Our current speakers

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive

Areas of expertise:
• All aspects of the work of The Children’s Society

Elaine Hindal, Director of our Campaign for Childhood division
Areas of expertise:
• Child well-being
• Attitudes to children and young people
• Parental substance misuse and its impact on children and young people
• Corporate social responsibility and the voluntary sector
• The development and importance of brands in the voluntary and community  sector
• Partnership working with corporate, the voluntary sector and faith-based organisations.

Enver Solomon is Policy Director at The Children's Society.
Areas of expertise:
• Youth Crime and anti-social behaviour
• Youth Justice and mental health
• Race equality
• Children in care
• Child Sexual Exploitation and safeguarding

Gwyther Rees is Research Director at The Children's Society.
Areas of expertise:
• Young runaways
• Child protection/safeguarding and older children 
• Children’s well-being
• Evaluation and outcomes measurement
• Attitudes to children and young people

Helen Leadbitter is Senior Project Worker at The Children's Society Include Programme.
Areas of expertise:
• Young carers
• Refugee and asylum-seeking families
• Families affected by HIV in the UK

  Ilona Pinter is the Policy Advisor for Young Refugees and Migrants at The Children's Society
  Areas of expertise
   •  Refugees and asylum seekers
   •  Migrants
   •  Trafficking
   •  Roma 
   •  Children’s rights

Jenny Frank is Programme Manager of The Children’s Society Include Programme, which is home to the National Young Carers Initiative.
Area of expertise:
• Youth Carers, whole family approach (working in families with complex health need)

Jim Davis has worked for The Children’s Society for 29 years in community work, youth work and social work.
Areas of expertise:
• The Good Childhood® Inquiry
• Children in rural communities
• Travellers and nomads

Joanna Manning is the Programme Manager at The Children's Society, Nottingham.
Areas of expertise:
• Parental substance misuse and its impact upon children and families (Hidden Harm) • Whole Family Working
• Promoting needs and rights of children affected by their parents substance misuse • Promoting children’s voices and experiences
• Young Carers and families affected by parental substance misuse

Kirsten Hall is a Senior Practitioner at The Children's Society's SCARPA Programme
Areas of expertise:
• Missing young people
• Vulnerable young people
• SCARPA

Pauline Kennedy is Deputy of Children and Young People Operation at The Children's Society.
Areas of expertise:
• Informal and formal education and community work
• School support systems for young people and their families
• Young people in care, at risk on the streets and runaways

Penny Nicholls is the Director of Children & Young People at The Children's Society.
Areas of expertise:
• Young Runaways • Disabled Children • Safeguarding
• Alcohol and drug misuse • Child Sexual Exploitation 
• Children's Centres • The Good Childhood® Inquiry 
• Early Intervention • Young refugees and asylum-seekers

Richard Haigh is Programme Manager at The Children's Soceity SCARPA Programme, Newcastle.
Areas of expertise:
• Runways
• Vulnerable adolescents

Dr Sam Royston is the Poverty and Early Years Policy Adviser at The Children's Society.

Areas of expertise:
• Child poverty
• Welfare Reform (particularly Universal Credit) 
• Sure Start Children’s Centres
• Fair and Square free school meals campaign

Simon Cottingham is Programme Manager for The Children's Society Safe in the City, Birmingham.
Areas of expertise:
• Runaways • Restorative justice
• Advocacy • Youth work • Volunteering
• Sexual exploitation and child trafficking • Safeguarding
• Voluntary Sector and strategic engagement

Steve Williams is the Director of People, Performance and Organisation Development at The Children's Society.
Areas of expertise:
• Change management
• Strategic organisation development
• Human resource management
• Project management • Employee engagement