Workshop Leader

Suzy Kitching is a registered, accredited, and experience children’s social worker and senior leader working independently. She has over 25 years of social work practice experience at both an operational and strategic level.

Suzy is passionate about skilled practice and learning; she was awarded an MBE for services to children and families in 2010 following the success and innovation of integrated adult and children’s service set up and developed.

Suzy’s current practice has a focus on independent enquiry, learning, multi-agency practice and supporting safeguarding partnerships. Suzy is an accredited SILP (Significant Incident Learning Process) reviewer and associate and also undertakes LCSPRs independently.

Suzy has worked in the Northeast of England as a practitioner and delivered training in skill-based relational family practice across the country. Developing whole family practice where adult issues (substance misuse, domestic abuse and Mental health) impacted the well-being and safety of children.

Guests Speaker

Nicola Brownjohn had a career in the NHS, working as a nurse in both children and adult services. For many years she took on safeguarding roles and promoted collaborative leadership in the development of children’s partnerships.

Since becoming an Independent Safeguarding Consultant, Nicola has chaired and authored several reviews for safeguarding adults and children using a range of methods. She has maintained a focus on critical learning that can make a sustainable change for the population. Nicola uses a consultative approach to empower local agencies and practitioners to implement the necessary change.

Nicola’s work on Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews has included focusing on suicide and undetermined causes of deaths in teenagers, serious youth violence, identity, ethnicity and cultural issues, neglect, domestic abuse, and the impact of unsafe sleeping arrangements for infants.