Meet the Team

I am a registered intermediary in the justice system, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Arts Psychological Therapist. As a therapist I have worked with adults and children with communication needs and mental health issues, in a variety of settings including palliative care, acute mental health wards and day hospitals, schools and clinics.

I am a visiting lecturer on the Wellbeing Practitioner course at University of East London and have written for Jessica Kingsley publishers and Childsplay International on subjects related to mental health.

Alongside other IfJ trustees I have run conferences and seminars on subjects ranging from: Working with Defendants; Trauma in the CJS; Joined up working in CJS; Abuse and its many faces in the CJS and Vulnerability and Justice.

I have chaired and contributed to the writing of many Toolkits for The Advocates Gateway and currently run trainings for the police on communication to Achieve Best Evidence and on Trauma Informed Practice.

Since 2019, I have worked as a Registered Intermediary in the criminal justice system, supporting vulnerable teens and adults with communication barriers due to neurodiversity, trauma, mental health, or learning difficulties—using a trauma-informed approach. In 2023, I joined The Intermediary Cooperative and became an HMCTS-Approved Intermediary in both Family and Criminal courts. I am the Safeguarding Officer for IfJ, maintain our social media and recently started a news feed channel for members.

Previously, I was a Modern Languages teacher, but I felt compromised by the results driven mainstream education system and found my niche outside the classroom. I joined Blackpool’s Missing and Vulnerable Children Team working across their 7 Pupil Referral Centres. I supported the attendance, welfare and safeguarding of young people excluded from school. Later, as Every Child Matters Coordinator at a special school for pupils with challenging behaviour, I led on Safeguarding, Looked After Children, and Attendance. 

I am committed to equality of access to justice for all and am passionate about youth justice and strengthening IfJ’s role as the voice for intermediaries across the justice system.

I am a Registered Practitioner Psychologist and have been working in private practice and as an expert witness since the 1980s. I am also an Assistive Technologist (computers for disability) and have worked in a range of settings with adults and children undertaking assessment, diagnosis and giving advice and support. My areas of special interest and expertise include the needs of disabled and vulnerable individuals who have general and specific learning difficulties, especially dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit and autism. Closely involved in the Special Educational Needs assessment and review processes since 1981, I have particularly in recent years, focussed on legal work and have reported and given evidence in Court for family, employment and criminal matters. I claim to be in the process of retiring...

I initially dipped my toe into the justice system as an Appropriate Adult working in custody centres, with vulnerable adults and juveniles. I also worked with juvenile migrants, supporting them through the age assessment process.

In later life I trained and qualified on the Intermediary Development Programme with Triangle and, after working independently, I was subsequently a founder member of The Intermediary Cooperative. I specialise in working with vulnerable defendants with impaired communication due to mild/moderate learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety and depression.

As an intermediary I have benefitted greatly from the resources and training offered by IFJ. I am so pleased to join them in their work advocating for vulnerable people in the justice system and in promoting awareness of the intermediary role.

I am a Lecturer in Law and Director of the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Queens' University, Belfast. I am also a qualified barrister in Northern Ireland and England and Wales and have practised criminal law in both jurisdictions. My research focuses on the criminal process, criminal justice and socio-legal approaches to criminal law. In particular, my research looks at special measures in criminal courts and the role of the intermediary as a communication specialist for vulnerable court users.

I am the theme lead for the 'Vulnerable Accused' as part of the British Society of Criminology Vulnerability Research Network. I co-convene the 'Vulnerable Suspects and Defendants work-in-progress forum' and have recently been appointed to the Advocate's Gateway Management Committee. I am a regular adviser to the Department of Justice (Northern Ireland) and have trained intermediary cohorts in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

My current research project focuses on the conceptualisation of the right to 'effective participation' in police custody. As part of this project, I am collaborating with the Department of Justice (Northern Ireland), the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Public Prosecution Service of Northern Ireland (PPS). My first monograph, ‘The Intermediary in the Criminal Justice System’ was published by Routledge in 2025.

