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In Memoriam

BRIAN HOGAN

It is with profound sadness that we remember the life and work of Brian Hogan - friend, colleague, mentor, practitioner and leader whose contribution to children, young people, families and the wider human services community spanned his entire adult life.

Brian began his career working with children and families in 1991 as a frontline practitioner in Oberstown Boys School in Ireland. Over the course of nearly four decades in public service, he worked across a range of roles, including Unit Manager, Deputy Director and Director. His career was predominantly within Youth Justice, where he worked in some of the most complex and demanding environments, eventually becoming a highly experienced senior leader.

For all of Brian's qualifications, experience and professional accomplishments, perhaps the most important aspect of his development as a leader and practitioner was his recognition of the importance of having a safe and reflective space in which to think, question, learn and make sense of his experiences. Brian understood that working in complex environments requires more than knowledge and expertise. It requires the capacity to reflect, to remain curious, to understand ourselves and others, and to recognise the impact that our work can have on us.

He was particularly committed to supporting those who worked with vulnerable children and young people, including staff in residential care and across the wider human services. His training and professional development work focused on some of the realities faced by practitioners every day: managing risk, engaging with people whose behaviour could be challenging, building positive and lasting relationships, developing confidence within teams and, ultimately, creating better outcomes for the people they served.

As part of the CYC-Net family, Brian will be remembered as a regular and influential contributor at the annual Unity Conference in Dublin. His legacy will live on in the people he supported, the practitioners he developed, the leaders he challenged and encouraged, and in the children, young people and families who benefited from the work of those he influenced.

May he rest in peace.