Garden Court North Chambers

Inquests and InquiriesPublic Law

Ciara specialises in representing bereaved families at inquest, whose loved ones have died in the community.

Ciara’s expertise in housing, mental health and social care law gives her a unique edge in complex inquests arising from deaths in the community, particularly those who have died in supported accommodation settings such as:

• Approved Premises;
• supported accommodation commissioned by the NHS or local authority;
• unregulated housing for young people;
• ‘exempt’ accommodation i.e. accommodation that offers housing-related support in the private-rented sector;
• crisis houses; and
• proxy inpatient psychiatric settings.

Ciara has particular experience working with young people and on inquests related to the deaths of young people to whom the state has owed social care responsibilities. Ciara stands out as an advocate because of her personable and kind manner, attention to detail and fearless representation on behalf of families.

Before becoming a barrister, Ciara worked as a specialist homeless officer with 16 and 17 year olds and care leavers in Children’s Services. As part of this role, Ciara worked strategically and operationally with front-line workers and managers in Children’s and Adult’s social care, CCG and NHS, drug and alcohol services, youth offending teams, housing – including local authority, rough sleeper teams, night shelters, foyers, supported accommodation providers and the private-rented sector – and community mental health teams. She has experience of working with young people with complex and multiple needs, including histories of trauma, exploitation, and offending.

Ciara is part of a coalition of academics, lawyers, medical professionals, support workers, journalists, and local authority officers campaigning for change to prevent homeless deaths, which have increased by 37% during the pandemic while ‘Everyone In’ was in force. You can read more about this work here.

BA (Hons) Study of Religions and Theology – University of Manchester (1st Class); GDL – Manchester Metropolitan University (Distinction); BPTC – Manchester Metropolitan University (Outstanding).

Outside of her work as a barrister, Ciara is a Young Legal Aid Lawyers committee member and a Greater Manchester Law Centre executive committee member, where she contributes to strategic planning, building the next generation of social welfare lawyers and community outreach.

Ciara's pronouns are she/her or they/them.