AMOSSHE National Conference 2026

Tracey Allen

Adjudication Manager, Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)

Tracey is Adjudication Manager at the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). She joined the OIA in 2014 as an Assistant Adjudicator and became an Adjudication Manager in 2018. Tracey manages a team of Assistant Adjudicators and Senior Assistant Adjudicators, dealing with complex cases.  She has played a key role in drafting several sections of the Good Practice Framework over the years and is currently part of a small team responsible for putting together the latest section on harassment and sexual misconduct.

Prior to joining the OIA, Tracey was the Head of Academic Appeals and Student Complaints at the University of Southampton.

: http://www.oiahe.org.uk/

Beth Allender

Programme Manager, National Student Mental Health Partnerships Programme, Cardiff University

Beth was recruited by Cardiff University in January 2021 to support the development and delivery of a pilot to improve understanding, access and support to NHS Mental Health Services for university students in Cardiff, particularly those with moderate to severe, complex or long term mental health symptoms. This has expanded into a national programme of work involving all further and higher institutes and their regional NHS Health Boards. 

Prior to the current role, Beth has been a programme and project manager for over fifteen years. Working in universities in Wales, within Student Services, Strategic Programmes and IT Services, in particular with cultural and student experience transformation programmes. She has supported managing aspects of planning and design for the £450 million Bay Campus development for Swansea University. Starting her career in the NHS, Beth also has experience in hospital administration and Welsh National IT Programmes.

: /beth-allender-13215b24/

Sophia Alves

Residential Life Welfare Officer, University of East London

Sophia Alves is a Residential Life Welfare Officer at the University of East London, where her role encompasses student welfare, pastoral support, restorative approaches to student concerns and more. She is the author of the developing paper underpinning this session, which synthesises the inclusive processes and initiatives embedded across UEL's Residential Life service.

Her work focuses on supporting first-year residents and strengthening frontline welfare practice. Alongside her day-to-day role, Sophia has contributed to refining key processes, including pre-arrival support, pastoral calls, and restorative approaches to student concerns.

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Professor Jason Arday

Professor of Education, University of Cambridge

Jason Arday is Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge.  Previously, Jason was Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Glasgow and has also held the position of Associate Professor in Sociology at Durham University and Deputy Executive Dean for People and Culture in the Faculty of Social Science and Health.

Jason is a Patron of the Adult Literacy Trust (ALT) and Get Further, an award-winning UK charity providing tuition and support in English and maths to disadvantaged students. He is a Trustee of the British Sociological Association (BSA) and sits on the NHS Race and Health Observatory Academic Reference Group and the ITV Cultural Advisory Council. 

Jason was formerly a Trustee of the Runnymede Trust, the UK’s leading Race Equality Thinktank for 11 years.

Sarah Bishop

Assistant Director, Communities, Culture and International, Teesside University

Sarah joined Teesside University in 2021 as Assistant Director in the area of Communities, Culture and International (CCI), managing teams covering wellbeing, welfare and sport. Sarah's portfolio focuses on developing a sense of campus community and belonging through targeted initiatives that enhance student wellbeing and integration. This includes initiatives that encourage greater engagement in the local outdoor environment, lifestyle interventions around sleep, nutrition and exercise and a range of regular drop-in health and wellbeing clinics that support students throughout their studies. The CCI team also collaborates with local community projects and faith organisations to support students in the wider local community. 

Sarah has worked in Higher Education since 2013 and has experience in developing and managing transnational education initiatives, leading adaptive responses across the university, and developing portfolios to enhance the student learning experience. 

Dr Kate Brown

Co-Director, Unite Foundation

Dr Kate Brown is co-Director of the Unite Foundation, where she works alongside co-Director Fiona Ellison, to champion the importance of a safe and stable home at university for all care experienced and estranged students. Kate has a PhD in learning theory, is a trained and experienced Citizenship teacher, and has led small charities for over a decade, all with the power of education, community and belonging at their heart. 

