Governance

About the Board

 

EPIC Empowering People In Care Limited is a company limited by guarantee and governed by a Board of Directors.  The Board is responsible for the Vision, Mission and Strategy of EPIC; they approve strategy, structure, annual plans and budgets of the organisation and strive to ensure that it is effective and accountable.

The Board has constituted three sub-committees of the Board to support their ongoing evaluation and monitoring of risks and accountability.

The sub-committees are:

HR, Finance and Audit Committee

– which reviews the financial statements, budgets, and compliance plans. It also oversees HR matters within the organisation.

Governance Committee

– which works on the governance code and other legal requirements.

Fundraising Committee

– which explores opportunities to source funding to ensure the organisation’s sustainability.  This committee was re-constituted in 2018 and is developing a new strategy for EPIC’s fundraising endeavours.

The Board’s key focus areas are:

  • Governance Development Plan
  • Financial Sustainability

Meet the Board:

Dr Fiachra O’Suilleabháin

Role: Board Director

Background: Lecturer, Social Work Dept. UCC

Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin is a professionally qualified, CORU registered Social Worker since 2002.  He teaches across a number of modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level within the School. He lectures on gender and sexualities, LGBT+ matters, social services and welfare practice, child sexual abuse, child protection and welfare, and professional practice. He supervises research carried out by students at post-graduate level.

Fiachra works as part of the multi-disciplinary Master of Social Work Team delivering a professionally accredited, two-year taught postgraduate (MSW/PGDSWS) programme to students who wish to become social workers. On that specific programme, he teaches and mentors students’ practice skills and lectures on research methods, investigative interviewing, child protection and welfare and professional practice. Fiachra is the MSW Selection Co-ordinator along with Dr. Kenneth Burns, MSW Deputy Director.

Fiachra’s doctoral degree, awarded in 2011, examined for the first time the parenting experiences of gay men in Ireland. In addition to publications, he has delivered papers and seminars at conferences both nationally and internationally regarding child sexual abuse, LGBT+ issues and social work practice.  He is actively involved in research about the experiences of trans youth in Ireland; social work practice in the area of alleged sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour; activism in social work; and social work education.

Fiachra has extensive practice experience. He was the manager of a regional multi-disciplinary child sexual abuse assessment unit within the Child and Family Agency (TUSLA) from 2009 to 2017. Prior to that he worked in the same agency as a Principal Social Worker and as Basic Grade Social Worker. He also has professional knowledge of child protection and fostering social work practice. Fiachra has provided a range of continuous professional development training to social workers, social care leaders, medical doctors, nurses, teachers and foster-carers about child sexual abuse, direct work with children and managing children with sexualised behaviour problems and talking with children and young people about sensitive matters. He was a member of the TUSLA Cork Foster Care Committee in Cork from September 2010 to December 2016.

Fiachra is a member of a number of practice advisory boards and action learning groups for social work organisations, provides social work consultancy to practitioners and serves on Boards of Directors of a number of community-based organisations.

Research Interests

My overall research interests have centred on sexual behaviours, GLBTQI issues and investigative interviewing practices in the context of child protection and welfare

Mr John Feehan

Role: Board Member 

Background: Director in KPMG Restructuring

John is a professional Advisor and a Director in KPMG Restructuring

Since July 2017, John has primarily been involved in the wind down of a financial institution. The Operations unit, which John manages, deals with a range of matters for both internal and external stakeholders. The duties include arranging for the releases of charges on property, dealing with a variety of queries and information requests from relevant State and regulatory Bodies.

Prior to that, from February 2011-July 2017, John specialised in solvent liquidations.

John was also involved in a number of special restructuring client projects outside the scope of his main workload.

Prior to transferring to Restructuring John worked for many years as a Director in KPMG’s Corporate Legal Advisory Services /Company Secretarial Department.

The main client base John worked with was in the Financial services sector, especially aircraft leasing.

John also managed a large number of staff and contributed technical articles to newspapers and professional journals as well as presenting company law and company secretarial courses to professional bodies.

John joined KPMG having trained as a company secretary with Deloitte.

Professional Qualifications

Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute (FCG)

Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance (C.DIP. AF) awarded by the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants

Ms Val Kerr

Role:  Board Member

Background: GAL (Guardian Ad Litem) with TIGALA

Val Kerr is a professionally Qualified Social Worker working with children and families since 2005, with particular expertise in the area of child protection, child welfare, neglect and abuse.

Over nine years experience working within the public sector in social work front line and management positions and almost five years working as an Independent Social Worker and Guardian ad Litem.

Independently represents children’s best interests and wishes in the context of public law child care proceedings initiated by the state, directly appointed by the Court. Has represented children’s interests in the District, High, Supreme and European Courts. Has also been appointed to advise the Court in relation to the welfare of children subject to Criminal Proceedings.

Has completed expert training with An Garda Siochana in forensic interviewing skills with children and people with learning difficulties who have been victim of violent or sexual crimes.

Trained in Dyadic Developmental Practice: Parenting and Psychotherapy, a trauma and attachment focused intervention for caregivers of children who have experienced developmental trauma and attachment difficulties.

Has completed the Diploma in Mediator training with The Law society of Ireland and is an Accredited Mediator with the Mediator’s Institute of Ireland.

