Our team
Nik Flavell
Head of Service
Nik joined us in July 2020 as our Head of Service. Having qualified as a Social Worker in 2002, he has worked in Local Authority Children’s Social Care in a number of senior roles. He’s a member of the Adoption England governance board too. He’s married and has two adult daughters. He’s the proud uncle of three amazing, adopted children too.
In his spare time, you’ll find Nik spending time outdoors, watching films or curled up with a good book in front of the fire.
Heather Martin
Advanced Practitioner, Recruitment
Heather joined us in December 2018 and has been working in adoption for 18 years. She describes herself as something of an ‘adoption geek’ as she could talk adoption all day long. She’s passionate about preparing grown-ups to meet the needs of children and believes this can be done from the first contact we have with people interest in adoption. She’s open about the challenges and the support they can access to ensure they’re parenting the child they have rather than the child they expected.
When she’s not working, she’s parent to two teenagers. She loves to be outdoors, particularly at the seaside.
Maddy joined us in December 2018. She started her Social Work career 26 years ago and has worked in adoption for 23 years now. Maddy currently manages the Family Finding team and provides cover as Panel Advisor when required. She’s part of the Adoption England national matching group and uses this work to inform practice here at Adopt North East.
Maddy is married and has both birth and adopted children and has a grandson. She enjoys family activities and true crime documentaries.
Maddy Reed
Team Manager, Family Finding
Clair joined us in May 2019 after spending 16 years working with vulnerable groups. She took the jump to return to full time study in Social Work back in 2016 and knew straight away that adoption was where she wanted to work. She’s worked in all areas of the service, offering her insight into the lived experience of our service users, our children, prospective adopters and adoptive families.
She’s an aunt to three adorable nieces and nephews and in her spare time she likes to keep fit and get lost in her Kindle.
Clair Lormor
Team Manager, Post Adoption Support Front Door
Helen joined us from ANE’s formation in December 2018. She qualified as a Social Worker in 2010 and worked in Children’s Safeguarding before moving into adoption in 2015. Helen was an advanced practitioner in Family Finding before taking up her post as manager of our Recruitment team.
Helen is a mum to 2 boys and in her spare time enjoys running, keeping fit and reading.
Helen Tate
Team Manager, Recruitment, Assessment and Support
Anna joined us in March 2021 after spending eleven years as a Social Worker. She became an Advanced Practitioner before becoming a Team Manager and has a personal interest in therapeutic interventions. She’s trained in several of these.
Anna is married and is a mother to an amazing son. She enjoys running, eating cake and listening to podcasts.
Anna Cavanagh
Team Manager, Post Adoption Support
Jennifer joined us in 2020 after working in Safeguarding, Children in Care, Fostering and Adoption Teams. She’s been a Social Worker since 2008 and has a keen interest in adoption. She’s passionate about achieving permanency for children too.
She’s married and a mother to three young boys. She enjoys spending time with her family, particularly being outdoors at the beautiful North East coastline and she likes running.
Jennifer Hamilton
Team Manager, Recruitment, Assessment and Support
Jade joined us in April 2019 after spending three years working as a Social Worker in Children’s Safeguarding. She’s always been interested in adoption, particularly the importance of therapeutic parenting, sibling relationships, and life story work.
Outside of work Jade enjoys travelling, reading, and exploring new places to eat.
Jade Stephens
Team Manager, Recruitment, Assessment and Support
Hannah joined us in October 2022 and has since become an Advanced Practitioner. Before working with us, Hannah spent five years working as a Social Worker in a Children’s Safeguarding team.
Hannah Ellison
Advanced Practitioner. Assessment
Barbara joined us in December 2018 bringing with her 16 years of experience in Children’s Services including Fostering, Adoption and Safeguarding. She’s passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children and has a keen interest in Therapeutic Life Story Work.
She’s a mother of three wonderful adult children and has three grandchildren which keep her busy. Barbara liked to keep fit too by going to the gym and running and practices meditation for her health and well-being.
Barbara Hodgson
Team Manager and Agency Advisor to Adoption Panel
Dave joined us in June 2021. He qualified as a Social Worker in 2002 and worked in Children’s Safeguarding and Youth Offending before moving into adoption. It’s an area of social work he’s always had an interest in and before joining us, Dave was an Adoption Panel member for three and a half years.
When’s he not working, he enjoys going for trips in his campervan with his wife and two dogs.
Dave Telfer
Advanced Practitioner, Training
Sarah joined us in March 2022 and has since become an Advanced Practitioner in the family finding team. Before working with us, Sarah was worked as a social worker in a child with disability team and children's safeguarding teams.
Sarah Bell
Advanced Practitioner, Family Finding
Kelly joined us in April 2022 after spending 4 years working in Childrens safeguarding and previously working with vulnerable young people for over ten years. Kelly has worked in recruitment and assessment before moving into post adoption support becoming an advanced practitioner in 2024. Kelly is married with two children and enjoys spending time at the theatre.
Kelly Lashley
Acting Team Manager, Front Door Post Adoption Support and Family Connections
Lauren joined Adopt North East in 2021 and has worked in Post Adoption Support since 2018. Lauren is interested in therapeutic interventions and has developed her knowledge and skills in several. Lauren has a passion working alongside children and families, and is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children.
Lauren Flannery
Acting Team Manager, Post Adoption Support
I joined ANE in November 2022, I have been qualified for 14 years and have worked within the safeguarding arena and with looked after children. Prior to joining ANE, I worked within the initial response team within children’s services before specialising in adoption. I have always had an interest in achieving permanency for children through adoption if they are unable to return to their birth families.
Outside of work I am married, have two children and two dogs who need a lot of exercise so this keeps us busy. We enjoy visiting our family caravan in Northumberland.
Claire Ellis
Advanced Practitioner, Family Connections
Holly joined ANE in April 2019 after spending 5 years working in a Local Authority Fostering & Adoption Service. She has worked in the Post Adoption Support team and currently works in the Front Door Post Adoption Support Team as Advanced Practitioner. Holly is passionate about adoptive families being able to access the support they need without delay to ensure positive outcomes for children.
Outside of work Holly is married and has two young sons. She enjoys spending time with the family, being outdoors and keeping active.
Holly McDermott
Advanced Practitioner,
Front Door Post Adoption Support