Dr Angela Kennedy is a long standing leader and innovator of Trauma Informed Approaches in the UK. She did her first Trauma Informed Systems conference talk in 2004. Angela set up the national network that was the forerunner of the CIC with Darren Archer, NHS-E manager, whilst Mental Health Lead for NHS-England’s Regional Clinical Network and programme lead for Trauma Informed transformation within a large mental health trust in 2019.

 

She is a clinical psychologist by profession specialising early in therapies for complex trauma and severe psychotic or dissociative presentations. Her promotion of this and compassionate leadership and coaching has made her a sought after workshop leader and conference speaker.

 

She has been a Trustee of trauma charities, including the Covid Healthcare Support Appeal and set up the region’s support hub for health and care staff during the pandemic.

 

As well as a focus on research, innovation, prevention and collective healing, Angela was a visual artist and now also brings her creativity to her Trauma Informed work, producing many films, including ‘Life Well Lived’, a documentary about how people find lives of meaning after a suicide attempt. 

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You can read more of Angela's research here.

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Motivation: 
I realised early in my career that there were pretty awful stories behind the real distress of severe mental health issues. Once you see that, it makes you motivated to work towards a safer, more supportive society. I have learnt so much about survival and thriving from people.

Sarah Gill is an experienced professional with over 26 years’ of service within the health and social care sector, operating at local, regional and national levels. Her journey encompasses a wide spectrum of specialisms and age groups, with a particular focus on adult and older age mental health, learning disability and autism, spanning both inpatient and community settings.

 

Sarah has held a diverse array of roles including clinical practice, quality improvement, project management, operational management, and senior leadership positions. Through this extensive experience, Sarah has amassed a wealth of knowledge and honed her skills,
emerging as a flexible, well-rounded, and agile leader capable of driving positive change with compassion and emotional intelligence at its core.

 

As an Occupational Therapist by training, Sarah embodies the ethos of looking beyond the challenges and limitations, guiding individuals, teams, and services toward identifying goals. and actions that foster hope and aspiration in every circumstance. With proven change management skills, she has facilitated radical, bold, solution focused outcomes, whilst empowering, engaging, and inspiring others to facilitate systems transformation.

 

Trained in the Virginia Mason Quality improvement methodology (based on the Toyota Production System) as well as to master’s level in Service Improvement, Sarah is a well-established workshop leader and leadership Coach, who thrives in collaborative environments, nurturing a culture of collective leadership and empowerment.

 

Her ability to engage with people, identify opportunities and foster growth reflects her passion for developing talent and inspiring those around her.

Motivation: 
Having seen firsthand the impact trauma can have on a person's life and on occasions, feeling helpless as a result, Sarah made a decision early on in her career to use whatever gifts and talents she has been given to influence circumstances and change for the benefit of those individuals involved.