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Greater Manchester Conference: Let’s Move from Treatment to Prevention

Greater Manchester Conference: Let’s Move from Treatment to Prevention

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Thank you for attending our conference: Treatment to Prevention - exploring how best to deliver a whole-school approach to mental health.

The conference brought together school leaders, health and education sector decision-makers, philanthropic change-makers and voluntary sector trailblazers for a morning of engaging discussion. The conversation answered some key questions around best practice in delivering an effective whole-school approach to mental health, with deep and lasting impact. We look forward to continuing this dialogue further with you all.

Please find links to further reading you might find of interest around the themes presented at the conference.

“I thought it was a beautiful morning - felt productive and purposeful but also just a lovely celebration of really good things that are happening across the sector.” Speaker who presented at the conference

A huge thank you to:

  • all our fantastic panellists and audience members
  • Sir Richard Douglas who chaired the conference
  • AL Philanthropies who kindly supported the event
  • our hosts at the Lowry in Salford Quays.

Links and further reading

Opening remarks

Catherine Roche, Chief Executive at Place2Be

Joe Lane, Deputy Director of Research, Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England

Session 1: System Shift: The Role of Relationships in Driving Change

The first session of the day explored the delivery of preventative and early intervention services for children and young people's mental health across Greater Manchester. Our panellists shared expert insights into what makes partnerships truly effective and how to drive lasting, impactful system-wide change.

Session 2 speakers: From Research to Reality: The Evidence Behind What Works

In our second session, Place2Be shared the findings from the three years of the AL Philanthropies research programme exploring the impact of Place2Be's Whole School Approach in 20 primary schools in Greater Manchester.

Session 3 speakers: From Risk to Resilience: The Role of Prevention in Mental Health

The final session of the conference explored the critical links between safety, wellbeing, belonging, academic attainment, and long-term life outcomes.

About AL Philanthropies

AL Philanthropies (formerly the Law Family Charitable Foundation) kindly  supported this conference.

AL Philanthropies was established by Andrew Law in 2011, with a focus on education, health, the environment and the arts. In 2022 AL Philanthropies generously funded the Law Salford Research Programme - a groundbreaking four-year study to explore and evidence the effectiveness of whole-school mental health provision.

Conference Chair

Richard Douglas
Sir Richard Douglas
Place2Be Trustee and Conference Chair

Richard is a former civil servant and an influential health leader. He has previously served as Director for Finance, Strategy and the NHS at the Department of Health, Deputy Chair of NHS Improvement and Non-Executive Director of NHS England. Richard currently serves as Chair of the South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Opening remarks

Catherine Roche Chief Executive

Catherine Roche

Chief Executive at Place2Be

Catherine began her career in teaching before completing an MBA and joining KPMG. Her pro bono support for Place2Be from 1996 inspired her to join the charity as Chief Operating Officer in 2003 and then Deputy CEO. In 2014 she became Chief Executive and has led the organisation’s development since then. Catherine served on the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network Board for six years from 2019. She is also a school governor of her local secondary school and a non-Executive Director of GoodCorporation.

Debbie Simmons Portrait

Debbie Simmons

Regional Director for the North of England, Midlands, and Wales at Place2Be

Debbie leads a diverse and expansive portfolio of mental health services across 19 local authorities. She brings over 30 years of experience in the health and social care sector, having previously served as a CQC-registered manager for children and adult drug and alcohol services, directing her to a career in early intervention and prevention. 

Joe Lane

Joe Lane

Deputy Director of Research, Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England

Joe leads expert research and analysis at the Children’s Commissioner’s office, producing high-quality evidence and recommendations on children’s experiences and outcomes in England.

Before his current role, Joe was Head of Policy and Research at Action for Children. He’s worked with organisations including Citizens Advice, Teach First, and Education and Employers Taskforce, to influence policy and practice in education, employment, and social welfare.

Session 1 speakers: System Shift: The Role of Relationships in Driving Change

Our panel will explore the delivery of preventative and early intervention services for children and young people's mental health across Greater Manchester. They will share expert insights into what makes partnerships truly effective and how to drive lasting, impactful system-wide change.

