBTQIA+ victims of crime.

He is a passionate LGBTQIA+ Advocate and is dedicated to combatting hate crimes, providing support for victims of domestic violence, and sexual assault, and working to ensure safe housing for all. He is passionate that together, we can strive for equality for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Jill is the co-founder and the current lead within the charity, Flourish NI. 

Jill trained and worked as a chartered accountant and was active in serving on the trustee board of a few charities. A passion for people and justice led to the formation of Flourish 10 years ago. The charity was formed to support survivors in their recovery from their traumatic experiences to be able to move on to lead a safe independent and resilient life. 

The work of the charity is carried out through person centred casework and advocacy and through involvement in group activities and skills-based courses.  Jill represents Flourish on both NI and UK forums dedicated to combating modern slavery and human trafficking the work of the charity received an award for an outstanding contribution in supporting survivors. 

Kirsty is a caseworker and policy developer within the charity, Flourish NI. 

Kirsty trained as a social worker and focused on children’s and families.  She spent time in the Philippines after graduating working as a social worker at a Children’s Home, where she first discovered the issue of Modern Slavery.  When she returned to the UK, she realized that this was too happening locally.    

Kirsty has worked across the UK and internationally at various Modern Slavery focused organisations in the last 15 years managing safe houses and developing support services for survivors of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.  She was part of the team that contributed to writing the Modern Slavery Survivor Care Standards in the UK.   

Kirsty is passionate about seeing a change in survivor care, and keen to raise awareness on Human Trafficking in its many forms to help spot the signs of slavery at the earliest point.   

Lisa Murphy has been a qualified social worker for 24 years. Lisa initially worked in a parenting assessment unit for 9 years for a Voluntary Organisation before moving to England to work for Essex County Council for 2 years as a senior social worker in the Gateway Team.

On return to Northern Ireland in 2013 Lisa worked in the Juvenile Justice Agency and then Intensive Adolescent Team within the South-Eastern Trust before taking up their current position in Barnardo’s SEEN project; Lisa has been at SEEN now for 5 years and really enjoys the work.

Orla Lavery has been qualified as a social worker for 13 years and has worked within social work services in both England and Northern Ireland. This has included working within Gateway, FSIT and LAC services.

Orla joined Barnardo’s SEEN in May of 2019 and has worked throughout the Northern and Western Health and Social Care Trust areas.

Megan Phair coordinates the Journey to Empowerment Programme within Invisible Traffick which is a programme for 12–24 year olds to ensure they stay safe from modern slavery and human trafficking. Within her organisation Megan also trains professionals on the signs and indicators of human trafficking to educate and prevent exploitation.

She is also a member of Stop Attacks Forum which is a pressure group to bring attention to the human rights abuses caused by paramilitaries with her particular focus on child criminal exploitation and preventing young people who are victims of exploitation from being criminalised. 

Janine delivers Nexus’ funded Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) project to range of professionals and is the training facilitator on the PSNI challenging culture project. Janine started at Nexus in 2020, prior to which she was a solicitor who qualified in 2000, practised as a commercial solicitor in England and Wales, briefly worked in the Equality Commission NI then at the Public Prosecution Service for over nine years as a Criminal Prosecutor.

Additionally, Janine has completed a degree in psychology, post-graduate qualifications, and has a general interest in trauma and sexual violence.

Cara Hunter is 28 years old and currently resides in Portrush, Northern Ireland. Originally a mental health and suicide prevention advocate she joined the SDLP in 2017 and later became a Councillor in 2019. 

In her role as Deputy Mayor for Derry City and Strabane District Council focusing on enhanced well-being in rural constituencies and promoting mental health as a priority. She was later co-opted in 2020 as MLA for the East Derry constituency and was elected in 2022. 

Cara is currently the SDLP Spokesperson for Children and Young People and has served on the Assembly’s infrastructure and health committees. Cara set up the Dual Diagnosis APG to create more accessible support and improved harm reduction models for those struggling with addiction and mental illness. She also has a keen interest in climate change, student concerns, improving and enhancing diversity in elected representatives, and creating affordable, sustainable childcare in Northern Ireland. 

Diane Forsythe is DUP MLA for South Down area. A law graduate and Chartered accountant who has worked across a number of sectors including organisations dealing with domestic and sexual violence. She currently Chairs the NI Assembly All Party Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence and has a strong passion for bringing improvements to Northern Ireland in this area and keeping the victims at the centre. Diane is also Deputy Chair for the Committee for Finance.

Nuala McAllister has served as Alliance Party MLA for North Belfast since May 2022. Prior to this, she represented Castle DEA in North Belfast on Belfast City Council from 2014 and had a successful year as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2017-18, being known as the first ‘young mum’ to hold the position.

Nuala currently sits on the Policing Board for Alliance and is a Finance spokesperson and Deputy Whip for the party. Nuala is also the Deputy Chair for the Committee for Health and a Business Committee member.

Having previously worked in the role of Policy Officer for the Alliance Party, Nuala has extensive portfolio experience in a wide range of areas including health, violence against women and girls, and justice.

Linda Dillon is Sinn Féin’s Justice Spokesperson & Policing Board Member.

Mike has served Strangford since May 2011, topping the poll in 2016. He Chairs the Board of Governors of Movilla High School and is a member of the Ards Suicide Awareness Group and the Ards Peninsula Coastal Erosion Group. With colleagues Jean, Naomi, and Richard, he runs a full-time constituency service from Newtownards.

Mike was Ulster Unionist Party Leader from 2012 to 2017. Currently, he represents the Party on the Policing Board. Mike is a former broadcaster, private sector CEO, and Commissioner for Victims and Survivors.

As Clinical Services Manager, Susan oversees the provision of Nexus’ therapeutic services to ensure the highest standard of delivery and service provision. She has overall responsibility for service development and delivery to agreed outputs and outcomes, contract management, monitoring and reporting, professional and clinical governance to ensure safe, compliant, and ethical practices.

Susan is a BACP accredited counsellor with over a decade of experience working in the field of Counselling and Trauma. She has worked extensively with anxiety, depression and psychological trauma stemming from abuse. She has developed specialisms in addiction and complex mental health.

Susan is also a qualified clinical supervisor delivering supervision to both students and qualified counsellors. During her counselling career she has worked extensively with voluntary organisations both as a practitioner and being responsible for coordinating a team of counsellors providing therapeutic support.