Digital Families 2019: Speakers

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.

Professor 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.

Workshops include gaming, self-esteem, mental health, teaching the relationships and sex education curriculum, digital inclusion for 'vulnerable' young people and reducing harmful sexual behaviours.

Dave Miles

Dave is Safety Policy Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Facebook, and former Director at the British Board of Film Classification, Parent Zone and the Family Online Safety Institute. He has chaired working groups for the UK Council for Internet Safety and was an expert member of UNICEF’s Global Fund to End Violence Against Children and Child Dignity Alliance. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a member of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists. Dave will be facilitating the mental health and young people workshop.

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.

Mike Wright

Mike is Social Media Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, where he was formerly Head of Trending Content. In the past, Mike has held the role of Deputy Head of Social Media for The Mirror and before that was a local journalist and chief reporter on local papers. He writes on a range of issues relating to social media, technology and policy, from data privacy to online gaming. Mike will be facilitating the children and gaming workshop.

John Carr, OBE

John Carr, OBE 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 children and 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 children and gaming workshop. 

Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, OBE

Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones is a medical doctor and a Consultant Psychiatrist in Addictions. She is the Founder and Director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic in the UK, the only NHS service designated for the treatment of pathological gamblers. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and a board member of both the International Society of Addiction Medicine and the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Addictions. Henrietta will be leading the children and gaming workshop.

Ben Davies

Ben is an upper key stage two teacher at St Paul’s Primary School in Withington, South Manchester. He has over 18 years’ experience as a class teacher and is a Specialist Leader in Education. He is also a CAS Community Leader and a STEM associate facilitator. He is passionate about using technology as a tool to engage pupils with their learning. Ben will be leading the self-esteem 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. 

Jono Baggaley

Jono is Chief Executive of the PSHE Association, the national body for Personal, Social, Health and Economic education, where he leads efforts to ensure that every pupil receives high-quality provision. Jono has played an integral role in preventative education and online safety policy in the UK, most recently as Head of Education at CEOP and as Chair of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety’s (UKCCIS) Education Group, where he led the production of national guidance for schools on responding to sexting. Jono will be facilitating the relationships and sex education workshop.

Robert Simpson

Robert is an Assistant Director with the Department for Education and Programme Lead for Relationships, Sex and Health Education. His career spans policy and programme management and he specialises in operational delivery as a qualified project and programme management professional with expertise in risk and information management. Robert provides advice at the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and volunteers as a Parish Safeguarding Officer. Robert will be leading the relationships and sex education 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. 

Kate Burls

Kate Burls is Acting Head of Education at The National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. She leads CEOP’s Thinkuknow programme, which helps prevent online child sexual abuse and exploitation through learning resources and support for children and young people, families and the children’s workforce. Before joining CEOP in 2013, Kate was a secondary school teacher and Faculty Lead in English, Drama and PSHE. She has also worked in community development and community learning for young people and adults. Kate Burls will be leading the image sharing workshop.

Jenny Robertson

Jenny is an Education Manager within the CEOP command of the National Crime Agency, which works to protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation. Jenny has been developing and delivering CEOP’s Thinkuknow education programme over the last 4 years. She delivers the CEOP Ambassador training course and has led on the production of various educational resources. Jenny will be leading the image sharing workshop.

Kirsten Naudé

Kirsten is the Children’s Society’s Director of New Ventures. She runs a cross-organisational function, responsible for catalysing income growth, for achieving and accelerating impact for young people. Kirsten is experienced in designing, developing and delivering services for children and families and was Director of Services at National Family Mediation. She consults with other organisations on innovation, social impact and investment, organisational design and business development. Kirsten will be facilitating the digital wellbeing and vulnerable children 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. While 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 possibilities throughout 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. 

Associate Professor Amanda Third

Amanda is Principal Research Fellow in the Institute for Culture & Society, Western Sydney University (WSU), focusing on the socio-cultural dimensions of young people's technology use with emphases on digital rights, intergenerational dynamics, and vulnerable young people. She co-directs the Young and Resilient Research Centre at WSU and co-wrote Young People in Digital Society: Control/Shift and Young and Online: Children’s Perspectives on Life in the Digital Age. Amanda will be leading the wellbeing and new technology workshop.