Emily Edwards

Emily Edwards

Senior Integrated Commissioning Manager for Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health at Salford City Council and Salford Integrated Care Partnership

Emily leads children’s mental health commissioning in Salford, driving transformation via the Thrive model and integrated care. She oversees joint NHS-Council initiatives, including CAMHS, Salford Thrive Partnership, and Salford Thrive in Education (MHST). With 20+ years’ experience, she champions trauma-informed, inclusive services, co-production, and early intervention, and leads the GM MHST commissioning programme supporting wider GM children’s mental health priorities.

James Robertson

James Robertson

National Director, #BeeWell

James was #BeeWell’s first National Director following a long career at HM Treasury and youth services at DCMS. He is currently a school governor and previously on the board of Juconi, a children’s charity in Mexico. He played a leading role in the Our Wellbeing, Our Voice coalition’s campaign for national wellbeing measurement for children and young people.

Sandeep Ranote

Professor Sandeep Ranote

Clinical Director for Mental Health at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care and a practising Consultant Paediatric Psychiatrist

Her published research includes perinatal neuroimaging, eating disorders and medical skin camouflage for self-harm and most recently the impact of Covid 19 on young people. She has been clinical advisor to The National Children's museum 'Eureka' and currently sits on the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Eating Disorder executive committee and is a regular expert media contributor.

Laura David

Laura David

Deputy Regional Director at Place2Be

Laura oversees  Place2Be’s services across the North-West, ensuring high-quality mental health support reaches children in schools. She works with stakeholders including Greater Manchester ICB, local authorities, and education leaders. With a law background and 20 years’ experience in partnerships and business development, Laura brings strategic thinking and data-informed decision-making to improve children’s mental health. 

Simone Spray

Simone Spray

Chief Executive at 42nd Street and Non-Executive Director at Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust

Simone is a qualified Psychologist and Youth Worker with over 30 years’ experience driving system change, tackling structural inequity, and championing social justice within Local Authorities in GM. She’s led national programmes, pioneered youth mental health innovations, and supported over 30,000 young people through creative, therapeutic approaches. Simone also leads regional and national initiatives focused on mental health equity and creative practice. 

Dr Amy Burns Portrait

Dr Amy Burns

HCPC registered Area lead Educational Psychologist at One Education

Amy promotes the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people, their families and adults. She supports educational settings to embed systemic change and practices in Manchester and Greater Manchester. Amy holds the GM Whole School and College Approach Lead role and works with all localities in GM to develop and unify their practices. She is also the WSCA coordinator within Manchester. 

Session 2 speakers: From Research to Reality: The Evidence Behind What Works

In this session, Place2Be will share the findings from the three years of the AL Philanthropies research programme exploring the impact of Place2Be's Whole School Approach in 20 primary schools in Greater Manchester. They will outline the impact of embedding this service on the school community and culture, from the perspectives of School Leaders, staff, parents and pupils. 

Andrew Law

Andrew Law

Founder & Trustee of AL Philanthropies

Andrew Law is Chairman and CEO of Caxton Associates, a global macro hedge fund. Andrew attended state school in Manchester and gained a First-Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Sheffield.  His philanthropic interests include his role as founding Chair of both AL Philanthropies (formerly Law Family Charitable Foundation) and AL Elevation (formerly Law Family Educational Trust) which sponsors a multi-academy trust in Greater Manchester. He is Chairman of Futures for All (formerly Speakers for Schools). 

Caroline Doyle

Caroline Doyle

Headteacher at St Sebastian’s RC Primary School in Salford.

Caroline began teaching in 2005 and joined St Sebastian’s in 2021. She is passionate about inclusive education and believes that wellbeing is fundamental to both attendance and academic success. At St Sebastian’s, they prioritise strong pastoral care and are proud to work in partnership with Place2Be, whose invaluable support empowers their pupils to understand their wellbeing and engage more fully in their learning.

