Joint Spring Conference of the Child and Adolescent and General Adult Faculties 2025 | Programme
From Childhood to Adulthood: Advancing Mental Health Together
Venue: RCPsych London/LivestreamDate: Tuesday 18 March 2025
This conference provides a great opportunity for joint learning and networking with colleagues from another faculty to help improve services across the lifespan. The conference will also include dedicated sessions and activities for resident doctors, details can be found in the programme.
Contact us
events@rcpsych.ac.uk
020 8618 4150
Please note that the programme is still subject to change and all times are listed in GMT.
- 8.45am - 9.15am Registration (in-person delegates only)
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9.15am - 9.30am
Welcome and introductions
Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of the Child and Adolescent Faculty
Dr Jon Van Niekerk, Chair of the General Adult Faculty
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9.30am - 10.55am
Plenary 1 - ADHD across the lifespan
Chairs: Dr Elaine Lockhart, Chair of the Child and Adolescent Faculty and Dr Sophia Senthil, Co-Academic Secretary of the General Adult Faculty
9.30am
Beyond the neurotype: Rethinking Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Dr Jessica Eccles, Chair of the RCPsych Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry Special Interest Group (NDPSIG) and Reader in Brain-Body Medicine in the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at BSMS.
9.50am
Outcome predictors in ADHD: from neuroimaging to epidemiology
Dr Valeria Parlatini, Associate professor/Hon. Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Southampton/Hampshire, and IOW Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
10.10am
What I've learnt as a psychiatrist treating ADHD in children, as a mother of a child with ADHD and as a woman with recently diagnosed ADHD
Dr Helen Tindle, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
10.30am
Questions from the audience
- 10.55am - 11.25am Morning refreshments
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11.25am - 12.40pm
Parallel Session A - Addressing the intertwined relationship between parental and child mental health
Chaired by Professor Sonia Johnson, Co-Academic Secretary of the General Adult Faculty and Dr Guy Northover, Vice-chair of the Child and Adolescent Faculty
Seeing the whole family - the KidsTime approach to supporting parental and child mental health
Ms Dympna Cunnane, CEO of Our Time Charity
Aymen Belkacemi, Expert by Experience
Impacts of children's mental health difficulties on parents
Dr Faith Martin, Senior Lecturer, University of Bath
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11.25am - 12.40pm
Parallel Session B – Supporting doctors through serious incidents
When patients experience serious incidents, the impact on clinicians involved in their care can be significant and often goes unnamed and undiscussed. In this talk, we aim to address the impact of patient suicide and serious incidents on clinicians and consider practical ways that trusts can support doctors going through this, as well as hearing lived experience testimony.
Chaired by Dr Henny Blyth, ST5 General Adult Psychiatry, North London NHS Foundation Trust:
Riding the wave: understanding and navigating the turbulent aftermaths of serious incidents
Dr Rachel Gibbons, Vice-Chair Psychotherapy Faculty Consultant Psychiatrist, RCPsychSupporting doctors through the inquest process
Dr Hannah Cappleman, Consultant Psychiatrist, Greater Manchester Mental HealthA personal reflection on the experience of attending an inquest
Dr Khushbakht Ghazanfar, Consultant and Associate Registrar in Sustainability, SLaM & RCPsych
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11.25am - 12.40pm
Parallel Session C - A clinical masterclass on the intersections between ADHD and personality disorders
Chaired by Dr Asilay Seker and Dr Mohammad Kashif, Consultant Psychiatrist, Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust
- The interface between complex trauma and developmental disorders in children and young people
Dr David Kingsley
- Title TBC
Dr Jonathan Hurlow, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist & Mentalisation Based Therapy Supervisor
- 12.40pm - 1.30pm Lunch
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1.30pm - 2.45pm
Parallel Session D - Cultures of Care: responding to both trauma and neurodivergence across the lifespan
Chairs: Dr Jeya Balakrishna, Associate Registrar for Coaching and Mentoring, RCPsych and Dr Jose Mediavilla, Financial Officer of the Child and Adolescent Faculty
Speakers:
- Dr Philippa Greenfield, Joint Presidential Lead for Women and Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists.
- Professor Helen Minnis, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Glasgow.
- Sal Smith, Head of Lived Experience and Co-Production, NCCMH.
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1.30pm - 2.45pm
Parallel Session E - Being well at work
This session will not be livestreamed or recorded.
Much of the discussion around clinician wellbeing targets doctors building their own personal resilience and where to seek support for mental distress or difficulty. While this is clearly an important factor, we will focus in this session on a systemic and relational approach, considering structural ways to make work work for doctors. With this in mind, we will be spending half of the session in the practical wellbeing activity of group singing! No musical knowledge or talent will be required.
