Associates
Monika Lesniewska, senior associate consultant
Monika has led on consultancy projects for one of the leading national domestic abuse charities. This included evaluations of commissioned Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) services, Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) reviews, needs assessments, pilots aiming to improve support pathways for victims/survivors in health settings and many others. She now works for a local authority in a VAWG team, supporting the delivery of their strategy and leading on multi agency partnership development. Prior to her strategic roles she has experience of frontline work with victims/survivors of VAWG and complex trauma, she was the domestic abuse lead for a housing association supporting homeless women experiencing complex needs and multiple forms of disadvantage.
naomi macmeekin, associate consultant
Naomi qualified as a Social Worker in 2009, spending her career in services for adults including older persons, learning disabilities, continuing health care, in-patient mental health services, safeguarding and commissioning in a variety of operational and strategic roles. Recently Naomi has been the Transitional Safeguarding Coordinator with the Families and Children Transformation Partnership in Wiltshire, using her expertise and knowledge to support a multi-agency partnership in developing and testing a ‘proof of concept’ approach to working with young people who are at risk and experiencing challenges throughout their transition from adolescence to adulthood.
lucy giles, associate consultant
Lucy has previously worked to set up and manage substance misuse organisations and complex needs services . Lucy brings 30 years of experience in the social welfare sector both frontline and strategically; primarily in mental health, homelessness/housing, substance misuse, complex needs, domestic abuse and sexual violence and was previously Chair of the board of trustees for Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Services (SARSAS) and oversaw its implementation . She is an accredited trainer who has previously delivered numerous training sessions on substance misuse and complex needs as well as writing an OCN accredited course for substance misuse practitioners. She has also got an MA in ethics of Social welfare.
She has worked for SafeLives since 2010, initially as part of the team delivering the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) implementation programme across the UK and abroad, later becoming Marac development officer for the South West and Wales including as the programme lead for Wales for the organisation. She has implemented safeguarding pilots commissioned by Local Authorities and worked with the Wales and Northern Ireland Government to implement good practices in domestic abuse and child protection. Lucy continues to write and develop domestic abuse safeguarding policy and guidance for the voluntary and statutory sector and has delivered training to numerous agencies including; police, health, children’s social care, adult safeguarding amongst others as well as delivering regularly at conferences across the UK.
One of Lucy’s key achievements has been her work developing an accredited course on older people and domestic abuse commissioned by the Home Office and developing a package of work for Bermuda police and health bodies in strengthening their response to domestic abuse and safeguarding. She is currently developing work for the sector on counter allegations and parental alienation. She is a member of the expert advisory group for Pegs which is a national organisation working and researching around young people who cause harm.