Whos Who
Aideen McLaughlin
Director Of Community Services (Acting)
Aideen McLaughlin was appointed acting Director of Community Services in May 2009 following the resignation of Dave Weir.
Aideen has worked for the Youth Justice Agency since January 2004, initially as a Youth Conference Co-ordinator prior to her promotion to Assistant Director, Youth Conference Service in August 2005.
Since qualifying as a Social Worker in 1990, Aideen’s career has been spent working with children and young people and their families. Initially she practiced as a Child Protection Social Worker in Bangor for almost 6 years before taking up post as a Probation Officer with PBNI where she specialised in working with adjudicated young offenders who were subject to Probation Orders and Juvenile Justice Centre Orders.
Andrew MacQuarrie
Acting Assistant Director
Andrew MacQuarrie has responsibility for Community Services offices in Belfast and Newtownabbey, the Bail Support Scheme and a Programme Development Manager.
He has worked within the Youth Justice sector for twelve years including Secure Residential Units and the PBNI. Since joining the Youth Justice Agency he has worked in youth conferencing and most recently the Priority Youth Offending Project.
Andrew represents the Agency at the PPANI Policy and Practice Committee, multi- agency partnerships in the Belfast region and on a number of local and strategic fora.
Michael Heaney
Assistant Director
Michael Heaney has responsibility for Community Services offices in the South Eastern and Southern Health & Social Care Trust areas of Northern Ireland. He has a leading role in developing and supporting early intervention initiatives and family work services. He is also responsible for Adventure Learning services and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme within Community Services.
Michael has worked for the Youth Justice Agency (formerly Whitefield) since shortly after graduating as a social worker in 1990. He was promoted to the post of Assistant Director in 2002.
Michael has an Advanced Award in Social Work and is a qualified family therapist.
Grainne Keane
Assistant Director
Grainne Keane has responsibility for Community Services in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. She has involvement with a range of statutory voluntary and community sector bodies whilst formally representing the Agency on the Northern Area Child Protection Committee and the Northern Area Children and Young Peoples Committee.
Grainne has a particular interest in the interface which exists between justice and childcare and in the development of restorative practices which repair harm across multiple contexts.
Grainne is committed to the development of a range of differentiated interventions which balance the needs of the public, the person harmed by the offence and the child/young person who has been involved in offending behaviour.
