Tackling Domestic Abuse Digital Conference

A charity executive with over 20 years of director-level experience, Farah is passionate about women’s rights. She has worked on women’s rights and gender issues for most of her career and is committed to feminist principles of leadership including courage, sharing of power and accountable collaboration

Caroline Harper is a Senior Audit Manager specialising in value for money audits at the National Audit Office, and has undertaken work covering a wide range of social issues. In recent years, Caroline has led the National Audit Office’s value for money audits on asylum, immigration, and policing. This includes significant work on Windrush, asylum accommodation, and immigration enforcement. Her most recent report examined the Home Office’s leadership of the government’s 2021 Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls strategy, identifying lessons to support the delivery of the government’s ambitions to halve violence against women and girls.

I am a Detective Chief Superintendent, PIP 3 Senior Investigating Officer and Strategic Firearms Commander with almost 25 years’ experience in Policing. I joined Durham Constabulary in 2000 and have worked in Response, CID, Safeguarding, Intelligence, Custody and Prevention roles. In February 2022, I transferred to Cleveland Police spending my first year as Head of CID before setting up the new Prevention Command, and since January last year I’ve held the post of Head of Safeguarding and Prevention Command.

I was responsible for the delivery and implementation of MARAC in Durham in the early 2000’s. I’ve led a number of child death investigations and serious case reviews and have significant experience managing complex Crime Investigations, Crime Performance and Covert Intelligence operations. Previous responsibilities include Chair of the NPCC Custody Performance Working Group, Force Lead for Out of Court Disposals, Biometrics and Voluntary Attendance, Force Lead for Victim’s and Witnesses and now Force Lead for Serious Violence. I am the Chair of the Strategic MAPPA Board for Cleveland and Chair of the force Police Superintendents Association.

Karen Morgan-Read is a Senior Policy Advisor with the Crown Prosecution Service. In her current role she is the policy lead for domestic abuse and stalking and harassment and is responsible for ensuring that the CPS delivers commitments under the CPS DA programme as well as its wider obligations outlined within the cross-government VAWG Strategy.

Karen returned to the CPS 5 years ago after working as a Specialist Advisor in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Whilst at FCO, she provided specialist legal advice to the Consular Directorate on complex issues including rape and sexual assault, mental health and crime. She also led the development of policies and training to better safeguard young and vulnerable British nationals.

In April 2022, Karen helped introduce an updated CPS programme of work to address domestic abuse offending and better enable victims to live free from fear. The DA programme focuses on establishing principles to reduce repeat and serial offending through the application of robust case strategy, relevant applications for protection orders and proper specialist support for victims and their families through the criminal justice system.  She was also part of the team who negotiated the UK position on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

Becky is the dedicated Manager of the Recovery Hub at Glow, a charity committed to supporting individuals recovering from domestic abuse. In her role, Becky oversees the delivery of accredited group programmes, including the Freedom Programme, You and Me, Mum, and the Recovery Toolkit, all designed to empower survivors and facilitate their healing journey. She also coordinates a variety of support and wellbeing activities, such as yoga sessions, group walks, crafting workshops, and legal clinics, ensuring a holistic approach to recovery. Becky is passionate about creating a safe and nurturing environment where survivors can rebuild their lives and regain their confidence.

Georgia’s journey with Glow began as a customer, seeking support and healing after experiencing domestic abuse. Through the Recovery Hub’s programmes, she found strength, empowerment, and a renewed sense of self. Now, as a dedicated volunteer, Georgia is giving back to the very community that helped her rebuild her life.

Tony Hyland is part of the Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) at DWP ,works at a senior level across Government Departments, and is acknowledged as a creator and sustainer of great relationships with all key stakeholders .He leads on the Care Leavers Covenant (CLC) and Employer Domestic Abuse Covenant (EDAC) for DWP, as well as the other Covenants ; he is also a Board Member for Deaf Roots, Stratford ;National Mentoring Consortium Mentor, and National ‘Buddy’, for East London DWP.

He is also an NLP practitioner, and a fully trained /certificated personal /professional life coach ,and does voluntary work with community organisations and Universities , especially around providing Employability support. He believes in supporting young people to enjoy meaningful and sustainable careers. He is also an experienced mentor and has worked with several universities and has supported Young Black Graduates (YBG) with employability workshops across London. He is a published author and playwright too.

