Boarding schools? Summer camps? Equine therapy?
Barrister Donal Ó Muircheartaigh explains how Section 47 can be used to creatively resource stability for children in care.
Get the full legal toolkit in the TIGALA conference recordings:
www.tigala.ie/blog/confere...
"I felt like a piece of luggage."
There is no testimony more powerful than lived experience. In the TIGALA 2025 conference recordings, we confront the raw reality of what a placement move feels like for the child.
Listen here: www.tigala.ie/blog/confere...
For 7-year-old "Lucy," a placement breakdown meant losing more than a home. She lost her teacher, her friend, and Coco the dog.
We need to stop calling it a "breakdown" and recognise it as the loss of a child's entire world.
Hear the full story in the recordings: www.tigala.ie/blog/confere...
"No beds available" is often a reality. But is it a legal defense?
Barrister Donal Ó Muircheartaigh dissects the "Impossibility Argument" and the Supreme Court’s view on agency resources in the latest TIGALA conference recordings.
Listen to the full recording now: www.tigala.ie/blog/confere...
"What is it like to just sit with the awfulness of the situation for the child?"
Sarah Daly & Regina Hamilton challenge us to stop rushing to "fix" placement breakdowns and take a moment to bear witness to the grief.
Catch the full TIGALA conference recording here: www.tigala.ie/blog/confere...
GAL Nikki McCarthy’s top resources for supporting children in care:
✅ Nurturing Attachments
✅ Beacon House explainers
✅ The PACE model
She also shares how DDP shapes her work in our latest video 👉: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #DDP #PACEModel #KimGolding #BeaconHouse
When a child lashes out or shuts down, there’s always more beneath the surface. GAL Nikki McCarthy explains how DDP and the PACE approach help us respond with connection instead of correction:
• Why empathy matters
• How PACE builds trust
• Everyday DDP in practice
🔗 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
We’re exploring how the PACE model helps foster carers (and parents) move from conflict to connection with a child in their care. It’s not about dropping boundaries, it’s about holding them with empathy even when the answer is "no." ❤️
Read more: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#GAL #GuardianAdLItem
Everyday boundaries don't have to be battlegrounds. 🛡️In our new blog, GAL Nikki McCarthy breaks down the PACE model for connecting with children: 🧸 Playfulness 🤗 Acceptance 🙋🏻♀️ Curiosity 💙 Empathy
See how to use "gentle boundaries" to build trust + lessen conflict: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
Family visits aren’t just about showing up. They’re about feeling safe and seen.
In our latest video, TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem Nikki McCarthy shares how trauma-informed, attachment-aware practice can make access visits less distressing and more healing.
🎥 Watch now: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem Nikki McCarthy shares how #TraumaInformed, attachment-aware approaches can transform emotionally charged contact into a space for repair.
“You have parents coming with broken hearts… and children coming upset and angry.”
👉 Watch it here: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#GAL
“They come into a new environment and they're asked to make relationships with this new family. That’s very tricky.”
For children in care, trust doesn’t come easy. In our latest video, #TIGALA #GAL Nikki McCarthy shares how #attachment theory informs her practice:
👉 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
Strong advocacy begins with strong relationships.
TIGALA Guardian ad Litem Nikki McCarthy on why attachment isn’t just theory – it’s essential to how we show up for children in care:
🔗 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem #Attachment
"If a child has a good relationship that they feel safe and comfortable in, the difference it makes is phenomenal."
TIGALA GAL Nikki McCarthy sheds some light on how attachment thinking shapes her advocacy. Watch the video here:
📎 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem #Attachment
Showing up matters.
Staying matters even more.
In this post, TIGALA Guardian ad Litem Nikki McCarthy shares what it means to hold the thread through a young person’s entire care journey.
👉 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem #GAL #ChildAdvoacy #Consistency
“She comes to me to try to understand what’s happened in her life…”
TIGALA #GAL Nikki McCarthy reflects on the power of consistent relationships with young people in care – and how they lead to better outcomes + stronger advocacy.
📖 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem
How do TIGALA Guardians ad Litem deliver hard truths with empathy?
Through #RadicalCandour → challenge directly, care personally.
#GAL Val Kerr shares how monthly CPD, peer mentorship, and direct, compassionate communications shape TIGALA’s approach:
👉 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
🧸 “I realised pretty quickly that I didn’t fully understand the language of children and how to communicate with them separate to talking with them.”
That insight led Davina Reidy to train in creative therapies like play therapy and EMDR to strengthen her advocacy.
Learn more: 👉 buff.ly/mITyfOK
🎓 From Social Science to EMDR, Davina Reidy’s practice as a #GuardianAdLitem is rooted in meeting children where they are.
In this latest video, she shares how child-friendly communication and trauma-informed training shapes her work as a #GAL at #TIGALA.
👉 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
How does a child learn they’ve a Guardian ad Litem?
Judge appoints → Tusla/social worker informs GAL & foster carer → GAL meets the child and explains their role in plain language.
Watch the video for more: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
What makes an exceptional #GuardianAdLitem?
At TIGALA, it’s about shared values and consistent standards:
🤝 Collaboration
🗣️ Communication
✍️ Written advocacy
❤️ Compassion
🧠 Child protection expertise
👧🏻 Experience with children and families
🔗 tigala.ie/blog/under-aegis-core-pillars-tigala
#GAL
‘It’s all about human interaction… it doesn’t have to be so formal.’
Using formal, legal language can build barriers—for children, parents and carers. TIGALA GAL Karen Rogers explains how simple language helps everyone feel more comfortable + informed. Watch the video: www.tigala.ie//blog/under-...
“Do I have to go to court?” is one of the first questions children ask.
The answer: no, not unless they want to. GALs go on their behalf, speaking for the child in the courtroom so that the child can focus on what children do best.
Watch the video here: tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#GuardianAdLitem
Who supports Guardian ad Litems? At TIGALA, peer support is key. In this video, Francis O’Callaghan explains how connecting with other Guardians enhances child advocacy for GALs at TIGALA. 👉 Watch & read the blog: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
Being a Guardian ad Litem with TIGALA means having a strong support network. Francis O'Callaghan highlights how peer support, training, and camaraderie make a difference, especially on tough days. Watch the video to learn more: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a... #GuardianAdLitem #GAL #PeerSupport
"Will and preference aren’t just part of the process. They are at the very heart of it.”
TIGALA Guardian ad Litem Davina Reidy shares why listening to a child’s voice must guide every Guardian’s advocacy:
Watch the full video here 👉 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem #GAL
Nikki McCarthy’s path to becoming a Guardian ad Litem was shaped by every role along the way.
In our latest video, she reflects on which roles prepared her the most to become a GAL – and why it matters.
🎥 www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem #LivedExperience #ChildWelfare
👩🏻💼 “You get to see what it’s actually like for a young person living in care.”
TIGALA's Nikki McCarthy reflects on the journey that shaped her practice as a Guardian ad Litem – from residential care to frontline social work.
Watch: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GAL #LivedExperience
How do we support Guardians ad Litem to provide the highest standard of advocacy?
By developing clear, consistent Policies & Standards – led by TIGALA Guardian Francis O’Callaghan.
🎥 Watch here: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a...
#TIGALA #GuardianAdLitem #ChildProtection #Advocacy
In our latest video, Francis O’Callaghan shares why becoming a #GuardianAdLitem was life-changing. Now, taking on the role of developing #Policies and #Standards at #TIGALA, he's influencing how Guardians operate in #Ireland. Watch the video here: www.tigala.ie/blog/under-a... #GAL #ChildAdvocacy
