Through keynote presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions, we will explore the latest research, policy and practice aimed at strengthening practice and collaborative working to improve health and reduce inequalities.
We are privileged to be joined by such eminent speakers
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Dame Ruth May
Chief Nursing Officer for England Ruth enjoyed national appointments with NHS Improvement and Monitor, as well as regional and trust leadership roles, before becoming the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England in January 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruth led the nursing, midwifery and care professions’ response in England and led collaborative work with UK CNO colleagues, the NMC, and trade unions. She is passionate about nurturing the next generation of NHS nursing and midwifery leaders and encouraging professional development opportunities. This includes advocating for improved mental health awareness, championing volunteer activity, and she is a vocal supporter of increasing diversity across the NHS. |
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Dr Camilla Kingdon Consultant Paediatrician and President Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health @CamillaKingdon Dr Camilla Kingdon is a consultant neonatologist at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, and since May 2021 has been the President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). She graduated at the University of Cape Town and worked in South Africa before moving to the UK. She undertook her Paediatric training in London and has been a consultant since 2000. Camilla has a particular interest in the social determinants of child health – poverty, climate change and racism. She has made these core activities during her RCPCH presidency.
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Professor Bola Owolabi MRCGP MFPH(Hon) FRSPH Director – Health Inequalities NHS England @bolaowolabi8 Professor Bola Owolabi is Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England (NHSE). She has spearheaded NHSE’s Core20PLUS5 approach to narrowing healthcare inequalities. She was previously National Speciality Advisor for Older People and Integrated Person-Centred Care at NHSE. She collaborated with teams across NHSE and DHSC as part of the Covid-19 pandemic response. Bola is an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham. She is a Vice President of the Royal Society of Public Health and also works as a GP in the Midlands.
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Professor Paul Cairney Professor of Politics and Public Policy University of Stirling @Cairneypaul Paul Cairney (PhD, FAcSS) is Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Stirling. His research expertise covers the theory, practice, and politics of public policy. It spans comparisons of policy theories and their methods, international policy processes, UK and devolved policymaking, and policy sectors (including health and environment). He has written or co-written 13 books, 92 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, and 31 chapters in edited books. His full CV can be found at https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/cv/
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Dr Jenny Woodman Associate Professor of Child and Family Policy University College London @jlwoodman_UCL Dr Woodman is a public health researcher in the areas of child and family policy, with a strong focus on describing and evaluating public services for children and with an aim of reducing inequalities in child and family health. Dr Woodman co-directs the NIHR Children and Family Policy Research Unit and in this capacity works closely with policy colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care. Dr Woodman is currently leading several NIHR-funded studies describing and evaluating health visiting in England.
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Professor Mitch Blair Professor of Paediatrics and Child Public Health, and Retired Consultant Paediatrician Imperial College London and London North West University Healthcare Trust @blair_mitch Mitch Blair is a professor, general and developmental paediatrician, and a specialist in child public health. He was Senior Lecturer in Community Paediatrics 1990-98, Nottingham, and established the River Island Academic Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health in 1998 at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, UK. Mitch has 200 peer-reviewed publications on international child health indicators, child public health monitoring, and health service evaluation, and co-authored the Manual of Community Paediatrics and also the first textbook on Child Public Health. He was Officer for Health Promotion for the RCPCH from 2010-15 and Lead Editor for HCP e-learning. Research; reducing unscheduled care in infants through social support and parental education enhanced with digital means. |
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Professor Judith Stephenson Professor of Sexual & Reproductive Health University College London @Judith_SRH Judith Stephenson holds the Margaret Pyke Chair of Sexual & Reproductive Health at UCL. After training in clinical medicine at Oxford University and UCL, she studied epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Since then she has held academic posts at UCL, first in HIV Epidemiology, and currently in Women’s Reproductive Health.
Judith’s research has changed policy and practice nationally and internationally in relation to chlamydia screening and preconception health. Her current research spans pregnancy prevention https://www.contraceptionchoices.org, planning and preparation for pregnancy https://www.ukpreconceptionpartnership.co.uk/ and how the preconception period influences mother and child health across the life course. |
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Toni Estevez Parent: Expert by Lived Experience Lived experience of DV, homelessness, isolation Toni Estevez, is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in community engagement and leadership, with over 20 years of expertise. Previously a Community Engagement Consultant leveraging her London origins and now flourishing in the West Midlands. Her remarkable journey is marked by her Diploma level 5 Leadership and Management, which showcases her commitment to personal and professional growth. A mother of five, ages from 5-24 and expecting twins end of Aug. Toni’s nurturing spirit extends beyond her family.
Toni’s advocacy shines through her role as an ambassador of Shelter, highlighting her unwavering dedication to making a positive impact. |
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Nicky Brown Senior Nurse/Public Health Specialist Babies, Children and Young People Office for Health Improvement and Disparities @nickybrown8 Nicky Brown is a senior nurse/ public health specialist in BCYP working for Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in London Region. With 40 years of nursing and health visiting experience Nicky works in partnership with all London stakeholders including local authorities, NHSE/I and Greater London Assembly, to deliver on the reduction of health inequalities, improve the populations health and well-being. She provides specialist public health input into all 0 – 19 years public health programmes and she is jointly leading on a workforce plan for public health nursing. Nicky is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Public Health.
