Speaking

A selection of my recent speaking engagements.

Bad Things Happen: enabling children and teenagers to recover well from painful life events

Saturday 9 Jul 2011

Family separation, bullying, bereavement. Such events are all too common in the lives of children and teenagers. As a result, they can grow up weakened, defensive, angry, depressed or with physical symptoms, problems with self-esteem, relationships and ability to learn. The statistics of children and teenagers moving from loss or trauma to educational failure and long-term mental ill-health are shocking. This conference aims to empower professionals to help children and teenagers deal with painful life events and not only survive but go on to thrive.

The conference is hosted by The Centre for Child Mental Health. Other speakers include Dame Camila Batmanghelidjh, Psychotherapist and founder of Kids Company, Jay Vaughan dramatherapist and founding member of Family Futures in London and Dr Pall Jonsson (EMDR) Consultant Psychiatrist at Huntercombe Hospital.

Find out more and book

Family Law Review Policy Seminar: getting it right for children

The Centre for Separated families, the Centre for Social Justice, Fatherhood Institute and Fawcett Society hosted this seminar to look at the key themes of the Family Law Review and, in particular, how the justice system and the support services that surround it can help families work together to reach agreements and how children can maintain relationships with both of their parents, and other significant adults, after divorce or separation.

The seminar, which was sponsored by John Glen MP and chaired by Anthony Kirk QC was attended by policy makers, practitioners, members of the legal profession, academics, charities, advocates and others with an interest in the impact of family law on families and children. 

Download the seminar paper here

BBC Radio 4 Bringing Up Britain

Mariella Frostrup hosts this series of debates about parenting with families, experts and policy makers. I joined Mariella along with Christine Tufnell of Care for the Family, Penny Mansfield from the relationship charity One Plus One and Elly Farmer, a clinical psychologist who also speaks for the Centre for Social Justice on family issues to explore step parenting and 'blended families' from the point of view of parents, children and society. Listen to this programme via BBC iPlayer.

Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing

I was delighted to be asked to act as a group facilitatator at this conference, hosted by Children and Young People Now, looking at practical implementation strategies for multi-agency working in children's service provision.

Putting Children First: best practice in support to separated families

This significant event was organised by the Centre for Separated Families with guest speakers including Stephen Geraghty (CMEC), Anthony Douglas (Cafcass) and Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP. Representing the Centre, I joined the panel of experts from many disciplines for a question and answer session.

What works in Relationship Education?

I was invited as a panel member for this highly interesting seminar organised by Care for the Family. The meeting, held in the House of Commons brought together academics, policy makers and practitioners from Europe and the United States. It was sponsored by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Relationships and funded by Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development.

Relate seminar on Family Separation

This Relate seminar was entitled 'The Rights & Wrongs of Family Law: Are we failing separated families?'. My presentation, Family separation and the ethic of care looked at how we might concieve family relationships differently after divorce or separation. The meeting was chaired by Tim Loughton MP, with Dr Liz Trinder, Reader in Family Studies, University of Newcastle and Jonathan Herring, Exeter College, University of Oxford. It was held in the House of Commons