: www.unitefoundation.org.uk/blueprint
: kate-brown-3a11bb71

Suzanne Carrie

Head of Student Equality and Welfare, Office for Students

Suzanne is Head of Student Equality and Welfare at the Office for Students. She leads policy teams focused on access and participation and disability. She is a member of the Disabled Student Commitment Advisory Group and the UK Government Department for Education’s Higher education mental health implementation taskforce. She previously worked in the higher education sector leading the development and implementation of access and participation and student inclusion strategies.

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Kieron Carroll

Student Experience Programme Manager, University of Warwick

Kieron brings over a decade of diverse experience in the higher education sector, having held roles at the University of Southampton, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Warwick. Currently serving as the Student Experience Programme Manager at Warwick, Kieron leads a strategic portfolio of projects dedicated to translating the student voice into tangible, actionable outcomes.

His current initiatives focus on amplifying student representation within Student-Staff Liaison Committees (SSLCs), ensuring campus space design is student-informed, mapping institutional non-academic engagement, and directing tailored user experience projects for specific cohorts. He is deeply committed to fostering a sense of belonging and enjoys building collaborative partnerships across academic departments, the Students' Union, Campus Services, and Professional Services.

: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/studentexperience/
: kieron-carroll

Ellen Goddard

Project Manager, University of Bangor

Ellen leads the data sharing workstream for Telyn: the National Learner Mental Health Partnerships Programme in Wales.

Telyn brings together all universities, further education colleges, and NHS health boards in Wales to collaborate for better student mental health outcomes through joined-up services and clear communication.

Ellen’s role focuses on the development of information-sharing pathways between education and health sectors, alongside regional work to improve student transitions in North Wales. Telyn aims to move beyond informal mechanisms to developing robust, structured information-sharing pathways that protect students by enabling consistent, coordinated support between education and healthcare.

Prior to joining Telyn, Ellen was a researcher at Dartington Service Design Lab, where she worked across mixed-methods social research, systems change, evaluation, data, service design and improvement projects in the public and charity sector. 

: ellengoddard

Paul Gratrick

Head of Operations in Student Experience and Enhancement, University of Liverpool

Paul Gratrick is Head of Operations in Student Experience and Enhancement at the University of Liverpool. There he collaborates with senior academic and professional service colleagues to develop student engagement strategies, policies and initiatives whilst also ensuring their ongoing reporting and monitoring to relevant stakeholders. From 2022 to 2024 Paul was President of the Graduate Futures Institute, and a board member there from 2017 to 2022. Paul is also an independent member of the Office for Students Quality and Assessment Committee.

: https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2025/09/08/share-your-new-student-views-with-100-days-100-voices-2/
: paulgratrick

Louise Grimmett

Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Service (Inclusion and Disability), University College London

Louise is Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services (Inclusion and Disability) at UCL, as well as a designated Safeguarding Lead, Doctoral Researcher at the UCL Security and Crime Sciences department and a Specialist Study Skills Tutor for specific learning differences, AD(H)D and autism.

Louise is a published author in the Handbook of Higher Education and Disability, ‘Higher education and disability: digital accessibility and assistive technology in the UK’ (2023).

Current interests include, but not limited to, disability rights legislation, the benefits and risks of Artificial Intelligence, crisis presentations and neurodiversity.

: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/support-and-wellbeing

Suzie Haslam

Assistant Head of Student Support (Wellbeing Services), University of Leeds

Suzie has been working in higher education for the past seven years, focusing on how we can better support students to feel well, connected, and able to thrive in their studies. She recently moved to her new role as Assistant Head of Student Support at the University of Leeds and worked in statutory mental health services within the NHS, across both children’s and adult services before moving into higher education.

In her current role, she supports both students and staff through clinical work, supervision, and developing new approaches to student mental wellbeing in the context of higher education. She is particularly passionate about making wellbeing part of everyday university life, not just something accessed within specialist services, creating a culture where looking after yourself and each other is built into how universities think, teach, and operate.

: suziehaslam

Lisa Hellawell

Student Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy Manager, London South Bank University

Lisa started her career as a Mental Health Social Worker in Community Mental Health Teams in London. She then moved into higher education and is currently the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Manager at London South Bank University.

