Associates
Justine Skeats
DipSW, BA (She/Her)
Justine is an expert safeguarding professional, who is registered with Social Work England. Justine qualified as a Social Worker in 1993 and has 31 years experience working across the gamut of sectors including the statutory, voluntary, humanitarian and governmental. Justine has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Applied Social Studies, a Diploma in Social Work and a Diploma in Leadership and Management (Level 7) registered with the CMI. Justine began her career working in front line social work with children and families.
Justine was the Head of Safeguarding for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) for five years, providing expert oversight to safeguarding decision making across all areas of the Inquiry’s business. Prior to this, she worked for many years in the NSPCC. Justine has expertise working in the humanitarian sector as the Global Head of Safeguarding for an INGO, working in countries in the Global South giving her unique experiences of working with diverse communities. Justine has authored articles published in VOICE magazine about her work in safeguarding and gender based violence in South Sudan.
Justine has provided consultation services for a range of statutory Inquiries and reviews including; UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Future of Church Safeguarding Review, the Lampard Inquiry, the Whyte Review and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). Justine also sits on the Board of Trustees for an intimate partner abuse refuge and Child Sexual Exploitation service based in Rotherham and is a member of the Parole Board.
Steve Harris
Senior Counsellor & Trauma Specialist
Steve Harris is a senior Counsellor specialising in trauma informed care within complex institutional environments. He currently serves as the Lead Counsellor for the Staff Support Service at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, where he designs and delivers psychological support frameworks to mitigate secondary trauma and burnout for staff, providing individual support sessions and reflective practice groups.
Prior to this, Steve spent six years at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), providing specialist emotional support to witnesses, victims and survivors, as well as training and support to staff in trauma informed practice. With an MA in Clinical Counselling and over 13 years of specialised experience in adult trauma recovery, he has delivered bespoke therapeutic interventions for organisations including Mind and Action for Children.
Steve is a registered member of the BACP, adhering strictly to its Ethical Framework, and approaches his work through a collaborative, person-centred lens tailored to diverse individual perspectives.
