Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller inclusion

This session will explore the following questions. How do I know if someone is from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller community? How do I better understand who Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are? How do I challenge the misrepresentation and misunderstanding of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities? How do I understand the issues Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people face in accessing good quality education? How do I adapt my practices to make me and my colleagues more inclusive educators for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people?

For anyone who wishes to watch the video with subtitles, please click here.

Declan is the Casework & Development/ Education Policy Officer at the Traveller Movement. Declan currently runs two advocacy units for the Traveller Movement, the Equality & Social Justice Unit (ESJU), which supports clients facing discrimination in accessing and dealing with public and private services, as well as an Education Advice & Advocacy Support Unit (EAASU), which support families with navigating challenges faced in accessing education for their children. Declan has degrees in philosophy and law, and is preparing for his future role, working as a qualified public law solicitor. Last year Declan launched a Traveller Movement report in Parliament entitled Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline, which looks at strategies and makes recommendation on how to prevent children being excluded from school and any subsequent involvement in the criminal justice system. Declan also provides expert evidence and guidance to a range of organisations, government departments and parliament on educational challenges facing Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and young people.          

In his spare time, Declan is a Vice-Chair of Trustees and Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk for an academy trust. In his role Declan drafts trust policies, overseas financial compliance, works directly with families whose children's attendance is consistently low, and provides PDL day content on hate crime. Declan is a firm believer that education is a universal right for all and that no child should be forgotten or excluded from accessing a good educational setting.