Hosted by Safeguarding Network in partnership with Anna Freud
Portland Street, Manchester
10th July 2024
Safeguarding Network, in partnership with Anna Freud are hosting our first conference on the interplay between mental health concerns for young people and the duties on education settings to keep them safe. Through in-depth keynotes and a selection of specialist workshops we will explore the mental health landscape in England and ways in which we can all work together to feel more inclusive of everyone, whether working in a school or other organisation.
All participants have access to our in-depth keynote presentations with a choice of two workshops detailed below. A “energizer” breakfast, networking mezze lunch and refreshments during the day are also provided. Each participant will receive their personalised programme ahead of 10th July.
Join us for the “Energizer” Breakfast
Introduction & Welcome from Safeguarding Network and Anna Freud
Safeguarding: Practice and Resilience in Schools - Dr Lesley French
Break/refreshments
Workshop – 1st session
Lunch
How traumatic experiences affect children and young people and how schools can help them recover - David Trickey
and others with a passion for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young people in education settings.
Keynotes
Through in-depth keynotes and a selection of specialist workshops we will explore the mental health landscape in England and ways in which our organisations can work together to safeguard children and young people.
Mental health, families and education
Dame Rachel De Souza - Children’s Commissioner
The Commissioner’s talk will cover key findings from her most recent survey, the Big Ambition, and other key concerns around safeguarding and children’s mental health.
Dame Rachel De Souza is a nationally recognised educator and advocate for improving the life chances of disadvantaged children. Before her appointment as Children’s Commissioner, she led two schools from failing to outstanding, before founding and leading the Inspiration Trust, a family of fourteen schools in East Anglia. The Trust was twice ranked as the nation’s top group of comprehensive schools based on pupil progress at GCSE. She was made a Dame in 2014 for services to education.
Dame Rachel was appointed Children’s Commissioner in 2021. In this role she has unique legislative powers, is an advocate for children across the country, and represents children’s needs across Government. In role, Dame Rachel has completed the largest-ever survey of children ‘The Big Ask’ with over half-a-million responses. This work led to a commission from Government to look at representing children’s voice in the Online Safety Bill, an ongoing piece of work into driving up Attendance in schools, and was asked to complete the Family Review by Government.
Safeguarding: Practice and Resilience in Schools
Dr Lesley French - Head of Clinical Help in Schools and Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud
There has been a steep rise in mental health and safeguarding presentations since the pandemic, notably in self-harm and suicidal behaviours, with a huge impact on schools and their staff. The session will cover best practice and current thinking, alongside considering the challenges for school safeguarding leads. Support for staff and using reflective approaches will be considered to promote resilience in staff and the wider school community.
Dr Lesley French is a consultant clinical psychologist and heads up the Clinical Help offer for the Schools Division at Anna Freud. Dr French trained at University College London, is an Honorary Lecturer and worked in the NHS for over 20 years in CAMHS and outpatient forensic services alongside her role as Programme Director for a Leadership Course for Anna Freud /UCL. She was Clinical Director and Head of Psychological Therapies before moving to Anna Freud fulltime in 2019. Dr French oversees three child & family community mental health teams, a national remote service providing direct intervention to young people in schools, staff and parents and leads on Safeguarding Training.
How traumatic experiences affect children and young people and how schools can help them recover
David Trickey – Co-Director of UK Trauma Council and Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Experiencing traumatic events such as assault, abuse, death, bullying and racism as a child or young person can increase risk to poor mental health and long-term outcomes. By understanding how these events impact them, designated safeguarding and mental health leads are better placed to respond effectively and use evidence informed approaches to create an environment that supports their recovery.
David Trickey is a leading Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Co-Director of the UK Trauma Council. He has specialised in working with traumatised children, young people, and their families since 2000, particularly following domestic abuse and family homicide. He continues to focus on direct clinical work, as well as the training, supervision and support of others and is the clinical team lead for a specialist service for Children in Care. He presents at conferences and supervises research. He is chartered by the British Psychological Society and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. He was a member of the committee responsible for the 2018 revision of the NICE Guidelines for PTSD. In all of his roles he draws heavily on the research literature to which he has made a modest contribution.
We have a wide range of workshops around our conference theme of mental health and safeguarding. Workshop bookings will open on 1st May and we will be contacting you to reserve your AM and PM spaces. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis so we encourage you to secure you places as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
Understanding why children & young people self-harm & what you can do to support them through a whole school approach
Kayleigh Larne - Anna Freud
Understanding why children & young people self-harm & what you can do to support them through a whole school approach
When a child or young person is self-harming it can be distressing for those around them, and adults can find it difficult to know what to say or how best to support them. This workshop will explore some of the reasons why young people self-harm and how education staff can respond sensitively and empathically. We will also outline how you can successfully embed a whole school prevention strategy.
