Greater Manchester Conference: Let’s Move from Treatment to Prevention
Greater Manchester Conference: Let’s Move from Treatment to Prevention
This Manchester conference will explore a system-wide and whole-school approach to mental health; considering 'best practice' from early intervention and prevention to ensuring long lasting impact across school communities.
We are delighted to invite you to join us for a morning conference - Let’s move from Treatment to Prevention - exploring how best to deliver a whole-school approach to mental health.
A morning conference presented by Place2Be, kindly supported by AL Philanthropies at the Lowry and chaired by Sir Richard Douglas, Place2Be Trustee.
Join us as we bring together school leaders, health and education sector decision-makers, philanthropic change-makers and voluntary sector trailblazers.
Key information
Date: Wednesday 5 November 2025
Time: 9:15am to 1pm (arrivals from 8:30am with tea, coffee and pastries)
Location: Lowry – Pier 8, The Quays, Manchester, M50 3AZ
Cost: Free, but with limited capacity. Places limited to one Head Teacher / member of SLT OR Senior Mental Health Lead per school
Where is the conference?
Our conference is being held at Lowry, Salford Quays.
The address is Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ
Travel information
For details about how to navigate to the venue, the Lowry's website has information about planning your visit.
About AL Philanthropies
AL Philanthropies (formerly the Law Family Charitable Foundation) is kindly supporting 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.
Agenda
08:30 - 09:15 Arrivals, registration, pastries and coffee
09:25 - 09:30 Housekeeping (Chair)
09:30 - 09:50 Opening Remarks
09:50 - 10:45 Session 1 – System Shift: The Role of Relationships in Driving Change
10:45 - 11:00 Comfort Break
11:00 - 11:50 Session 2 – From Research to Reality: The Evidence Behind What Works
11:55 - 12:45 Session 3 – From Risk to Resilience: The Role of Prevention in Mental Health
12:45 Closing remarks from chair
13:00 Departure
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
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
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 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 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 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.
Professor Sandeep Ranote
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 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 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
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 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 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 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
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 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).
Professor Jess Deighton
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 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
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 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.
Dr David Maguire
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
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.
Attending the conference is free, and there are a limited number of places. Secure your spot today by filling in the form below.