Jacqueline is the Chief Executive of Kinship Care NI. Prior to this Jacqueline was employed as Head of Fundraising & Development with First Housing Aid & Support Services, a leading homeless charity in Northern Ireland. Before moving into the area of fundraising, Jacqueline established the ‘SmartMove’ franchise comprising private sector housing and support services, which now operates across Northern Ireland.
Jacqueline has worked in the voluntary sector for 22 years specialising in service developments for children and families. She has a special interest in the social care system having grown up in care. She also has first hand experience of being a kinship carer, having raised her niece for 5 years.
Jacqueline has a Degree and Masters Degree in Housing, Masters in Public Administration, LLM Human Rights and Transitional Justice and Postgraduate Executive Diploma in Strategic Management. She is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Trust, Ashoka Ireland, Shackleton Foundation, MacQuarie Foundation and Clore Social Leadership Programme.
Jacqueline received the Father Mulvey Award from North and West Housing in 2003 after graduating top of her class. In 2006 she received an award from the Chartered Management Institute for outstanding academic achievement. In 2014 she was awarded Overall Woman of the Year by Derry City Council. In 2016 she came ‘highly commended’ in the Best Newcomer category at the CO3 Leadership Awards. In 2018 she was awarded a MBE in the New Years’ Honours List.
