Meet Our Partners
The Partnership brings together professionals with extensive experience in both clinical practice and safeguarding. Our collective expertise spans psychology, psychotherapy, social work, and counselling, enabling us to provide specialist consultancy across a wide range of complex and sensitive areas. We have delivered consultation and support to numerous organisations and public inquiries and contributed to research.
Claire Barker
BSc, DipPsych, MSc, C.Psychol, AFBPsS (She/Her)
Claire is an HCPC Registered and Chartered Forensic Psychologist and an Affiliate Member of the British Psychological Society. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and a Master of Science Degree in Applied Forensic Psychology and has worked within the field of forensic psychology for 20 years, working with both victims and offenders.
Claire has held senior roles across a number of major public inquiries including the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and, most recently, the Lampard Inquiry, where she was Chief Psychologist. Across these roles, Claire has contributed to the design and development of trauma-informed approaches and support models, including overseeing the provision of emotional support for people engaging with inquiry processes. She has also provided psychological and trauma-informed advice to a number of other inquiries.
Claire was the lead researcher for two research articles published in 2023, evaluating the impact of using a trauma-informed approach within a public inquiry. In 2022, Claire was a keynote speaker at the NOTA Conference, presenting the emerging themes of this research.
Outside of her inquiry work, Claire continues to complete expert witness reports for the criminal Court and is a Specialist Member of the Parole Board for England and Wales.
Cassy Harrison
DipSW, BSc, MSc (She/Her)
Cassy is a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England, with over 20 years’ experience in safeguarding children and adults across statutory, voluntary and inquiry settings. She holds a Diploma and BSc in Social Work, an MSc in Safeguarding and is currently completing a Professional Doctorate in Community and Social Care Policy. She has published research in the field of Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and is an experienced independent safeguarding reviewer.
Cassy has led safeguarding strategy within some of the UK’s most complex and high-profile public inquiry settings. She provided strategic safeguarding leadership to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and led the development and implementation of the safeguarding strategy for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, the largest public inquiry ever established in the UK. She has also provided safeguarding consultation and advice to a number of other national inquiries and government programmes, including the Lampard Inquiry, the Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs and the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to its safeguarding strategy.
Cassy is currently Independent Safeguarding Adviser to the Board of Home-Start UK, providing strategic oversight, governance and assurance. Her wider experience includes serving as Safeguarding Lead for the National Autistic Society, alongside senior safeguarding and quality assurance roles within local government and the voluntary sector, including for the NSPCC. She has also provided independent safeguarding advice within national sport.
Cassy is a SILP-accredited safeguarding reviewer and qualified Action Learning Facilitator and is an Employers Against Abuse Ambassador with The Survivors Trust.
Tom Strannix
MA, MBACP (He/Him)
Tom is a mental health professional, registered as an accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. Tom has an Advanced Diploma in Counselling & Therapy, a Master of Arts Degree in Advanced Child Protection, and is qualified as a clinical supervisor and therapist in a range of trauma therapies, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Trauma Focused CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Tom has almost 20 years experience as a clinician, and over ten years experience as a clinical supervisor and consultant in trauma-informed support and safeguarding models.
Tom’s experience includes a range of senior leadership positions across public, private and voluntary sector organisations, UK-wide and the US. Tom held a senior role for four years at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), as a Clinical Lead advising the solicitor to the Inquiry and the Chair, with specific responsibility for the Inquiry’s trauma-informed approach and emotional support offer to witnesses, core participants, the wider public and Inquiry staff. Tom has also provided advice and consultancy to Inquiry public engagement activity. Outside of IICSA, Tom has advised a range of other inquiries including the Thirlwall, Grenfell Tower, Manchester Arena, Infected Blood and UK Covid-19 public inquiries.
Beyond Inquiry work, Tom works in a senior leadership role for safeguarding in a national digital mental health service and provides a range of consultancy and supervision to clinical and safeguarding professionals, either working independently or for national providers.
