Open letter to Josh MacAlister, Minister for Children and Families
Jodie Wickers joined Article 39 in 2025 as Executive Director. She is an experienced charity leader who has spent her career driving change for children and young people in institutional settings. Jodie has successfully led organisational strategies, increased income, and built cross-sector partnerships to expand the reach and impact of youth services.
Previously, Jodie was Programme Director and then Chief Executive of Khulisa, where she oversaw significant growth and embedded trauma-informed practice nationally. Earlier in her career, she founded and managed a therapeutic home for young women leaving care and in-patient units, pioneering a care first approach and achieving consecutive ‘outstanding’ ratings. She later served as Service Director at Young Futures.
Jodie began her career as a youth worker with homeless young people and care leavers, shaped by her own experiences of exclusion and adversity and a determination to challenge system failures. She is deeply committed to tackling social injustice, amplifying young people’s voices, and ensuring long-term, relational support is built into the systems that shape their lives. She holds a BSc in Criminology, specialising in the experiences of children in care, and an MA in Psychodynamic and Systemic Leadership from the Tavistock and Portman.
Outside of her role at Article 39, Jodie is the lead Children Looked After Governor at Haringey Learning Partnership. She is also a disability advocate and LGBTQ+ role model. In her spare time, she enjoys adaptive weightlifting, spending time with her dog, and connecting with friends and community.
Millie joined Article 39 in late 2025 bringing a decade of experience in children’s rights, justice, and social policy.
Millie previously worked for the Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ) for over 8 years, leading the development and delivery of AYJ’s influencing, policy and public affairs work. As Policy Manager she drew on the experiences of AYJ’s members and children and young people to shape policy responses and publications, and engage with parliamentarians and policy makers.
Millie has also previously worked in legal policy at Clan Childlaw, a legal and advocacy service for children in Scotland; as Parliamentary Researcher for Sarah Jones MP, then Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime; and in public affairs at the National Union of Students (NUS). She has a degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Outside of work, Millie enjoys swimming, salsa dancing, listening to live music, practicing her rapidly-deteriorating Spanish speaking, and reading (mostly the romantasy variety!).
Lucy joined Article 39 in May 2025, bringing extensive experience in human rights. Most recently she worked at leading civil rights law firm, Birnberg Peirce, focusing on civil claims and inquiries. Prior to that, she held senior research and campaigning roles at Amnesty
International and English PEN.
Alongside her professional work, Lucy has dedicated significant time to volunteering in the legal and human rights fields, including five years serving on the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Brixton.
She also works as a translator and editor with a legal and human rights focus, regularly collaborating with intergovernmental organisations such as the European Union and United Nations.
Outside work, Lucy enjoys going to the theatre. Luckily she doesn’t have much spare time or she’d probably spend it all doing cryptic crosswords and listening to political, true crime and life story podcasts.
Avril joined Article 39 in late 2024 to provide behind-the-scenes membership and governance support. She has a variety of experience in the charity sector, including supporting young people as an independent advocate, running a social club for people with learning disabilities, and delivering a family engagement project with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). She has a degree in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Salford.
Outside of work, Avril has a love of the natural world. She enjoys live theatre and music, reading, and vintage fashion.
Jezerca (Jez) Tigani is a dedicated advocate of children’s rights with over 20 years of experience leading programmes that protect and empower vulnerable children, including those in institutional care. She has driven policy reforms, expanded child protection systems, and developed innovative programmes across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, improving the lives of children in the most challenging circumstances.
Jezerca’s work includes shaping national child protection laws and systems in many countries around the world, enhancing justice systems for children, and strengthening community-led care initiatives. Her expertise in advocacy, strategic planning, and partnership-building has mobilized significant resources and fostered lasting, positive change for children worldwide.
Jezerca is a member of the UN’s Senior Talent Leadership Program in Peace Building and Peace keeping.
Outside of work, Jezerca enjoys swimming, running and nature. Her dog, Lily, is her running companion.
Sir William (“Bill”) Utting has dedicated his career to improving the lives of uprooted children, particularly those in institutional care.
Bill held senior roles in probation, local government, and the civil service, culminating in his appointment as the first Chief Inspector of Social Services for England, retiring in 1991. His voluntary work included chairing the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Council of Goldsmiths, University of London, and the National Institute for Social Work. He also served on the Committee on Standards in Public Life from 1994 to 2001.
A respected leader in child welfare, Bill led pivotal reviews of residential child care and safeguards for children living away from home, including the influential People Like Us report (1997).
Venetia has worked with children and young people for over 40 years, beginning in children’s publishing and teaching English, drama, and media. She later became headteacher of Oxfordshire’s Virtual School for Looked After Children and co-founded Yoga in Schools to support vulnerable young people.
Currently, Venetia teaches yoga, mentors, and volunteers with Oxford Mutual Aid.
Viv spent over 20 years as a social worker with Westminster City Council, working in care, mental health, youth justice, and fostering. She also served as a foster carer and later joined the NSPCC as a children’s rights officer, managing inner London advocacy projects.
As an advocate for Barnardo’s, Viv focused on the rights of disabled children and contributed to numerous policies and publications for looked after children. Her voluntary work includes bereavement counselling, police station visits, and Childline counselling.
Viv enjoys travelling, hiking, football, and the arts.
Susannah has extensive experience as a social worker and family lawyer, with a focus on public law child care cases. She specialised in fostering services before retraining in law and practising at the Bar.
