The Links Group was represented at last week’s Joint Ministerial Visit to the Foyle Family Justice Centre by Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, and Fleur Anderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
Strategic Delivery Lead Andrea Lynch sits on the FFJC Board in her Links Group role and joined fellow board members on 29th January in welcoming the visitors and discussing issues relating to safeguarding and violence against women and girls.
The ministers were met by Marie Brown, CEO of Derry’s Family Justice Centre and Foyle Women’s Aid; Judge Barney McElholm, Patron of the Family Justice Centre, and chairperson, former High Court judge Mr Justice Tom Burgess, before being shown around the facilities at the purpose-built facility. They met with survivors and staff who shared their experiences of navigating services in the North and the issues facing survivors of domestic abuse, as well as staff and board members to learn about the work of the Centre and its new approach to bringing services to victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
The Foyle Family Justice Centre is the first of its kind in Britain and Ireland. It opened in 2022 and is a unique trauma-informed interagency response to victims of domestic and sexual violence where agencies work in the same building to provide a wraparound service. The Family Justice Centre model has been specifically designed to increase and improve access to joined-up holistic support services for all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. Co-location of relevant agencies prevents re-traumatisation of victims, who only have to relate their experiences once, and promotes collaborative, effective responses to keep families safe.
After discussion with the FFJC Board members, the ministers were given a presentation by Aisling Swaine, Professor of Peace, Security and International Law at University College Dublin. Professor Swaine relayed the key insights of her recently published report: ‘When you know what they are capable of: Paramilitary-related Gendered Coercive Control’, which is based on the experiences of women from Derry and the rest of the North.
Marie Brown, CEO, said: “I welcome the Ministers’ visit because I am concerned about the dire situation for victims and survivors of abuse in Northern Ireland, due to the multi-faceted problems such as housing and barriers faced within the criminal justice system.”
Commenting on her visit, Minister Anderson said: “The work of the Foyle Family Justice Centre in the local community is important.
“We met with survivors of domestic abuse, and spoke with frontline staff who are on the ground supporting women impacted by violence.
“The scale of these issues, here and right across the UK, is intolerable and the solution requires a partnership approach across society.”
And we also discovered that Jess likes cake!
Reports on the visit can be found at Derry Now and Derry Daily.
Ministers and FFJC Board Members
Standing, left to right:
Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
His Honour Tom Burgess CBE, Chairperson and former High Court judge
Prof. Aisling Swaine, Professor of Peace, Security and International Law, University College Dublin.
Michelle Martin ASSIST NI Project Manager
Dr. Geraldine O’Hare, Consultant Forensic Psychologist and former Director of Rehabilitation and Head of Psychological Services with the Probation Board for Northern Ireland
Damian McAteer, Economist
Dr. Andrea Lynch, Strategic Delivery Lead, The Links Group
District Judge Barney McElholm, Patron of the Family Justice Centre
Sitting, left to right:
Marie Brown, CEO of Derry’s Family Justice Centre and Foyle Women’s Aid
Fleur Anderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls
Jo Corcoran, Senior Support Services Manager, Foyle Family Justice Centre and Foyle Women’s Aid