Jenny is a Senior Subject Specialist at the PSHE Association, working closely with the Director of Education to lead the Subject Specialist team. She led PSHE education in two London schools, and has a Masters in Teaching and Learning. Since joining the PSHE Association, she has worked with a range of agencies, from the NSPCC, to the Home Office, to the National Crime Agency, developing materials that support schools to deliver highly effective, safe PSHE education

Laura joined WWIN Specialist Domestic Abuse Service as Chief Executive in June 2024, bringing her experience and commitment to work with women and girls subjected to abuse, exploitation and discrimination.  Prior to WWIN Laura led the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), a charity and member organisation campaigning for the compassionate care for women and families impacted by perinatal mental ill-health across the UK.

Laura comes to Sunderland bringing over 25 years’ experience working in the statutory and voluntary sectors predominantly in the North East; as a Probation Officer and from 2006 establishing women’s services for national charity Changing Lives before leading on their policy, influencing and external affairs.

True to WWIN’s roots, Laura engages closely with people who have lived experience to amplify their voice and influence decision makers at a local, regional and national level.  Tackling domestic abuse has run through all her work, as well as sexual exploitation, addiction and contact with the criminal justice system for women.

Laura has experience of policy at a national level, multiple peer research projects and system change practices.  She sits on several boards, including Millfield House Foundation, Her Circle, and she is an active member of the Better Way Network.  She is proud to lead WWIN as an active member of and accredited by the Women’s Aid Federation in England.

Jo is a feminist with a master’s in social policy and a keen interest in feminist research and its application for those impacted by violence and abuse where participatory and asset-based approaches are central.

Formerly from Birmingham she now lives on the Southcoast in Sussex.

Jo is the CEO of RISE Freedom from domestic abuse | RISE (riseuk.org.uk) , the local specialist women-led and centred domestic and sexual violence service; based in Brighton and delivering across Sussex. She has been CEO for seven years during a challenging time with Covid and the introduction of a new Domestic Abuse Act. Before taking up the CEO role for RISE Jo worked for twenty+ years in the third sector (locally and nationally) with fifteen of these in senior management roles including almost four years at RISE as Head of Quality and Business Development.

Jo spent six years as a Trustee and Vice Chair of Women’s Aid Federation England (WAFE) also holding the Chair in the Research, Policy and Communication Sub Committee for the WAFE Board. She co-chairs a national CEO group for Women’s Aid member organisations and is currently a Trustee at FiLiA, the largest feminist conference in Europe, as well as a FiLiA Hague Mothers volunteer.

Previous Trustee roles have included Value’s Into Action (Learning Difficulty Campaigning Charity) and Cambridge Aids Action.

She has contributed to local and national campaigns to change policy and practice including contributions to All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on safeguarding and domestic abuse.

Nicki is the Head of Housing for Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse and works with local authorities to implement the Whole Housing Approach to ensure that domestic abuse survivors can access safe and secure housing. Prior to this Nicki spent more than 13 years working frontline in various roles within social housing and as the Domestic Abuse lead for Westward Housing she successfully guided them to achieve DAHA Accreditation in 2022. In 2020 Nicki wrote and presented a Domestic Abuse training video for repairs and maintenance contractors working in social housing to recognise and report the signs of domestic abuse. In her personal life Nicki has been a member of the Experts by Experience Group working with Surviving Economic Abuse for 7 years. As a survivor of domestic abuse Nicki now uses her personal knowledge and understanding to raise awareness of domestic abuse and ensure that the housing response for survivors is informed by the survivor voice.

Kyla has worked in health and social care for over 20 years across the NHS and voluntary sector, in the fields of sexual health, substance misuse, homelessness and domestic abuse.  Kyla joined the Drive Partnership in 2016 and is Director of the Drive Project – a response to high risk, high harm domestic abuse perpetrators which works with Police and Crime Commissioners and local delivery partners to challenge perpetrators of domestic abuse to make victims and their children safer. Kyla has extensive understanding of domestic abuse, multi-agency working, the criminal justice system, policing and mental health.

A charity executive with over 20 years of director-level experience, Farah is passionate about women’s rights. She has worked on women’s rights and gender issues for most of her career and is committed to feminist principles of leadership including courage, sharing of power and accountable collaboration