Maria Koukou, DBS Paralegal

Maria joined Olliers in November 2021 as part of the Litigation Support team. She then moved to the DBS department in June 2022.

She completed her law degree at the University of Leicester during which she particularly liked criminal law.

This led her to completing a Master’s degree in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Birmingham. Maria’s dissertation topic was the treatment of mentally disordered sex offenders in contact with the criminal justice system.

Maria then went on to complete her Legal Practice Course combined with a Master’s degree at the University of Law in Manchester.

In her role as DBS Paralegal, Maria drafts representations responding to Minded to Bar letters sent to clients by the DBS, appeals information disclosed on enhanced DBS certificates and makes PNC record deletion applications.

Recent cases

• 2023 – Client AO – Successfully applied to have information disclosed on an enhanced DBS certificate regarding an allegation of theft from a service user deleted from the certificate
• 2023 – Client PH – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list for having a caution as well as a historic conviction for common assault
• 2023 – Client AT – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following a conviction of committing an act outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner and other indecent exposure allegations
• 2023 – Client FP – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list following an allegation of hitting a vulnerable child
• 2023 – Client HA – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list for allegations regarding indecent images of children
• 2023 – Client WB – Successfully removed from the Children’s barred list following submission of late representations regarding allegations of endangerment of a child and failure to safeguard a child
• 2023 – Client BL – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for a conviction of assault of an emergency worker and other assault incidents
• 2023 – Client RN – Successfully applied to have an arrest for alleged possession of indecent images of children removed from PNC records
• 2023 – Client AI – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for a conviction of blackmail and alleged possession of indecent images
• 2023 – Client ZA – Successfully applied to have arrests for alleged sexual assault, attempt to take a child without lawful authority, being drunk and disorderly as well as using threatening behaviour to cause alarm or distress removed from PNC records
• 2023 – Client DC – Successfully applied to have an arrest for alleged assault occasioning actual bodily harm removed from PNC records
• 2023 – Client CH – Successfully removed from both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following submission of late representations regarding a guilty plea to ill-treatment/wilful neglect of a person without mental capacity
• 2023 – Client BH – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Vulnerable Adults’ barred list for allegedly keeping money intended for the use of a service user
• 2022 – Client JC – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Vulnerable Adults’ barred list for alleged failures while a Team Leader at a care home
• 2022 – Client RA – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for failures to monitor a service user and getting medical advice
• 2022 – Client ZT – Successfully applied to have an arrest for threats to kill removed from PNC records
• 2022 – Client AD – Successfully avoided inclusion of information on an enhanced DBS certificate involving false allegations of inappropriately restraining a vulnerable child
• 2022 – Client SB – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for failings while a foster carer
• 2022 – Client ES – Successfully appealed to have an arrest for common assault removed from PNC records
• 2022 – Client PD – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list for a historic caution issued for attempting intercourse with a minor as well as convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breach of a Community Order
• 2022 – Client IW – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list for allegations of mistreating a child as well as failing to follow school policies
• 2022 – Client LH – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for allegations of failing to raise safeguarding concerns as well as failing to follow school policies
• 2022 – Client JP – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Vulnerable Adults’ barred list for a historic caution issued for having intercourse with a minor
• 2022 – Client MG – Successfully avoided inclusion of information on an enhanced DBS certificate involving false allegations of assault on a foster child
• 2022 – Client NS – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for a caution issued for distributing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children

Articles written by Maria

Do I have to disclose spent convictions or cautions?

I have been included on the DBS Barred List without my knowledge. Can you help?

Testimonials

“I want thank you and Nathalie from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work and assistance. You’ve helped my life in a fundamental and permanent way, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“Thank you so much for all your hard work, I cannot thank you enough it is has been an emotional ride and to finally have closure and to now carry on doing what I love doing is an amazing feeling.”

“I recently contacted Olliers Solicitors to act on behalf of my wife in connection with a notification received from the D.B.S. suggesting that my wife was to be barred from working with vulnerable adults and children with learning difficulties. The case was handled by Maria Koukou, one of the D.B.S. Paralegal Specialist Solicitors. Throughout the case I found Maria to act in a highly professional manner and was extremely thorough in her comprehensive investigation and submissions. As a result of the examinations the D.B.S. found that there was no case to answer and concluded that in this situation that no such bar would be instigated. This meant that my wife could continue with her excellent work caring for the many needs of vulnerable adults and children.With this in mind I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of Olliers Solicitors in general and Maria Koukou in particular to any potential new clients.”

“I want to say a huge thank you to Nathalie and Maria for being incredible and playing a huge role towards me not loosing my career and means of livelihood. They were empathetic and dedicated through out my case. It was a depressing period of my life and they have helped bring back smiles to my face. Thank you immensely.”

“They won the case for me! Natalie and Maria were brilliant! I really appreciate their effort. I was at risk of losing my livelihood and reputation.”