Speakers

Professor Aisling Swaine

Professor of Peace, Security and International Law, Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, Ireland.

Aisling Swaine is Professor of Peace, Security and International Law at the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, Ireland. Aisling holds a PhD in law from the Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University, Northern Ireland. Aisling works on research and global law/policy development in the areas of conflict-related violence against women, the UN women peace and security agenda and gender equality in global peacebuilding. She was awarded €2million by the European Research Council to lead a five-year study expanding understanding of women’s experiences of coercive control in contexts where armed and/or criminal groups are present. Prior to her academic roles, Aisling led programmes for the United Nations and international NGOs in humanitarian emergencies and post-conflict settings, including Kosovo, Burundi, Timor-Leste and Darfur, Sudan among others; as well as global policy roles in UN Women headquarters in New York and with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. As part of the UN Generation Equality Forum in 2021, Aisling was named by A-Political as one of the world's 100 Most Influential People in global gender policy.

DR Chris Turner

Consultant in Emergency Medicine , University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire.

Chris Turner is a consultant in emergency medicine at University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire. He is interested in governance and highly-performing teams, and this has led him on a journey from being blame- and process-focused to something completely different, Civility Saves Lives, a campaign that aims to raise awareness of the impact of behaviour on performance. Understanding who we are to each other within teams and how we respond to the challenges of being in a team determines the quality of outcome. Over the last few years these ideas have gained momentum and traction across healthcare and beyond, and the Civility Saves Lives group has attracted members from all over the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. A high-energy, highly practical speaker, Chris brings the evidence base behind civility and the real-world difference it makes in high-stakes environments. He has spoken around the world on the topic including at the Houses of Parliament, the Care Quality Commission and The Mayo Clinic; on speaking tours of Canada and Australia, and has given two TEDx talks. He is a contributor to the NHS Civility Toolkit and has served on multiple NIHR research groups. He has worked on Restorative Justice programmes, with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Medical Council, as well as the States of Guernsey and Jersey, county councils, universities, police forces and several veterinary organisations. He is particularly proud of his work with the Defense Safety Authority and with Premiership rugby clubs, and for making Princess Anne laugh.

Dr Ellie Colegate

Assistant Professor in Law, University of Nottingham's School of Law

Dr Ellie Colegate is an Assistant Professor in Law at the University of Nottingham's School of Law, specialising in online platforms governance and regulation. Her expertise includes the Online Safety Act 2023, regulation of harmful user-generated content, and children's experiences as active online participants on social media. She has recently completed her multidisciplinary PhD, which explored the everyday, unprompted interactions of children with potentially harmful content online and engaged directly with children to understand their experiences with both platforms and content. Additionally, she is interested in exploring the role of ‘trusted adults’ in online safety, focusing on how educational staff are trained and supported to engage with children regarding harmful interactions online. Her work has been published in IT law journals, she regularly contributes to conferences, sharing her work with various stakeholders, and she also regularly responds to policy consultations and calls in the area of UK online safety policy.

Dr Penny Netherwood

Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Dr Penny Netherwood works as a consultant clinical psychologist within Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. She has worked for nearly 3 decades in services supporting children and young people with psychological and mental health difficulties. For the last five years, she has led an ambitious citywide programme, Compassionate Leeds, that supports the development of trauma-informed practice in services that work with children, young people and families in Leeds, across health, education, social care and community-based organisations. She is now working with the Leeds Mental Health Support Teams, which aim to improve access to support for children and young people, working in education settings to provide early interventions for emotional wellbeing difficulties and to build cultures that protect emotional wellbeing. Alongside these roles, she also provides trauma-informed psychological staff support to protect the wellbeing of NHS colleagues.

Elaine Baptiste

As a dedicated and compassionate nurse with 50 years of experience caring for families and children in hospital and community settings, I've developed a passion for delivering high-quality, client-centered care. With a strong foundation in nursing, I hold registrations as an RN, RMN, and SCPHN, and have further specialized in continence care. My 32 years as a Health Visitor and 8 years as a Continence Specialist Nurse have equipped me with expertise in building collaborative relationships, fostering mutual trust, and empowering clients to take ownership of their health. Through effective education and support, I've consistently achieved positive outcomes and minimized relapses in continence care. Despite limited resources, I've driven service improvements through continuous learning and skill development. As a strong advocate for children's continence care and management, I'm committed to advancing the field and promoting optimal health outcomes for children and families.