In this role Lisa leads strategic initiatives to strengthen the whole university approach to student wellbeing, improving experience and outcomes for LSBU's highly diverse student community. Over the last few years, this has included re-developing the student training model in the context of the E6 Condition of Registration. Lisa's academic background in neuroscience and social work provide a solid foundation in utilising evidence-based, co-produced approaches. Her curiosity about how humans interact with, and are shaped by environments drives her to apply these approaches to the broad wellbeing landscape. 

: lisa-hellawell-1a0a27163

Tom Horner

Student Engagement & Retention Manager, University of East London

Tom Horner is Student Engagement & Retention Manager at the University of East London, where he leads strategic attendance, engagement, and early-intervention activity within Student Services. With over 15 years’ experience across student services, registry, funding, compliance, and retention, Tom has developed extensive expertise in the operational and regulatory frameworks underpinning the student lifecycle within higher education. 

He has led a range of cross-institutional initiatives focused on improving student outcomes through earlier, more targeted support, including institution-wide attendance and engagement initiatives, retention-focused process redesign, and the operational embedding of analytics-informed approaches to student support. His work focuses on balancing compassionate student support with scalable, data-informed intervention approaches that support both student success and institutional priorities, particularly within large and diverse student cohorts.

Tom’s wider interests include student retention strategy, engagement analytics, policy development, and service improvement within higher education.

Keith Houghton

Director of Student Support and Wellbeing, The University of Law

Keith is the Director of Student Support & Wellbeing at The University of Law (ULaw) where he heads up a number of multi-disciplinary teams all dedicated to providing integrated and holistic support to students. Keith is also a current member of the AMOSSHE Executive.

In his current role, Keith leads the Disability & Inclusion, Student Wellbeing, Mental Health & Counselling, Advice, Funding & Accommodation and Safe Inclusive Campuses teams and engages with a number of external partner suppliers to remove barriers to learning, enable student success and ensure that services are delivered with the student at the centre of delivery.

He has extensive experience in higher education student support gained in a number of roles prior to ULaw including in Students' Unions and a post-92 university and was Chair of the National Association of Student Money Advisors (NASMA) from 2002 to 2006. 

Keith is particularly interested in the use of technology as an enabler in student support and the influence that Student Services can have in wider institutional practices.

: https://www.amosshe.org.uk/about/our-team.html
: keith-houghton

Kirsty Hutchinson

Manager, Welfare and Counselling Service, Newcastle University

Kirsty has held the position of Manager of Welfare and Counselling Services as part of the Senior Management Team at Newcastle University since 2021. As a strategic and compassionate leader, with vast experience in student mental health, counselling, and wellbeing services across higher and secondary education, Kirsty has a proven track record in leading system-level change, building psychologically safe teams and collaborative cultures. Kirsty is also a member of the HUCS specialist interest group executive committee. 

Alongside the day job, Kirsty has an interest in practice-based research, having recently completed an MSc in Strategic Leadership, where her research focused on embedding student wellbeing as a strategic priority in UK HEIs, work which aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly around reducing inequalities and promoting education for life. She is also exploring research and papers to explore legitimacy within Professional Services leadership and welcomes collaboration on this.  

Kirsty has won recent sector awards for innovation, specifically in relation to the Impact Measurement Scale, a non clinical tool designed to capture data and insights into student wellbeing presentations and supports a whole institution approach. Via AMOSSHE and SCORE, IMS is an ongoing initiative to work to a sector standard of wellbeing data collection, which is currently undergoing validity testing to enable wider use. 

: kirsty-hutchinson-5085421aa
: @@UniofNewcastle

Kevin Jacques

College Director of Quality in Education, University of Lincoln

Kevin is College Director of Quality in Education at the University of Lincoln. He has over 25 years’ experience of leading and transforming academic quality, regulatory and curriculum design, development and implementation in higher education. 

