Digital Families 2019: Speakers
Keynote speakers
Hear our line-up of internationally renowned speakers as they share insights at the Digital Families 2019 conference.
You'll be first to learn about the latest research and emerging trends. We'll explore the opportunities and challenges of wellbeing in the internet age. And you'll find out how best to help children and families flourish in a connected world.
Professor Tanya Byron
Professor Tanya Byron is a consultant clinical psychologist specialising in child and adolescent mental health. One of Digital Families 2019's keynote speakers, Tanya is an independent national and international government advisor on children, young people, and the digital media. In 2008 she published The Byron Review: Safer Children in a Digital World, and in 2010 a follow-up review Do We have Safer Children in a Digital World? She sat on Lord Carter’s Digital Britain advisory board (2009).
Lord Jim Knight
Jim is now the chief education adviser at Tes Global, having successfully started the teacher training business, Tes Institute. He is also a visiting professor at the UCL Knowledge Lab, and a member of the House of Lords. Jim served as an MP from 2001-2009, during which time he was a minister for Rural Affairs, Schools, and then Employment, spending his final year as a cabinet minister. He is a trustee of the Centre for Accelerating Social Technology; and for Whole Education; and he is a member of the Future of Work Commission. Read his pre-conference blog.
Sonia Livingstone, OBE
Sonia Livingstone OBE is a professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She researches media audiences, especially children’s and young people’s risks and opportunities, media literacy, and rights in the digital environment, and has published 20 books including “The Class: Living and Learning in the Digital Age.” She currently directs the projects “Children’s Data and Privacy Online,” “Global Kids Online” (with UNICEF) and “Parenting for a Digital Future”. Read her pre-conference blog.
Dr Alicia Blum-Ross
Professor Victoria Nash
Dr Victoria Nash is the deputy director and senior policy fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII). Her particular research interests draw on her background as a political theorist, focusing on the interests and rights of both child and adult internet users and the challenges of balancing these in internet governance and regulation. She holds several advisory roles, including membership of the UK Government’s multi-stakeholder UKCIS Evidence Group, Ofcom's Making Sense of Media Advisory Panel, and the Advisory Board of COADEC. Read her pre-conference blog.
Workshops
The specialist workshops at Digital Families 2019 conference enable you to join the discussion and explore key topics in depth.
Emma Thomas
Emma is CEO of the charity YoungMinds. Turning real-life experiences into positive change for children and young people’s mental health, YoungMinds is leading the fight for a future where all young minds are supported, whatever the challenges. Emma joined the charity in July 2018 after more than eight years in the youth sector. She was CEO of The Mix, a leading support service for young people and a consultant supporting digital adoption and strategic development. Emma will be leading the mental health and young people workshop.
Chris Martin
Chris Martin is CEO at The Mix, a multi-issue advice and support service working through virtual channels. Chris is passionate about technology for social good and sits on various advisory panels related to youth, mental health and the implementation of digital, including the National Advisory Board on Statutory Guidance for Youth Services, UKCCIS Digital Resilience Steering Group, Facebook Safeguarding Group, and the Healthy London Partnership, as well as various government APPGs. Chris will be leading the mental health and young people workshop.
John Carr
John Carr is secretary of the UK Children’s Charities’ Coalition on Internet Safety and has written extensively on children’s rights and online protection. A member of the Executive Board of the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS), he is also a technical adviser to the European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online based in Rome and senior technical adviser to ECPAT International, a global NGO based in Bangkok. John will be leading the gaming workshop.
Dr Pete Etchells
Dr Pete Etchells is a reader in psychology and science communication at Bath Spa University. His research focuses on the behavioural effects of playing video games, and the long-term effects of various forms of screen time. He is the author of Lost in a Good Game: Why We Play Video Games, and What They Can Do For Us, published by Icon Books. Pete will be leading the gaming workshop.
