Please find below the members of our Safeguarding Committee.
Baroness Nuala O'Loan (Chair)
Baroness Nuala O’Loan DBE MRIA is a member of the House of Lords. She is Chair of the Catholic Council for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, appointed by the CBCEW and the COREW; is a Member of the Trust Board of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster and Chair of the Trustee’s Safeguarding Committee. Among other things, she was Chair of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel appointed by the Home Secretary; a member of the Independent Review of the Human Rights Act, appointed by the Lord Chancellor; is a member of the International Steering Group for Operation Kenova, investigating the activities of an alleged British Army agent, known as Stakeknife, and murder cases from the Northern Ireland Troubles. She was formerly the Chair of the Governing Authority of Maynooth University. She was the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and later Ireland’s Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution. She has acted in an advisory capacity on policing and police accountability across the world and was involved in the Spanish peace process leading to the voluntary ceasefire in 2011. A solicitor, she held the Jean Monnet Chair in European Law at the University of Ulster and has served on numerous public bodies. She is the recipient of a number of honorary doctorates in recognition of her work and is a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
Andrzej Wdowiak
Andrzej Wdowiak works for the Diocese of Westminster, currently as Director of Youth Ministry with particular responsibilities for implementing robust safeguarding policies and procedures relating to retreats and activities with children and young adults.
During his time with the Diocese, he was responsible for setting up Caritas Bakhita House, a safe house for women who have been trafficked, enslaved and exploited, working with the local statutory services on its policies and support network.
He read Theology at the Catholic University of Leuven and holds an MSc in Voluntary Sector Management from the London School of Economics.
Andrzej has committed his working life to charities in different countries and in different fields, including work with asylum seekers and refugees, homeless people, vulnerable adults, young offenders and people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. He ran hostels for young people with high support needs, with particular responsibility for safeguarding.
This work was accompanied by relevant training from Local Authorities in issues around domestic abuse and safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
Fr Stephen Coker
Fr Stephen Coker has formerly held positions in Psychiatric care, as a Chaplain and in residential care working with adults with mental health difficulties. Following ordination to the priesthood in 1996, he became Catholic Chaplain at HMP Highdown and then HMP Pentonville until he retired from the Prison Service in 2018. He has served on the Safeguarding Commission, then Safeguarding Committee, since 2015.
Mary Coller
Mary Coller has extensive safeguarding experience gained as a Metropolitan Police Service Detective together with roles as a School Governor and Parish Safeguarding Officer.
Edward Morgan
Dr Ed Morgan KC, JCD, PhD FCIArb FRSA, a member of the Bar of England and Wales since 1989 and the Bar of Northern Ireland since 2000. He has remained in private practice throughout the ensuing period specialising in the fields of employment, regulatory and corporate governance. He was appointed a fee paid Employment Judge in 2000 and Assistant Coroner in 2018. In addition to his civil law qualifications, he holds a licence (JCL) and a doctorate in canon law (JCD). He is a regular speaker on civil and canon law issues and has contributed to a wide range of legal publications. From 2010, he has been a Fellow of The University of Cardiff, Centre for Law and Religion. Since 2016, has served as Visiting Professor of Canon Law at the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven. He has served as a member of a number of specialist committees at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and was a member of the Canon Law committee which formed part of the Elliott Review. He is now the Chancellor of the National Tribunal Service established by the CBCEW to deal with all Canon Law proceedings.
Rachel O'Driscoll
Rachel O’Driscoll has over 30 years’ experience in the legal services sector, developing and implementing strategy, policy and practice in a wide variety of areas, including on regulatory and standards issues, education and training and better communication with vulnerable clients, witnesses and defendants. She was lay Vice Chair of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission (the predecessor body to the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency), sitting on the Commission for over 6 years. Her involvement in safeguarding and support for the vulnerable is informed by having a daughter with a learning disability. Rachel is currently studying for a doctorate, which researches the lives of disabled people in London, their families and their communities.
Bernadette Herbert
A Retired Nurse and Midwife serving 43 years in NHS. She has worked in Women’s health services for 27 years, including 11 years at senior management level and management of children’s safeguarding teams. A Senior Nurse with responsibility for Adult Safeguarding in an Acute Trust 2011-2021. Volunteer Nurse for Westminster Diocese Lourdes Pilgrimage medical team 2011-2020. Parish Safeguarding Representative in Stevenage since 2020 and member of the Westminster Diocese Trustee’s Safeguarding Committee since 2022.
Victoria Wilson
Victoria Wilson was called to Bar in 2002 by Gray’s Inn and has extensive experience of dealing with safeguarding issues in respect of children and vulnerable adults. She is a family barrister, Joint Head of Goldsmith Chambers and a Deputy District Judge on the South Eastern Circuit. She is the Parish Safeguarding Representative at St Etheldreda’s, Ely Place, and is committed to helping the Diocese achieve high standards in ensuring a safe environment for all.
Deacon Paul Hewitt
Deacon Paul Hewitt is an experienced local government officer, former Director of Childrens’ and Adult Services and qualified social worker, who brings expertise to the safeguarding committee in all aspects of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
Paul is the chair of the Advisory Board for the Children’s Commissioner for England, and a board member of the Church of England, London Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel. He is a qualified executive and leadership coach, who runs his own coaching company, operating in the public sector, alongside his diaconal ministry in the Parish of Our Lady of Victories in Kensington.
Nicola O’Brien
Nicola O’Brien FRSA is the Director of Safeguarding and DSL at Felsted School in Essex where she oversees the safeguarding of more than 1000 children and young people from age 4 to 18. She has worked in education for nearly 30 years, initially teaching Modern Foreign Languages and, in the last 17 years, within boarding leadership and safeguarding. She is Chair of a Special Interest Group on Gender Dysphoria for the Association of Child Protection Professionals and is an associate trainer for the Safeguarding and Child Protection Association. In addition, she has NSPCC accreditation as a safeguarding trainer and is an accredited trainer for the Safer Recruitment Consortium. She conducts safeguarding supervision and has founded a cluster group to support DSLs in independent schools in Essex. In addition, she is a safeguarding adviser to the women’s charity, Filia.
Susie Worthington
Former lead Safeguarding Officer in a large comprehensive school with over 25 years- experience in day to day reporting of safeguarding incidents, signposting to statutory agencies and supporting young people when disclosures have been made. Led on adverse childhood experiences and the lasting effects on young people and adults and had particular responsibility in mentoring and supporting young people in foster care. Parish Safeguarding Representative for the parish Northfields since 2019.