 

Ms. Deirdre Mullen

Role:  Board Member, Company Secretary, and Chair of Fundraising Committee

Background: Deirdre is a member of the National Fundraising team at St. Vincent
de Paul, where her role is to support over 1,250 branches of St. Vincent de Paul in
their fundraising, work with corporate partners and support the St. Vincent de Paul annual appeal.

Deirdre has worked in fundraising in Ireland and Australia, both for charities and fundraising agencies. Her background also includes working in sales and account
management, and local radio journalism. A short feature she produced for the Radio
Kerry series ‘Moments that Shaped Kerry’ won Gold at the 2011 PPI radio awards.

Deirdre recently completed a Diploma in Fundraising Management from Charities
Institute Ireland and holds a B.A. (Hons) in Film and Television Studies from the
University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

 

Mr Barry O'Sullivan

 

Role:  Chair

Background: Financial Services, People Management, Leadership, Governance, Risk and Compliance

 

Barry O’Sullivan is the Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Insurance, part of the Acorn Life Group based in Galway City. With over 20 year experience in Financial Services, People Management and Leadership, Barry is responsible for the growth and development of this organisation.

Having studied Counselling and Psychotherapy, he has a good understanding of the value that positive mental health can bring to a person’s life. Barry worked as a volunteer Group Therapy Facilitator in Tabor Lodge Addiction Treatment Centre in Cork for a number of years and is an advocate of the power behind Group Therapy and Person Centred Therapy.

In 2012, Barry moved into a Senior Management Role and since then has gained extensive experience in Governance, Risk, Compliance and driving Strategic Change within organisations with a view to ensuring long term sustainability.

From an education point of view, he has completed Diplomas in Leadership, Strategy & Innovation and Management and is in the process of completing a Master’s Degree in Business Practice.

Maeve Doyle

 

Role: Vice-Chair

Background: HR Manager

 

 

Michelle O'Connell

Role: Board Member

Background: Principal at Michelle O’Connell Solicitors & State Solicitor

Michelle was entered onto the Roll of Solicitors in June 2009. She holds a Batchelor of Commerce (Hons) from UCD and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies (Hons) from TU Dublin (formerly Dublin Institute of Technology). In 2012 Michelle obtained a Diploma in Family Law from the Law Society of Ireland. Michelle became Principal of Michelle O’Connell Solicitors in January 2017 and has held the position of State Solicitor for North Tipperary since March 2015.  In addition to her role as State Solicitor, Michelle has been involved in childcare proceedings acting predominately for Guardian Ad Litems advocating for the voice of the child to be heard in these proceedings.  Michelle also has experience and expertise in Family Law, and general practice. 

 

Aidan Stacey

Role: Board Member

Background: Commercial Director at Irish Wheelchair Association

Aidan Stacey is Commercial Director for Irish Wheelchair Association. He is responsible for public fundraising, retail, advocacy, customer care and communications.

In 2006, Aidan joined the NFP sector firstly with Dublin Simon Community and then with the Irish Heart Foundation. He was Global Head of Fundraising for GOAL, the international aid agency. He has raised over €30M in fundraising income and has a strong interest in direct marketing and corporate fundraising.

Aidan is also a Board member of Médecins Sans Frontières (Ireland) and the Volunteer Stroke Scheme (Ireland). He is past Chair and Board member of Fundraising Ireland (now Charities Institute Ireland). Prior to joining the not-for-profit sector, Aidan spent 15 years working in the commercial sector in marketing and sales organisations on both the client and agency side including PepsiCo International and the National Safety Council.

Aidan holds a BA in Economics from UCD, is a graduate member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, a Member of the Institute of Directors of Ireland and has completed his Master’s in Business Science with IMI/UCC this year.

 

Conor Brophy

Role: Board Member

Background: Managing Director Strategic Communications at Teneo

Conor Brophy is a Managing Director with Teneo. Conor heads the strategic communications team in the Dublin office.

He advises clients across a range of sectors. His clients include some of the most high profile and successful indigenous and multinational corporations with operations in Ireland as well as semi state companies and non-profits.

He helps organisations and their senior leaders to tell their stories in an accessible, memorable and impactful way. His work with Teneo encompasses all aspects of communications strategy including stakeholder engagement, public affairs, narrative development, media relations, crisis/issue management and executive coaching/media training.

Prior to joining Teneo, Conor was a financial journalist and radio presenter with Ireland’s state broadcaster RTÉ and a weekly columnist with the Sunday Business Post. Before joining RTÉ his media career brought him from local radio and newspapers in Dublin to The Sunday Tribune, Newstalk and TV3 (now Virgin Media).

He reported on news, current affairs, business and economics on radio, television and online. He presented The Media Show on RTÉ Radio 1 and was a regular presenter across the primetime radio schedule including Morning Ireland News at One, Drivetime, The Business and This Week.

Conor is called upon frequently as a contributor by various media outlets. 

He also has extensive experience as facilitator and MC. He has hosted events and chaired panel discussions for organisations including Vodafone, Bord Gáis Energy, Oxfam Ireland, Knowledge Transfer Ireland and the Irish Hotels Federation.

Education

MA (Journalism) DCU

Bachelor of Business and Law UCD

 

Our Constitution

Download/View the EPIC Constitution (PDF file)

Our Annual Financial Statements

2021 Financial Statements (PDF file)

2020 Financial Statements (PDF file)

2019 Financial Statements (PDF file)

2018 Financial Statements (PDF file)

2017 Financial Statements (PDF file)

Key Policies

Complaints Management Policy.

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please fill out this form.

Call Now Button Positive SSL