I am an academic and registered intermediary. I completed my PhD in 2012 on the topic of rapport building during investigative interviews with children. I then worked at Teesside University for 14 years as a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology. I ran the Masters in Trauma Informed Practice and taught on the Masters in Forensic Psychology and the Policing Apprenticeships.  I supervise PhD students and carry out research on ways to facilitate communication with vulnerable people in justice settings, trauma informed practice in the justice system and intermediary practice. My current research project is looking at adaptations to video identity parades with child victims and witnesses.

I have been an intermediary since 2012, first with vulnerable defendants and then with vulnerable victims/witnesses. My areas of expertise are young children, and children with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities and trauma. I have also worked as an expert witness where I review the practice of police officers during investigative interviews. Finally, I have presented at national and international conferences and regularly deliver training sessions to the police, other criminal justice practitioners, social workers and teachers.

I am passionate about the work of intermediaries and highlighting the importance of this work and how it enables access to justice for vulnerable groups.  

I am passionate about making the world more accessible for people who experience communication difficulties. My work is grounded in the belief that communication is a fundamental human right. I was a key contributor to the development and production of a Charter of Rights for individuals with intellectual disabilities, I have championed inclusive communication and the creation of accessible environments across services. I have a masters in Leadership in Care and a Postgraduate Diploma in Intermediary Studies. I am dedicated to promoting trauma-informed and rights-based approaches, ensuring that communication support is embedded in policy as well as practice. I have been working as a registered intermediary in Ireland for two years. I am the Chairperson of Registered Intermediary Ireland. Through my intermediary practice, I have collaborated with An Garda Siochana (Irish Police), legal professionals and Court Services developing accessible materials for court preparation, promoting trauma-informed practice, and contributing to multi-agency training on effective communication with vulnerable witnesses and defendants. I aim to bring a reflective, rights-based approach to every case, aiming to empower each individual to participate fully and confidently in the justice process. I am currently researching skills which transfer from the clinic to court. I am passionate about intermediary work and the positive influence it can have on society—helping to make the world a more accessible and equitable place for vulnerable people. I am delighted to be part of the IfJ as I believe in the power of international learning, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing to strengthen intermediary practice and promote access to justice globally.

Whilst studying social work I was lucky to receive a placement with the charity Mencap (supporting children and adults with Learning Disabilities), then a further placement with Liaison and Diversion services within the police (assessing people over the age of 10 who had been arrested and had vulnerabilities such as mental health difficulties or reliance upon drugs and / or alcohol). It was this second placement which first piqued my interest in working within the justice system. After completing my social work qualification, I began working in mental health services for adults experiencing crisis. During this time, I also studied an MA in social and public policy.

I began working as a court appointed intermediary in 2020, for the company Communicourt, during which I completed the post-graduate accredited Intermediary Training Course. I loved working as an intermediary and felt as though much of my previous experience fed into my work, I also enjoyed learning from colleagues about new approaches and strategies to support communication and understanding.

After this I spent 2 years working within co-production for NHS Learning Disability services. I enjoyed working in partnership with practitioners, service users and carers to find ways to improve services and to embed knowledge from those with lived experience. During this time, I also supervised and educated students in placements within our service, which led to providing communication lectures to students of social work at Sheffield Hallum University. I continue providing these guest lectures as often as I am able.

Although I enjoyed all my previous roles, it was Intermediary work that always gave me the most substantial satisfaction. For this reason, I qualified as a Registered Intermediary in 2025 and now work full time in this role. As a Registered Intermediary I have found my membership with Intermediaries for Justice (IfJ) to be highly valuable. The free resources for members are excellent and well considered, the training is thorough and research based, and the WhatsApp groups have been a fantastic source of information and advice, from highly experienced and generous intermediaries, in all fields of our work. It was for these reasons, that when I was asked to join the trustee team, that I jumped at the opportunity. I am passionate about working within IfJ to continue their excellent work. I am also excited to see how my social work background can be used to support us in building a world where Intermediaries are valued and supported, and where all individuals with communication needs can understand proceedings and provide their best evidence.