Kevin is renowned for his unique, award-winning pedagogy which blends problem-based learning and gamification with a personal approach to engaging neurodivergent students.  His expertise and national consultancy around assessment and feedback highlights his expertise in constructive alignment and the use of regulatory frameworks to ensure parity of experience for diverse student populations. Kevin is passionate about supporting staff to implement necessary reasonable adjustments to assessments that are appropriate, consider learning outcomes and competence standards, ensuring equitable experiences for all students. 

Kevin’s favourite chocolate bar is Picnic and he enjoys playing cricket and reading in his spare time.

Hannah Johnson

Advice & Guidance Manager, University of Lancashire

Hannah Johnson is the Advice & Guidance Manager within the Disability & Inclusive Support service at the University of Lancashire. Her work focuses on strengthening the systems, structures, and culture that shape how support is delivered across the institution.

In her current role, Hannah contributes to service development and manages a team of disability advisors and officers. She is particularly committed to enhancing inclusive practice across the university, including improving curriculum accessibility and building staff confidence through training and collaborative guidance. Her work is driven by a belief that inclusion must be proactive, institution-wide, and grounded in empathy.

With a background spanning both Disability & Inclusive Support and Student Support & Wellbeing services, she brings a broad, holistic perspective on student needs. Through this experience, she has seen how fragmented support pathways can create unnecessary barriers, particularly for students managing disability-related needs alongside complex mental health concerns. This has shaped her commitment to developing services that are coherent, compassionate, and accessible, ensuring students do not have to repeat their stories or navigate complex systems to receive support.

: https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/support/disability
: hannah-johnson-40a7b5329

Professor Deborah Johnston MBE

Vice-Chancellor, University of Bedfordshire

Deborah Johnston MBE is a Professor of Development Economics and the incoming Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bedfordshire, whose academic work and leadership focuses on inequality, poverty and wellbeing. She's a Professor of Development Economics and has published more than 55 journal articles and four books. Her academic work focuses on inequality and poverty. She grew up in Hounslow, Greater London, and was the first in her dual-heritage Irish-Pakistani family to attend university. She completed an undergraduate degree in Economics and an MPhil in Economics and Politics of Development at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, and a PhD in Economics at SOAS University of London. She's a national leader for the Disabled Students Commitment and serves as Universities Disability and Access Ambassador for the UK Government Cabinet Office. She also holds a board position with a national stammering charity and, in 2024, was awarded an MBE for her work on stammering recognition in higher education.

: https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2026/january/university-of-bedfordshire-appoints-professor-deborah-johns
: linkedin.com/in/prof-deborah-johnston-mbe-09321489

Sally Lambah

Head of Student Support and Wellbeing, Wrexham University

Sally is an AMOSSHE Executive Member and Head of Student Support and Wellbeing at Wrexham University. 

: https://www.amosshe.org.uk/about/our-team.html

Laura Leadsom

Director of Student Enquiries and Campus Services, The University of Law

Laura is the Director of Student Enquiries and Campus Services at The University of Law, where she provides strategic leadership for student enquiries, information, communications, and campus hub services across a national, multi-campus institution.

With a career spanning administration, finance, and customer service leadership in both public and private sectors, she brings extensive experience in designing and delivering large-scale, student-centred services, and played a key role in institutional transformation as Business Architect on a major operating model redesign programme.

In her current role, she leads the development of an integrated, end-to-end student query and support model, driving digital transformation, service excellence, and continuous improvement across all student touchpoints. Her work focuses on creating seamless, inclusive student journeys that enhance engagement and success.

Laura is particularly interested in service transformation, operating model design, and the role of data and technology in shaping the future of student experience in higher education.

: laura-leadsom-48b4b3270

Debbie Lindsay

Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) Manager, University of East London

Debbie has over 20 years of experience working in higher education, including 16 years with the University of East London’s Student Money Advice & Rights Team (SMART), which she currently manages. She has extensive expertise in supporting underrepresented student groups and developing initiatives that address financial barriers and promote social mobility. Under her management, the SMART team was recently awarded Team of the Year 2025/26 by the National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA).

