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Lynne Neagle

Lynne Neagle was born in Merthyr Tydfil and was educated at Cyfarthfa High School and Reading University.

Prior to her election to the Senedd in 1999, Lynne held a number of posts within the voluntary sector in Wales, working for organisations such as Shelter Cymru, Mind and the CAB. She was Carers Development Officer with Voluntary Action Cardiff and also worked as a researcher for Glenys Kinnock MEP.

Lynne was appointed Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing on 13 May 2021.

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Rukshana Kapasi, Director of Health, Barnardo’s

Rukshana has been working in the NHS and charitable sector for the last thirty years as a provider, commissioner, Board member and senior leader. She is Barnardo’s first Director of Health, leading the transformation of the largest children’s charity in the UK to a health & social care provider. Rukshana is a Non-Executive Director at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, an Advisory Commissioner for the Health Devolution Commission and is Co-Chair of the Child Equity Collaborative with Sir Michael Marmot.  

Rukshana was previously a director at Crohn’s and Colitis UK, where she set up a new directorate for health services and launched their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurse programme. As chair of IBD UK, a collaborative of 17 Royal Colleges and patient organisations, she led the co-production of standards and a digital benchmarking tool now used by all IBD centres. During her career she has brought about key directional changes in the health sector such as the PALS Pathfinder Pilots, which led to the introduction of patient advice and liaison services in every hospital in England and the Patient Choice system is now used by all GPs. 

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Professor Neil Frude

Neil Frude is a consultant clinical psychologist, External Professor in the University of South Wales and Honorary Professor at Cardiff University. He has written a number of books on topics as diverse as family relations, disruption in schools, violence and human interaction with computers. In 2003 Neil devised a book prescription strategy for mental health support which has since become a national scheme in Wales and England as well as being introduced in several other countries. Libraries in the UK have now issued over 1 million books on the schemes developed for children and young people. Neil is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy and in 2014 he was given a British Psychological Society Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Mess Up The Mess

Mess Up the Mess has been working with the hardest to reach young people in our communities, using theatre and the arts as powerful tools to engage and empower them to make their voices heard. From small scale issues based workshops and preparation for work training to large scale projects which address difficult issues confronting young people today, Mess Up The Mess challenges young people to believe in themselves and their ability to make their world a better place. Mess Up The Mess creates safe inclusive spaces where young people can be themselves, gain confidence and make new friends.

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Steve Killick

Steve Killick is a Clinical Psychologist in independent practice based in Cardiff.  He is Visiting Fellow with the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling at The University of Wales and has worked in adult and child, emotional health, education and third sector contexts. His interests are ADHD, Emotional Literacy and uses of storytelling in therapeutic and educational settings.  He wrote "Emotional Literacy at the Heart of the School Ethos' and developed 'Feelings are Funny Things-developing emotional understanding through stories'.

 

Dr. Mike Davies, Consultant Psychotherapist and Trainer

Mike is a registered UKCP Psychotherapist who now works as an independent consultant and trainer specializing in Child Mental Health and Child Care matters. He worked in CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) for more than twenty five years, as a clinician and Operational Manager, where he was instrumental in setting up the first specialist mental health services for abused children and refugee families in Wales.  He has published articles on subjects such as child abuse, refugee mental health, and ‘looked after children’, and has contributed to numerous conferences and training initiatives. Recently he published a book based on his research into ‘rehabilitating families where children were previously in care’.

He has been an independent Expert to the Courts for over 20 years and in over 400 cases and is a consultant to several organizations including fostering and adoption agencies.

He has a longstanding interest in ‘attachment’ and family functioning. He is passionate about children’s mental health, development, and well-being.

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Liz Baker

Liz is an experienced Social Worker with a Diploma from Cardiff University, currently employed as an Assistant Director in Barnardo’s Cymru. Starting her career in acute mental health, Liz completed a Psychology Degree and worked in residential and community settings, specialising in mental health and autism. Liz is currently undertaking the Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Cardiff University.

Currently the Assistant Director for Cardiff and Vale Locality her portfolio includes Reflect, CIW registered support for children with disabilities, housing support for young parents and a range of mental health services. Liz has been the strategic lead for Barnardo’s on a number of Wales wide initiatives including delivery of the All-Wales Early Action Together Programme and the Welsh Government Trauma Informed Organisation Training. Liz has a strong interest and experience in developing trauma informed practice and mental health services. Liz is passionate about creating opportunities for individuals to co-produce services and influence at a local, regional and Policy level.

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Lisa Slack – Family Practitioner, Family Wellbeing Service

Lisa has been with Barnardos since 2019, during this time she has worked across Barnardos on different projects. These projects have included working with families where children have been at risk of criminal exploitation and working with women and children who have experienced domestic abuse, through one to one and group support. Lisa delivers various programmes within the Family Wellbeing service to meet individual and family needs and also adapts and delivers wellbeing sessions for young people in schools across the Cardiff locality.

 

Nicola Whelan – Family Practitioner, Family Wellbeing Service

Nicola is a qualified Social Worker and has worked across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan in the third sector and early prevention services.  Nicola has been a family practitioner for the Family Wellbeing Service since April 2018. During this time, Nicola has jointly worked with family practitioners and therapists to deliver therapeutically informed support and programmes for children, young people and parents/carers.  Nicola has experience of developing and delivering a range of programmes in the services which include wellbeing sessions, Think Good Feel Good programme that is aim at helping parents to build their confidence so that they can use new strategies to reduce their child’s anxiety, and family bereavement support. Nicola has a level 1 Theraplay qualification which she uses to inform her support for children and families.