I founded We Can Talk after recognising the need for a culture change intervention to improve the experience of staff (and patients) at my local hospital. We Can Talk has grown from three hospitals in 2017 to more than 100 in 2024 and is on track to achieve 100% coverage of hospitals with major A&Es in England by 2027.We Can Talk has trained more than 30,000 NHS staff and supported dozens of localised quality improvement initiatives to transform the way people feel about mental health at work.

I founded People Unlimited to transform the way the world feels about mental health. We have supported 50,000 people in over 100 organisations to improve their knowledge, skills and confidence to engage with mental health at work. We currently deliver education through our We Can Talk and Crisis Tools brands.

As my commitments with We Can Talk and People Unlimited grew I left my full-time contract with East London NHS Foundation Trust but remained on their staff bank to provide additional clinical input in their Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). After relocating I left my bank role with the trust.

Alongside my work with We Can Talk and People Unlimited I work clinically in community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Newham, East London as part of the Paediatric Liaison Team (PLT). I provide liaison, advice and consultation to Newham University Hospital and manage the rota providing an urgent response to young people who present having harmed themselves or taken an overdose. I also see young people and families support them in managing physical and mental health symptoms.

I worked within specialist Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in a community team providing individual work and therapeutic care coordination to young people with complex and high risk presentations as well as in paediatric liaison providing input to a busy university hospital. While in this position I developed the role with the support of my senior managers, which became my current job.

I supported Healthy London Partnership part-time for six months to develop a Children and Young People's Mental Health (CYPMH) workforce strategy for London and to ensure the views of children, young people and their parents/carers were reflected alongside professionals and volunteers across the system. Healthy London Partnership includes the NHS in London (Clinical Commissioning Groups, Health Education England, NHS England, NHS Digital, NHS Improvement, trusts and providers), the Greater London Authority, the Mayor of London, Public Health England and London Councils.

As a Professional Advisor on Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for Health Education England I supported in commissioning of the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme (CYP IAPT) in England. I ensured the voice of CYP and those who support their mental health were considered across a range of education programmes including nursing, psychology and psychotherapy.

I took part in the prestigious Darzi Fellowship programme while based in the NHS England national team on the Children and Young Peoples' Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) service transformation programme, which became the Children & Young People's Mental Health (CYP MH) Policy & Strategy team during my time there. I was involved in the Tier 2/3 CAMHS service specifications, the government task force on CYP MH and in discussions with the Department of Health in implementing Future in Mind. Among other highlights of this year I found myself regularly sharing a photocopier with Sir Bruce Keogh, although if I got there ahead of him he wasn't getting special treatment. I also supported Health Education England in North Central East London who were the lead education commissioners for CYP IAPT. As part of my fellowship I completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Leadership from the Centre for Innovation in Health Management (University of Leeds) and continued to work in community CAMHS one day per week.