Dr Karla Lopez-Murillo

Impact and Evaluation Officer, London South Bank University

Dr Karla Lopez-Murillo is the Impact and Evaluation Officer at London South Bank University since 2023. She is responsible for embedding research and evaluation for the initiatives part of the Access and Participation Plan 2024-2028 (APP). Her work focuses on strengthening institutional evaluation capacity by building confidence, fostering collaboration, and supporting evidence‑informed decision-making.

Karla completed her PhD in Education Practice and Society from the Institute of Education, UCL in 2020 and is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Karla is also a member of the Evaluation Collective Steering Group.

In 2024, she co-authored a chapter contributing to the evidence of the value of prison-university partnerships in the e-book ‘Co-Constructing Education for all’ published by the Forum for Access and Continuing Education (FACE). She also co-authored a dissemination piece reflecting on the evaluation of LSBU’s mental health mentoring programme for the second issue of The Pivot online magazine of AMOSSHE. Her research interests include higher education, lifelong learning, widening participation, student voice, international mobility and intersections with gender, race, identities, and migration.

: https://researchportal.lsbu.ac.uk/en/persons/karla-lopez/
: karlalopezmurillo

Mr Brian Lutchmiah

Disability and Inclusion Service Manager, The University of Law

Brian has 20 years’ experience working across statutory, further and higher education. His extensive experience has ranged from teaching and co-ordination to operational and strategic management of direct services to students, and as a senior leader in UK and European organisations. He also has direct lived experience of disability throughout his education and career and has been an active advocate for disabled people across the education sector, hosting and speaking at national and international conferences, and formally representing the UK with European partners on UDL (Universal Design for Learning) principles and development.

Brian is an award-winning former Chair of the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP, UK) from 2018 to 2021, and is also a former Chair of the Learning Inclusively Network (LINK, Europe), serving as national and European leaders of research and practice on disability, inclusion and equality. He has most recently completed a two-year tenure as Chair of the English Policy Group for UCAS, as part of the UCAS Council, and is the Disability and Inclusion Service Manager at the University of Law.

: https://www.law.ac.uk/students/support/disability-and-inclusion/
: brian-lutchmiah-51853020

Martin McAndrew

Postgraduate Student Support Officer, Trinity College Dublin

Martin leads the Postgraduate Advisory Service (PAS) at Trinity College Dublin. He is responsible for ensuring PAS’s structures are aligned with institutional priorities and emerging best practice and that they act in harmony with clinical and academic supports provided by Trinity’s other student services.

A constructivist practitioner, he specialises in solution-focussed interventions and advocacy designed to complement the person-centred support offered by colleagues elsewhere. Having begun his student affairs career in the aftermath of the last recession, he has a special interest in using service design to maximise reach and impact, and in developing the preventative space. 

His current work focusses on understanding (and mitigating) how distinct personal, institutional, and sectoral pressures shape postgraduate student wellbeing and academic progression. This has led to a wider interest in policy, and he has redesigned Trinity’s Student Capacity (i.e. Fitness to Study) and Student Alcohol Policies. He collaborates regularly with the Union of Students in Ireland and has served on national advisory groups relating to postgraduate education. A graduate of Trinity and of the National University of Ireland, Galway, he has received numerous awards for his contribution to student life, his proudest, however, is his honorary life membership of Trinity’s Students’ Union.

: https://www.tcd.ie/seniortutor/postgraduate-students/
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Sinead McCarthy

Deputy Director of Student Services, University of East London

Sinead McCarthy is Deputy Director of Student Services at University of East London, bringing over 24 years of experience in higher education leadership, student wellbeing, safeguarding, and inclusive student support. She provides strategic leadership across a broad portfolio of services including student wellbeing, disability and dyslexia support, safeguarding, student money advice, sexual violence prevention and response, and student engagement initiatives.

Sinead has extensive expertise in developing institution-wide strategies that enhance the student experience, improve health and wellbeing outcomes, and support student success across the full student lifecycle. She has led major cross-university initiatives including wellbeing and mental health strategies, safeguarding frameworks, wellness programmes, and collaborative partnerships between academic and professional services teams.