Damon De Ionno
Damon is Revealing Reality’s joint owner and head of strategy, with almost 20 years’ experience working in strategic consultancy, design research and innovation. He has a wealth of experience on the topic of digital use and literacy, particularly in young people. His work has included pexplorations of the impact of social media and digital devices on children for Ofcom and the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. Damon has also directed all of the agency’s digital innovation studies for the BBC. Damon will be leading the smartphones and wellbeing workshop.
Ruby Wootton
Ruby is an associate director at Revealing Reality, a research and innovation agency focusing on social impact with expertise in the world of children’s use of media and technology. She is passionate about using behavioural research techniques to understand young peoples’ online behaviours and has been involved in major innovation and insight studies of the media lives of children and young people for Google, the Children’s Commissioner, the BBC, Channel 4, BBFC, the ICO and Ofcom. Ruby will be leading the smartphones and wellbeing workshop.
Andrew Moffat, MBE
Andrew Moffat is assistant head at Parkfield Community School in Birmingham, and author of "No Outsiders In Our School: teaching the Equality Act In primary schools", and "Reclaiming Radical Ideas In Schools: preparing young children for life in modern Britain", which received national press coverage following protests against the inclusion of LGBTQ+ equality in lessons. He was awarded an MBE for services to equality in education and was a finalist in the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize. Andrew will be leading the relationships and sex education workshop.
Dr Sangeet Bhullar
Dr Sangeet Bhullar is the founder of WISE KIDS in the UK, developing and delivering training programmes and research promoting children's and young people’s digital literacy, digital citizenship, online safety, and wellbeing. She has worked with thousands of young people, parents, educators and professionals in the UK, Singapore and Malaysia. She is passionate about young people’s own voices and awareness of their rights in creating solutions related to risk, harm, skills, opportunity and wellbeing online. Dr Bhullar will be leading the lunchtime workshop.
Colette Morris
Colette Morris is a qualified social worker, and worked in the field of child protection for six years before pursuing a career as a Local Authority Deisgnated Officer for a further 12 years. Whille a LADO in Oldham, she chaired the Local Safeguarding Children Board’s e-safety group; with the support of the group, she has created and delivered resources to help young people safe while using technology, attempting to use comedy and positivity in their delivery. Colette will be leading the digital wellbeing and 'vulnerable' children workshop.
Anna Grant
Anna works on Digital Futures and Fulfilling Work projects with Carnegie UK Trust, focusing currently on digital inclusion and data. Anna leads the #NotWithoutMe programme, an initiative designed to challenge the digital exclusion of vulnerable young people through a combination of research, policy and practical interventions. She also works on projects for the Trust exploring the impact of online privacy, data sharing, and the Living Wage. Anna will be leading the digital wellbeing and 'vulnerable' children workshop.
Dr Simon P Hammond
Dr Simon P Hammond is an applied psychologist and lecturer in education in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of East Anglia. Dr Hammond is interested in how digital technologies continue to reshape everyday social possibilitiesthroughout life. His work explores how young and older people experience default assumptions of digital inclusion, participation and equality. Dr Hammond will be leading the digital wellbeing and 'vulnerable' children workshop.
Ralph Jordinson
Ralph is risk and resilience coordinator for Middlesbrough Council. He has worked with young people’s services across the voluntary, private and public sectors for the past 15 years, and for the last six he has focused on reducing risks for vulnerable young people, particularly those at risk of child sexual exploitation and abuse. His work covers relationships, sex education and digital resilience. Read his pre-conference blog. Ralph will be leading the UKCIS digital resilience framework workshop.
Dr Richard Graham
Dr Richard Graham is a consultant child & adolescent psychiatrist. He is currently clinical lead for Good Thinking: London’s Digital Mental Well-being Service and director of trust and well-being at TalkLife. He's on the Executive Board of the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) and Co-Chairs the Digital Resilience Working Group. He also works with the BBC, as Digital Wellbeing Consultant to the Own It App Project. Dr Graham will be leading the UKCIS digital resilience framework workshop.
