Lucy Barnes
Expert by Experience • Award-winning barrister • Social mobility advocate • Founder of a successful legal sector charity • TEDx speaker

Lucy grew up on council estates. She went into care at 13 & fell off the “care cliff” at 16. Aged 18, she studied law at Surrey. She was a practising barrister until August 2026 taking a career break to focus on her advocacy work. Alongside her legal career, she founded charity Lawyers Who Care & is an award-winning advocate & speaker, trusted to speak in Parliament, NAVSH, Foundling Museum, Coram, leading law firms, virtual schools & national conferences. She has also appeared in the Times, Counsel Magazine & on BBC4 Women's Hour.

John Turberville
Chair of Community of Communities Advisory Group, CEO The Mulberry Bush

John Turberville is Chief Executive Officer of The Mulberry Bush, a national charity specialising in transforming the lives of people who have experienced complex & traumatic early lives. With over 30 years of sector experience, John leads the charity’s multidisciplinary programmes in specialist therapeutic services, outreach, consulting & research & is committed to advancing best practice nationally & internationally. He also chairs the Community of Communities at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, promoting quality improvement, standards & accreditation in UK Therapeutic Communities & Therapeutic Child Care settings.

Angela Elliott
Assistant Director London Borough of Islington & lead Commissioning for ASD/ SEMH London IIA

Angela has 28 years of experience of working in the public & private sector delivering services to children, young people & their families. She has a passion & commitment to improving their lived experience in a meaningful & sustainable way. Angela has substantial management & consultancy experience including senior management experience at Assistant Director level in local government (social work & commissioning) & in the placement sector. Angela is an experienced programme & project manager holding social work, public sector commissioning & professional project management qualifications.

Dr Lisa Holmes
Professor in Applied Social Science University of Sussex & Published Expert

Lisa joined the School of Education & Social Work at the University of Sussex in January 2022 as Professor of Applied Social Science. Over twenty-five years Lisa has carried out a range of research & evaluation projects, with a particular focus on the relationship between needs, costs & outcomes of services & support provided to children & families. Lisa is co-chair of the International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care and is a board member of The Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services (ACRC)

Elaine Kirwin
Clinical Director Toucan (West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative)

Over 40 years in child & adolescent mental health services, specialising in the design, development & influence of innovative models of care for vulnerable children & young people. Elaine contributes to regional & national programmes focused on the development of evidence based frameworks, quality improvement & service transformation & is particularly committed to ensuring that the voices of children, young people & families are meaningfully represented through co-production, inclusion & lived-experience leadership. She remains a passionate advocate for children & young people described as having complex needs promoting compassionate, person-centred support

Niall Kelly
CEO MHC & Young Foundations

A national award winning and qualified Chief Executive Officer with many years success in children's services and adult health and social care services. A researcher in organisational leadership at a top business school. Dedicated to improving practice and outcomes in specialist services for Looked After Children and Adults with additional needs.

David Trickey
Consultant Clinical Psychologist Specialist Trauma & Maltreatment Service & Co-Director UK Trauma Council Anna Freud National Centre for Children & Families

David has specialised in working with traumatised children, young people & their families since 2000. Focusing on direct clinical work & the training & supervision of other clinicians working with traumatised children & young people. He regularly offers training & consultation, he presents at international conferences & he supervises doctoral research. He acts as an expert witness in civil & criminal cases in the area of children & trauma particularly those bereaved by family homicide. He was a member of the committee responsible for the 2018 revision of the NICE Guidelines for PTSD.