Chaired by Dr Fiona Shaw, ST4 CAHMS, Manchester Foundation Trust and Dr Henny Blyth, ST5 General Adult Psychiatry, North London NHS Foundation Trust
Understanding our workplace well-being through a relational lens
Dr Hannah Cappleman, Consultant Psychiatrist, Greater Manchester Mental Health
Systemic wellbeing
Dr Ananta Dave
Leading a wellbeing activity - group singing
Dr Hubertus Himmerich, Clinical Researcher in Eating Disorders, King's College London
Harriet Phillips
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1.30pm - 2.45pm
Parallel Session F - Climate change, sustainability, nature and mental health
The World Health Organisation has described climate change as one of the greatest health threats of the twenty first century. Mental health, physical health and wellbeing are interconnected with climate change via multiple and diverse pathways.
It is also increasingly acknowledged that engaging with nature improves psychological well-being and can mitigate susceptibility to mental illness. This talk will address the challenges facing patients and health care providers, the benefits of experiencing nature and how we can offer sustainable services.
Chaired by Dr Matthew Leahy, Child and Adolescent psychiatry higher trainee, HPFT
Speakers:
- Dr Catriona Mellor, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Dr Nicholas Barnes, EcoCAMHS co-chair.
- Dr Katherine Kennet, Planetary Health and Sustainability co-chair, Royal College of Psychiatrists.
- Dr Jacob Krzanowski, Consultant and Associate Registrar in Sustainability, SLaM & RCPsych
- 2.45pm - 3.15pm Afternoon refreshment break
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3.15pm - 5.00pm
Plenary 2 - Suicide and self harm: new guidance and insights
Suicide and self-harm prevention are among the most pressing challenges in mental health today. This guidance represents a pivotal step towards a more compassionate and effective approach to supporting individuals at risk. Moving beyond outdated risk prediction models, which have too often fallen short, we are embracing a person-centred, safety-focused framework that prioritises the individual’s well-being over simplistic categorisations of "low" or "high" risk.
This new approach focuses on understanding the complex and dynamic nature of mental health. It promotes holistic care, considering the psychological, social, and physical factors that contribute to a person's safety. By adopting collaborative safety planning and biopsychosocial assessments, this guidance encourages clinicians to build meaningful therapeutic relationships that can foster trust, communication, and ultimately, a more effective path to recovery.
We are proud to offer this guidance to all sectors—public, private, voluntary, and local authorities. It is designed for use in all NHS-commissioned services, equipping practitioners with practical tools and strategies to enhance patient safety. Together, we can strive to ensure that individuals at risk of suicide or self-harm receive the care, understanding, and support they need to find hope and healing.
This marks a shift in how we think about and deliver mental health care, with the potential to transform lives and improve outcomes for people in crisis. It is a change that puts the person first, emphasising their safety and well-being above all else.
Chaired by:
- Dr Jon Van Niekerk, Chair of the General Adult Faculty.
- Dr Shermin Imran, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Lead Consultant, FCAMHSNW Service, Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust.
3.15pm
The case for change
Philip Pirie, parent bereaved by suicide and a suicide prevention campaigner.
3.35pm
Staying safe from suicide: key guidance messages and implementation
Seamus Watson, National Improvement Director NHSE and Programme Lead for Staying Safe from Suicide.
3.55pm
Self-harm in young people
Professor Dennis Ougrin, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, QMUL
4.15pm
Questions from the audience and panel discussion
Chaired by:
- Dr Jeya Balakrishna, Associate Registrar for Coaching and Mentoring, Royal College of Psychiatrists.
- Dr Shermin Imran, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Lead Consultant FCAMHSNW Service, Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust.
4.45pm
Closing comments
- Dr Jon Van Niekerk, Chair of the General Adult Faculty.
- Dr Shermin Imran, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Lead Consultant, FCAMHSNW Service, Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust.
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5.00pm - 6.00pm
Drinks reception
All delegates are invited to attend this drinks reception (no ticket purchase necessary.)
Non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.
Members' Area (Ground Floor) Royal College of Psychiatrists.
To encourage open dialogue, scientific discovery and enrich learning, we provide our delegates with the opportunity to hear from a diverse range of views and presentations. All the speakers, panellists and participants views and comments are their own and not the established views of the College. Speakers should expect probing questions and healthy debate.
The College expects all content of event programmes, and the behaviour of the speakers and the delegates, to be professional, respectful and to uphold the College values.
The College does not endorse any programme content or behaviour displaying any form of prejudice or discrimination.