Ethel Rodrigues

Lead Professional Officer (Education), Unite the Union

Helen Bedford RN, RHV, PhD, FRCPCH, FFPH, FiHV

Professor of Children’s Health, Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

With a background as a health visitor, vaccination issues have been the major focus of Helen’s research and teaching for the past 40 years (!). She has conducted research into public and health professionals’ knowledge and attitudes to vaccines including new, established and new uses for established vaccines, and in the determinants of vaccine uptake. Helen is co-theme lead in the NIHR funded Health Protection Research Unit in Vaccines and Immunisation. https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/nihr-hpru-vaccines-immunisation Helen contributes to immunisation training for health care professionals locally and nationally and frequently discusses vaccination issues in the media. https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/6707-helen-bedford Helen is a director of the UCL master’s programme in Paediatrics and Child Health. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/child-health/study/postgraduate-taught-programmes

Janet Taylor

CPHVA Excecutive Chair

Kevin Mc Arevey

Principal, Holy Cross Boys' Primary School

For 13 of my 29 years at Holy Cross Boys' Primary School, I have had the privilege of serving as Principal. My educational journey began at Queen's University Belfast, where I graduated with an honours degree in 1992, before completing a PGCE at St Mary's Teacher Training College. Later, while serving as Vice Principal, I completed a Master's in Education, which deepened my interest in developing critical and creative thinking skills in young people. That journey ultimately led me back to philosophy and to the inspiration behind the award-winning documentary Young Plato. Directed by the remarkable Neasa Ní Chianáin, alongside the talented Declan McGrath, and produced by David Rane, Young Plato is a powerful observational documentary set in post-conflict Ardoyne, a working-class community in North Belfast shaped by a complex and challenging history. Once defined by the Troubles, Ardoyne now faces many of the social and economic difficulties that affect communities across the world, including poverty, addiction, mental health issues, and the lingering effects of conflict. Philosophy can be difficult to define, but at its heart it is a shared journey of dialogue, questioning, reflection, and discovery. At Holy Cross Boys', we often describe it as "thinking about thinking" - an idea inspired by Plato himself. The children featured in Young Plato use a range of philosophical strategies and approaches, many of which originate from The Philosophy Foundation (TPF), the organisation that trained our staff and recognised Holy Cross Boys' as a TPF School. My commitment to the Ardoyne community and to the boys in our care is deeply personal. Having grown up in the working-class community of Lenadoon in West Belfast, I understand many of the challenges our families face. My parents, Rita and Maxi, instilled in me the belief that education could open doors and provide opportunities beyond the influences and limitations that can sometimes surround young people. It is my hope that every child who comes through our school will discover pathways that enable them to fulfil their potential and shape positive futures. The message of Young Plato extends far beyond Belfast. It offers hope to communities facing adversity and demonstrates how philosophical thinking can help young people navigate complex challenges. Through the thinking strategies showcased in the documentary, alongside my book Think Think Respond (TTR) and the accompanying TTR Song available on Spotify, we seek to equip children and families with tools to think more deeply, communicate more effectively, and make wiser choices. Together, this work highlights the transformative power of philosophy. It can strengthen mental health and wellbeing, help young people challenge misinformation, and foster the critical thinking skills needed in today's world. More importantly, it encourages the development of wisdom, compassion, and understanding, qualities that can help individuals, communities, and societies flourish. Kevin Mc Arevey (Principal) Holy Cross Boys' Primary School

Nathan Darby

Regional Digital Assistant, Unite the Union

Prof. Ruth Oshikanlu MBE FRCN

Midwife, Health Visitor and Nursing Leader, and Visiting Professor, City St George's, University of London

Prof. Ruth Oshikanlu MBE FRCN is a midwife, health visitor and nursing leader, and Visiting Professor at City St George's, University of London. One of the UK's first Family Nurses, she has worked extensively across the first 1,001 critical days, early relationships and parental–foetal attachment. She is Founding Director of Abule CIC and a Churchill Fellow along with other fellowships including the Royal College of Nursing and the American Academy of Nursing. Ruth has dedicated her career to advancing health equity and anti-racism in nursing and midwifery. Her current work spans maternal and neonatal health equity, supporting nurses and midwives living with Long COVID, and advocacy on the intense fear of pregnancy loss.

Sue Tranka

Chief Nursing Officer and Nurse Director , NHS Wales

Sue Tranka is the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales and Nurse Director of NHS Wales as of 2021. She was formerly the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for Patient Safety and Innovation at NHS England and Improvement. Sue has 33 years of varied experience in nursing and has spent the last 27 years working in the National Health Service. Sue trained as a midwife, registered general nurse, mental health nurse and community nurse. Sue has a strong interest in quality improvement, human factors and safety systems. As of April 2022, Sue holds the title of Honorary Visiting Professor at Cardiff University. In October 2020 and again in 2024, Sue was listed among the Health Service Journal’s 50 most influential people in health from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background. Sue is a fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), at the Faculty Nursing & Midwifery since December 2024.

Yvonne Coghill

CPHVA President