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Hilda Beauchamp Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Lead Institute of Health Visiting Hilda supports the iHV’s work across the national and international perinatal and infant mental health (PIMH) programme. Prior to joining the Institute, Hilda worked as a Specialist Health Visitor for PIMH, fulfilling specialist clinical, consultative, training and strategic roles within health visiting and the wider integrated perinatal mental health systems. She has a background in adult nursing and is a registered midwife and health visitor with many years of clinical experience in acute and community settings. |
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Dr Sharin Baldwin Senior Health Visitor Research Lead Institute of Health Visiting @BaldwinSharin Dr Sharin Baldwin joined the iHV Projects and Evaluations team in July 2023. Sharin is a trained nurse, midwife, and health visitor with over 26 years of experience working in the NHS. Sharin completed her PhD at King’s College London in 2020 as part of a NIHR Clinical Doctoral Fellowship and remains the only health visitor in the UK to be awarded this fellowship. Sharin’s New Dad Study (NEST) has resulted in numerous publications and national/international recognition. Sharin has completed a post-doctoral NIHR DSE Award at Warwick Clinical Trials Unit. Sharin is an adjunct Research Fellow at Western Sydney University. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sharin-Baldwin |
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Dr Karen Whittaker Education and Workforce Lead Institute of Health Visiting @kwhittaker1 Karen is an iHV Fellow, former Trustee and now lead for Education and Workforce at the iHV. Her health visiting career spans 30+years working in practice, education and research. She is a former SCPHN course leader at the University of Central Lancashire where she still holds an Associate Fellow position. She completed her PhD in at King’s College, London and has delivered research studies on parenting and family support, child health and workforce retention. She has authored a number of journal papers, book chapters and e-learn training resources for health visitors and other home visitors. |
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Dr Helen Duncan National Lead for Lifecourse Intelligence Office for Health Improvement and Disparities Helen is a public health intelligence specialist leading on the theme of child and maternal health. She works in partnership across the health system to drive up standards in data, information and intelligence to improve child health outcomes and reduce inequalities. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and a defined specialist on the UK Public Health Register with advanced competencies in population surveillance and development of information systems. |
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Liz Fenton OBE Deputy Chief Nurse Health Education England @Liz_HEE Liz Fenton (MSc, BSC (Hons), RN, QN) is the Deputy Chief Nurse in the Workforce, Training and Education Directorate in NHS England. Liz qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1981 and subsequently held a number of clinical and leadership roles in both acute and community settings including at board level. Liz was awarded the title Queens Nurse in 2017 and an OBE for services to nursing in 2021. Passionate about care quality Liz also undertakes national and international accreditation, benchmarking services against best practice most recently in Cyprus and is the chair of the CHKS Accreditation Council. |
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Louise Wolstenholme 0-19 Research Lead & Health Visitor & NIHR Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Fellow Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust @loubarrett73 Louise is the 0-19 Research Lead at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, she is an experienced health visitor and practice educator. She has an interest in building research capacity in community-based nursing, with a specific focus on public health research for the benefit of babies, children, young people and families. Louise is currently on secondment as a Clinical Fellow to the NIHR Nursing & Midwifery office where she is leading on the RISE (Research In community SEttings) project which aims to identify the factors that enable successful research-related initiatives for nurses and midwives in community settings. |
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Tracey Long Nurse Consultant and NIHR Senior Research Leader: Nursing & Midwifery Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust @tray_long Tracey, a Queen’s Nurse, has an extensive background in Health Visiting and Practice Teaching. Now as a Nurse Consultant and NIHR Senior Research Leader: Nursing & Midwifery, is invested in research and values ‘close to practice’ research. The remit of Tracey’s role is to build research capacity and capability and alongside local, regional, and national priorities, co-leads the Yorkshire and Humber, 0-19 Research Network (for Health Visiting and School Nurses) and the local, Community of Research Practice. Tracey is also undertaking a PhD, at the University of Hull, exploring transition to adoptive parenthood, a subject she is passionate about. |
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Sarah Lawley 0-19 Research Lead & Health Visitor Locala Thriving Kirklees 0-19 Service Sarah Lawley has been a Health Visitor for over 10 years and is also the 0-19 Research Lead for Locala health & Wellbeing; a not-for-profit social enterprise which provides NHS services. Sarah’s role as 0-19 Research Lead covers both the Locala areas of Calderdale and Kirklees within West Yorkshire. Sarah was one of the first practitioners to undertake the Research Champion training programme run by the 0-19 Research Network and commenced this training is October 2022. Since becoming a 0-19 Research Champion Sarah has demonstrated an increased knowledge and confidence around research. This has resulted in Sarah successfully setting up a Community of Research Practice within her 0-19 Service and more recently supporting the embedding of a large research study into the Locala 0-19 Service |
