Our current speakers

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive

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

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

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

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
  •  Children’s rights

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

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

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)

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

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

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

Ruby Thomas is Head of Safeguarding at The Children's Society.

Areas of expertise:
• Child protection
• Safeguarding (particularly Universal Credit)