Kayleigh spent 10 years as a Psychologist in the NHS before moving to her local Education Authority to lead on the whole school approach to mental health & wellbeing for alternative provision. She is now a national trainer for Anna Freud, sharing her expertise in child and family psychology with education staff across the UK.
Suicide in children and young people: prevention, responding and safety planning
Hannah Woods - Anna Freud
Suicide in children and young people: prevention, responding and safety planning
This workshop introduces delegates to the risk factors and vulnerabilities for suicide in children and young people with a view to embedding practice which mitigates risk, is proactive and preventative. Key research is explored which presents children and young peoples’ experiences of suicidality to better inform practitioner responses and the actions needed to efficiently safeguard and support this vulnerable cohort of children and young people. Guidance will be presented around responding to children and young people in moments of crisis. The importance of mobilising the system of support around a child or young person who is feeling suicidal is explored and practical tools such as safety plans are also provided.
Hannah is Head of Service at the Schools and Colleges Early Support Service in the Schools Division at Anna Freud; this is a national service delivering evidence-based mental health intervention for young people and their supporters in schools and colleges across England, and in Wales. Hannah’s ten years’ experience in the education sector has involved teaching, practicing in school-based mental health support teams, and leading a Local Authority mental health and wellbeing provision within an Educational Psychology Team. Hannah currently trains and supervises practitioners delivering evidence-based interventions which mobilise the educational and familial systems around children and young people to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for all. Hannah is an academic, teaching Postgraduate students, including education professionals, in children and young people’s mental health, inclusive education, and safeguarding. Hannah is currently studying a PhD in embedding attachment aware and trauma-informed practices in education.
Anxiousness, engagement and avoidance
Nic Petri - Anna Freud
Anxiousness, engagement and avoidance
We know that anxiousness in school can have a huge impact on student engagement. For many children and young people, validating and explaining anxiety and providing simple techniques can support them. However, for some these emotional barriers can lead to non-attendance and associated safeguarding implications. This workshop will aid you to better recognise and understand children and young people impacted and provide tools for education staff to effectively support them.
Having worked for 25 years in mainstream and special schools predominantly in pastoral roles, including Designated Safeguarding Lead, Nic brings a breadth of ‘chalkface’ experience to her deliveries. As a former school leader and a serving Governor she also recognises the importance of a whole school approach to the many challenges facing schools currently.
Staff wellbeing: Looking after yourself and each other
Monisha Jefcut - Anna Freud
Staff wellbeing: Looking after yourself and each other
We know that school staff are struggling with their own occupational and personal wellbeing and how to support colleagues. This workshop will explore the meaning of staff wellbeing in relation to self and colleagues. It will look at how to identify and monitor your own wellbeing needs and the impact of workplace culture on your wellbeing. We will focus on how to communicate with employers regarding changing needs and how to recognise your own role and responsibility in managing wellbeing both personally and professionally. We will also explore a range of effective self-care strategies and how to access trusted mental health and wellbeing resources and sources of support.
Monisha is an education expert with extensive teaching experience. Having worked in a diverse range of schools as a Senior Leader specialising in mental health, behaviour and safeguarding, Monisha has a strong understanding of the current challenges within education at both a national and international level. She is passionate about providing school staff and leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to support themselves and each other as well as children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Traumatic bereavement: how schools can support children and young people
David Trickey and Beck Ferrari - UK Trauma Council
Traumatic bereavement: how schools can support children and young people
When someone dies while a child or young person is growing up it will likely be painful and difficult for them. With good support around them most will adjust and learn to live with their loss. Some however may experience trauma as part of their bereavement and this can result in difficulties that are severe and long lasting. This workshop will outline how to recognise children and young people who have been traumatically bereaved and how education staff can effectively support them to help reduce risk to their long-term wellbeing.
Beck Ferrari is a cognitive behavioural therapy practitioner who specialises in trauma and bereavement and has worked with children, young people, families and education settings since 1996. Beck is currently the Clinical content lead at the UK Trauma Council and has developed resources around traumatic bereavement, critical incidents in educational communities and trauma in children and young people seeking refuge and asylum.
Beck worked as both a teacher and SENCO, and then spent five years heading up a child bereavement service for her local authority. Here she developed a range of bereavement resources and training across all age ranges including guidance to support early years settings with bereaved young children.
