Under the Aegis: Nikki McCarthy on Finding Purpose in Advocacy as a GAL

Discover Guardian ad Litem Nikki McCarthy's journey from residential care to social work, and how her passion for advocating for children led her to TIGALA.

At TIGALA, we know that the path to becoming a Guardian ad Litem is often paved with experience, empathy, and a deep commitment to child advocacy. For Nikki McCarthy, her journey began over 25 years ago, and it has shaped her approach to this vital role.

"My name is Nikki McCarthy. I am a Guardian ad Litem with TIGALA. Before that, I worked as a social worker for a number of years and I worked in residential care."

Nikki's early work began in residential services in Dublin after completing her social science degree. Originally from Cork, she moved to the capital seeking work and experience – not knowing it would become the first step on a lifelong path in children's services. "That's really when I began to fully understand the work, because before that it was academic."

I enjoy working with young people. I enjoy the energy of it and the reward, I suppose ultimately, of maybe having some positive effect for young people.

She quickly discovered how much she enjoyed working with young people, drawn to the energy and the potential to make a positive difference. That experience sparked a deeper interest in social work.

"When working in the residential unit, I worked with a lot of social workers, and I suppose I saw the effectiveness of the social work role and how important it is. So that drew me to think about going back to college and studying to be a social worker."

After qualifying, Nikki took on a variety of social work roles, including working with children in care, children at home receiving family support, and later in a family centre doing direct work with parents and children.

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Eventually, she transitioned to working at the Children in Care team in the HSE (now Tusla), where she spent many years supporting young people through complex experiences.

But it was her growing appreciation for advocacy, and a desire to be the person who listens to a child and helps bring their voice to the fore, that led Nikki to become a Guardian ad Litem.

"I suppose it just… I could see the importance of the role and the idea of advocating for young people and having the power just to listen to the young person, having that role in their life really attracted me into doing that work."

Based primarily in Cork, Nikki now brings her decades of experience and quiet strength to her work as a Guardian ad Litem, ensuring that children’s voices are heard and their best interests are kept at the heart of every decision made on their behalf.