Julia Barker

Julia Barker

Place2Be Area Manager

Julia started her journey at Place2Be in 2013 working as a School Project Manager in primary and secondary schools, before becoming a Cluster Manager and now Area Manager. Her background also includes working with adults, children and young people as a counsellor, and as a counselling lecturer, teaching counselling skills to adult learners.  

Sarah Golden Portrait

Sarah Golden

Head of Evaluation at Place2Be

Sarah leads the Research and Evaluation team at Place2Be, She has been a researcher for more than 25 years, working in policy research for 15 years and more recently in the charity sector. With her team, Sarah ensures Place2Be has robust research and evidence to inform practice and communicate their valuable work to funders, commissioners and policy makers. 

Judie Millward

Judie Millward

Research Project Manager, Place2Be

Judie joined Place2Be in 2022 as the lead researcher for the AL Philanthropies Research Programme, where she designs, collects and reports on data. Alongside her experience in research, she brings extensive experience of working with children and young people in schools, including 4 years supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Jess Deighton

Professor Jess Deighton

Director of Applied Research and Evaluation at Anna Freud, Professor of Child Mental Health and Wellbeing at UCL, Director of the Evidence Based Practice Unit

Jess focuses on factors that promote or undermine resilience in children and young people, evaluating interventions to support mental health and well-being in educational settings, and the interplay between mental health and educational outcomes. She led major trials and research projects including the DfE-funded Education for Wellbeing, the National Lottery-funded HeadStart Learning Programme, and co-leads the research programme for #BeeWell. 

Session 3 speakers: From Risk to Resilience: The Role of Prevention in Mental Health

This session will bring together clinicians, school leaders, and sector experts to explore the critical links between safety, wellbeing, belonging, academic attainment, and long-term life outcomes.

Lynsey Burridge

Lynsey Burridge

Trafford Virtual School Head and trustee of NAVSH

Lynsey leads Trafford’s Virtual School and advocates nationally for vulnerable children’s education. As Chair and now Honorary Treasurer of the National Association of Virtual School Heads, she’s worked with Ofsted, DfE, and Ministers to promote the education of looked after children. A proud Corporate Parent, she believes passionately in education’s power to transform lives.

Clare Kanakides

Clare Kanakides

Director of Operations at OnSide

OnSide is a national youth charity working to provide all young people with the chance to shine. OnSide fund, build and support a rapidly growing network of state-of-the-art Youth Zones in the UK’s most disadvantaged areas. With nearly 20 years’ experience in the youth sector, Clare is passionate about supporting young people and creating impactful change. 

James Emmett

James Emmett

Place2Be Regional Clinical Lead - North, Midlands and Wales 

James is a qualified therapist, clinical supervisor and senior leader with over 20 years’ experience working with vulnerable children and young people. James previous career working with adults with learning disabilities, end of life care, Substance misuse, unemployment and bereavement support led James to join  Place2Be in 2013, where he eventually joined the senior clinical team in 2020 taking UK responsibility for group work and whole class programmes. James is now Place2Be's Strategic lead for SEND/ASN and Inclusion. 

David Maguire

Dr David Maguire

Director for the Prison Reform Trust's Building Futures programme

David has over 25 years’ experience in the prison system as a serving prisoner, senior academic, and Director of PRT’s Building Futures programme. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford, authored Male, Failed, Jailed: Masculinities and “Revolving-Door” Imprisonment in the UK, and has led projects for excluded groups. From mid-November, he joins Back on Track as their new CEO.  

Nicole Dempsey

Nicole Dempsey

Director of SEND and Safeguarding at Dixons Academies Trust and Deputy Regional SEND Lead for Whole School SEND

A former SENCO turned strategic leader, Nicole is recognised for her innovative and inclusive approaches to SEND and safeguarding. She developed the “Mountain Rescue” model of inclusion, an approach that replaces traditional segregation with a multi-disciplinary, classroom-embedded model focused on flexible grouping and adaptive teaching. A regular speaker at national conferences, Nicole contributes widely to the national conversation on inclusive education and safeguarding.