Through her own independent bereavement practice Beck has worked closely with pre-schools, schools and colleges in the South East of England, offering specialist therapeutic support to children and young people who have experienced loss and trauma. Beck is a postgraduate tutor at the Anna Freud and speaks at national and international events. She is the co-author of a book for bereaved teenagers My Grief Handbook: why grief hurts and how to cope.
‘Whole setting approach’ to safeguarding and mental health for your students
Sharon Hand - Safeguarding Network
‘Whole setting approach’ to safeguarding and mental health for your students
By virtue of developing a robust culture of safeguarding, your setting can effectively observe, identify, and support those ‘whose behaviour suggests they may be experiencing a mental health problem, or be at risk of developing one’ (KCSIE).
It will address how negative experiences such as abuse and neglect can adversely impact on mental health, potentially leading to safeguarding and child protection issues and how you can respond appropriately when these issues arise, including exploring universal approaches as well as statutory and multi-agency interventions.
It will consider a whole setting approach to mental health, including the role of the Senior Mental Health Lead in driving an action plan forward. It will then identify how links in your curriculum, quality staff training, meaningful student voice and engaging with parents, carers and other agencies can be interleaved into a culture of vigilance and safeguarding.
Sharon is an experienced practitioner having worked in leadership roles in secondary education for 17 years. Her breadth of experience encompasses working as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, Inclusion Manager, Senior Mental Health Lead and Designated Safeguarding Lead for children in care in a range of educational settings. She is also experienced in leading and supporting school pastoral teams. She has worked intensively with parents and carers as a Triple P practitioner.
Prior to entering the education sector, Sharon worked in social care for 18 years, supporting and developing services for vulnerable adults and young people in the community.
She currently works for Safeguarding Network supporting DSLs in supervision as well as delivering staff training and contributing to the development of resources to support safeguarding in education settings.
The Power of Young People
Conor Warren - Spark UK
The Power of Young People
How can we support young people with their mental health? How can we empower young people to look after themselves? How can we be positive role-models for young people?
This workshop aims to teach delegates about how they can support young people and how they can embed mental health support into day-to-day school life. This workshop will outline 3 key pillars in how to support youth mental health as well as a personal story from a young person.
Conor Warren is an 18-year-old mental health advocate and founder of Spark UK, an award-winning organisation dedicated to supporting young people’s mental well-being. Conor’s journey began at just 14 when he founded Spark UK. Spark UK creates free lessons, resources, and campaigns for thousands of young people across the country. The organisation has collaborated with celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Dame Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry as well as established organisations such as BAFTA, Place2Be and Beyond.
Conor’s impact has reached far and wide, earning him recognition in prominent publications like Men’s Health, The Guardian, and The One Show. He’s been honoured with prestigious awards such as the Rotary Young Citizen Award and the Prince of Wales award, and even had the privilege of being named a Coronation Champion, attending the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
Away from Conor’s work with Spark UK. He’s a trustee, ambassador, and active member of various charitable organizations, passionately supporting causes ranging from mental health awareness to hospice care.
Reflecting upon safeguarding and children with SEND
Events in SEND and 2022/2023 reports and reviews have reshaped some of the key areas of focus when working with children and young people who may have SEND.
We will review the impact of recent events as well how these changes will sit within your safeguarding culture.
Chris has a broad experience of education and social care. A former head teacher, inspector, nurse and senior leader for children in care with a particular passion for working with SEND. She understands the vital role of front-line processes in education settings in keeping children safe and supporting staff in doing so.
etc.venues Manchester is a dedicated training, meeting and conference venue in the heart of the city centre. Situated on the 8th Floor, the glass purpose built 1,858sqm space features 15 meeting rooms consisting of an exclusive use event wing alongside smaller rooms ideal for meetings and training events. The venue features stunning views over the city, vibrant design, state of the art technology and an onsite theatre kitchen with chefs serving fresh, innovative cuisine. We are delighted to have secured the whole venue for this conference.
By Bus and Tram - Piccadilly Gardens. This is a main transport hub for Metrolink trams and buses and is a 2 minute walk from the venue. By Train - Manchester Piccadilly station is approx 5 minutes walk, Manchester Oxford Road Station is an 8 minute walk and Manchester Victoria Station is a 15 walk.
Pick Up and Drop Off
There is a pay and display NCP car park on Major Street (directly behind the venue). Follow for directions to NCP Major Street. Car parking for up to 9 hours is £12.00 or for 24 hours is £15.50. Address is Major Street, Manchester, M1 3ED.
Book your place today!
Members receive a £50 discount off the full ticket price, also if you book before 30th April you will qualify for our Early Bird Discount of a further £50 so that's a reduction of £100 in total. Be quick to take advantage before we sell out!