Inspired by John Kemmis’s commitment to advocacy, she joined Article 39 to help ensure children’s voices are heard.
Mike is an Emeritus Professor at the University of York with over 50 years’ experience in research, policy, and practice supporting disadvantaged young people.
A pioneer in leaving care research, Mike has advised on key legislation, including the Children Act 1989 and the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. He has written extensively on children’s rights and was a founder of the International Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood from Care (INTRAC).
Mike previously worked in probation and children’s services, co-founding England’s first rights group for children in care.
Lynton grew up in care, spending 15 years at Shirley Oaks children’s home. Despite leaving school with few qualifications, he pursued an Access to Law course and earned an LLB from University College London.
He became a Partner in a law firm specialising in criminal law before moving to the Bar, where he supported the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association in the Lambeth Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional abuse.
Carole, a qualified social worker since 1976, has dedicated her career to children’s rights and welfare. She has worked in social services as a social worker, team leader, adoption manager, and family mediator. She also served as a Guardian ad Litem, amplifying children’s voices in the legal system.
After retiring, Carole continued to support children through adoption services, training adopters, and acting as an Adoption Panel Advisor. She facilitated the Truth Project for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and chaired Nagalro, contributing to equal justice for migrant children and other initiatives.
Carole enjoys spending time with her grandson, walking her dog, and reading.
Anna joined Article 39’s Board of Trustees to honour her father, John Kemmis, a lifelong advocate for children’s rights, and to contribute her skills to the organisation’s growth.
A chartered accountant with 20 years’ experience, Anna began her career in audit before becoming a Financial Director, gaining expertise in financial control, risk assessment, forecasting, budgeting, and analysis across various sectors. Recently, she completed an Executive MBA, adding a strategic dimension to her financial background.
Anna lives and works in France but visits family and friends in the UK regularly.
Sue supports Article 39 by helping to keep our rights4children website up-to-date. A retired childcare solicitor, she has extensive experience representing children in care and homeless young people, as well as working for local authorities throughout her career.
Rebekah is a social worker, care-experienced campaigner, and author with expertise in child protection. A qualified journalist, she has written extensively on the care system for outlets like The Guardian, academic journals, and books. She edited Free Loaves on Fridays: The Care System as Told by People Who Actually Get It (2024).
Before joining Article 39, Rebekah led child and family policy at the British Association of Social Workers, co-editing Out of the Shadows: Social Work in Disasters (2022). She also pioneered Gymtherapy, a creative approach to working with children, detailed in her first book (2018). Rebekah is a trustee of the Together Trust and an advisory board member for the John Lewis Building Happier Futures scheme.
Outside of work, she enjoys aerial yoga, antique hunting, alt rock, and practising her Spanish through local language clubs and telenovelas.
Millie leads the Blooming Change group, empowering young people to improve mental health hospitals for children and young people.
Previously, Millie worked at the Alliance for Youth Justice, collaborating with organisations and young people to drive reform in the youth justice system. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and History and a Master’s degree in Race, Media, and Social Justice, where she explored system change and challenging narratives.
Outside of work, Millie loves camping, music, history, museums, and trying new foods.
Mari came out of retirement to support Article 39, bringing a passion for administration, a love of data, and experience from her years working in secondary schools and alternative education units.
Outside her role, Mari enjoys spending time with her two flat-coated retrievers and tending to her potting shed.
Karolina co-ordinates Article 39’s Children and Young People’s Advocates Network, supporting advocacy professionals across England. She leads the design and delivery of training and specialist resources to strengthen advocacy for children.
With a background in law and human rights, Karolina has over 15 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, including roles at Rape Crisis England & Wales, Unicef UK, Ealing Community and Voluntary Service, and Centrepoint.
In her spare time, Karolina enjoys hiking and spending time in nature. She also loves music, reading, and cooking.
Chris joined Article 39 in May 2024 and qualified as a solicitor in 1997, beginning his career in criminal defence, specialising in representing children and young people. In 2002, he joined the Howard League for Penal Reform, where he established a legal service for children in prison and led judicial reviews on children’s rights, including the first Human Rights Act inquiry into a child’s treatment in custody.
Returning to private practice in 2013, Chris focused on public, housing, and community care law, often representing young people affected by criminal and sexual exploitation, including ‘county lines’. He also pursued compensation claims for children harmed in care and represented families at inquests into deaths of young people in mental health settings.
Chris regularly speaks at events for advocates, youth justice workers, and lawyers, sharing expertise on improving children’s access to justice.
Outside work, he enjoys swimming, cycling, running, boxing training, and walking his dog.
Carolyne founded Article 39 in 2015, and was Director for 10 years until the end of 2024. She is now a barrister specialising in family and public law, and has a part-time advisory role with Article 39.
Carolyne qualified as a social worker in 1988, then took up specialist children’s rights roles amid widespread revelations of abuse in the children’s care system. From 2000 to 2012, she led the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), driving campaigns for transparency in child prisons and initiating legal action against unlawful restraint. She played a key role in Lord Carlile QC’s Inquiry into restraint and coordinated major submissions to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Over 30 years, she has written extensively on children’s rights, including reports for CRAE, the Council of Europe, Save the Children, and UNICEF. Her books include Children Behind Bars (2015) and Children’s Rights and Participation in Residential Care (1996).
Carolyne has been recognised with awards such as the Social Worker of the Year Gold Award (2017) and the Sheila McKechnie Outstanding Leadership Award (2020). In December 2024, she received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Nottingham.
