Advocate for Islington abuse survivors included in New Year Honours

For many years Dr Davies has been a keen advocate for survivors of abuse inflicted in Islington children’s homes, playing a key role in exposing the scale of the abuse of children in the borough’s care between the 1960s to 1990s.

Leigh Day lawyers who worked alongside Dr Davies to help many Islington abuse survivors achieve justice have welcomed the honour, which they say is a true reflection of her tireless work.

Dr Davies is part of the Islington Survivors Network (ISN), which was set up in 2014 to advocate on behalf of people who had suffered abuse during the 1960s to 1990s across 42 children’s homes run by Islington Borough Council. ISN has heard from more than 800 survivors of abuse in Islington’s care homes.

Dr Davies worked as a social worker in Islington between 1986 and 1992, leaving the role after her concerns about an organised network of child sexual exploitation were dismissed. She nevertheless continued reporting the abuse to key agencies to little effect. She campaigned on behalf of survivors, working alongside investigative journalists and gained extensive coverage in mainstream media, which led to 13 Inquiries.

The final Inquiry in 1995, found no evidence of organised abuse networks in Islington, despite Dr Davies identifying more than 60 children who had been victims.

Since then, Dr Davies has continued to campaign and investigate for decades and is one of the key campaigners at ISN.

Leigh Day represented ISN in its campaign to secure support payments for abuse survivors from Islington Borough Council and in 2021, a support payment scheme was announced following a six-month consultation. The firm has also successfully represented multiple individual survivors in additionally bringing their own civil claims.

Now, Dr Davies has been included in the New Year Honours list for 2026, published at the end of December 2025. She has been recognised for her services to child protection and awarded an OBE. She told the Islington Gazette:

“If this award helps me be heard then I will have accepted it for very good reason because it is only when the perpetrators of crimes against children are brought to justice that children are effectively protected.”

Leigh Day partners Alison Millar and Andrew Lord, who are both part of the firm’s abuse team, worked with Dr Davies in representing the ISN and abuse survivors.

Andrew Lord said:

“Liz’s campaigning and advocacy has spanned decades and has seen her work tirelessly on behalf of people who were abused in Islington children’s homes. Her work over the years has been hugely important in raising awareness of the scale of abuse within the borough, leading to Islington Council admitting culpability and establishing a Support Payment Scheme and specialist services for survivors, and she has also supported so many care leavers seeking  justice for the harm caused to them. Her inclusion in the New Year Honours is a real credit to her life’s work on behalf of those impacted by child abuse.”

Alison Millar said:

“Liz Davies is absolutely exceptional in the unwavering commitment she has shown to survivors of the Islington children’s homes abuse scandal; in her efforts to expose the network of abusers who infiltrated Islington’s childcare services and exploited vulnerable children, and in campaigning for acknowledgement and support for those still struggling with the legacy of abuse and neglect in care.

“We hope that this well-deserved recognition will assist Liz and ISN in their continuing efforts to bring perpetrators to account and protect children from abuse.”