Passionate about equity, inclusion, and creating environments where students can thrive, Sinead is recognised for her compassionate leadership, sector knowledge, and commitment to delivering innovative, student-centred services that respond to the evolving needs of diverse student communities.

Clare McCauley

Associate Director, Uniac

Clare McCauley is an Associate Director at Uniac, specialising in internal audit, governance and higher education regulation. She has over 25 years’ experience working in senior leadership roles across a wide range of higher education providers, including Russell Group, post‑1992, specialist and small institutions. 

At Uniac, Clare leads and delivers assurance and advisory work in academic and corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management. Her work includes extensive experience of auditing compliance with Office for Students conditions of registration, particularly Condition E6 on harassment and sexual misconduct. Clare’s work focuses on supporting institutions to evidence effective practice in meeting regulatory requirements, drawing on a pragmatic, sector‑informed approach to interpreting and applying regulatory expectations for both governance and operational audiences.

She holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics and volunteers for an international charity that supports victims of sexual violence.

: https://uniac.co.uk/

Kerra McClenaghan

Head of Student Wellbeing Services, University of Plymouth

Kerra McClenaghan is a senior leader who has spent her career living by the ethos that compassionate leadership isn’t just a nice idea, it’s non-negotiable. A systems thinker with a knack for untangling organisational complexity, she is interested in trauma‑responsive practice, preventative wellbeing and creating environments where both students and staff can breathe a little easier.

As Head of Student Wellbeing Services at the University of Plymouth, Kerra oversees continual change, countless initiatives and approximately one million emails a week. Her portfolio spans everything from suicide prevention, supporting disabled students to digital transformation, and the kind of policy work that only true sector enthusiasts can love. She is known for bringing clarity, calm and the occasional well‑timed humour to complex institutional challenges.

Before joining Plymouth, Kerra held senior roles across HE and the NHS. At heart, Kerra is a clinician - an experienced integrative psychotherapist and therefore is passionate about embedding compassionate leadership across the sector, championing approaches that prioritise psychological safety, relational practice, and genuine human connection.

: kerra-mcclenaghan-018a05171

Rachel McTracey

Head of Student Success and Experience, Royal College of Art

Rachel is the Head of Student Success and Experience at the Royal College of Art, London. She leads teams dedicated to enhancing the student experience by delivering specialist support services. Rachel is passionate about driving change management initiatives that enhance the community experience.   

Prior to working in higher education, Rachel was a secondary school teacher with a focus on pastoral care and raising students' awareness of mental health. She is also a Sexual Violence Liaison Officer and Mental Health First Aid trained, providing both ongoing support and crisis interventions to students.

: rachel-mctracey

Jami Morshed

Chief Revenue Officer, Ready Education

Jami Morshed is Chief Revenue Officer at Ready Education, where he leads sales and client success teams to drive growth in student engagement and success. With over 20 years of leadership experience at global organisations including Workday, Amazon Web Services, and Unit4, Jami brings deep expertise in scaling SaaS solutions and building strategic partnerships in higher education. He holds a dual degree in International Business from the University of Missouri and is passionate about helping institutions create environments where students can truly thrive.

Olta Muçaj

Head of International Partnerships EMEA, Ready Education

: www.readyeducation.com

Rebecca O'Hare

Assistant Director (Residence Life & Accommodation Office), University of Leeds

Rebecca O’Hare is Assistant Director (Residence Life & Accommodation Office) within Residential Services at the University of Leeds where she has been in post for over five years. She has completed an MA in Student Affairs in Higher Education and is passionate about creating inclusive spaces and experiences for and with students from all backgrounds.

Rebecca is a commissioner on the Unite Students ‘Living Black at University’ group, was previously the chair of the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I) Global Initiatives Network and a former member of the Association of Student Residential Accommodation (ASRA) committee. In January 2025 she created and piloted commuter student accommodation at the University of Leeds and due to its popularity, rolled it out as a permanent offer to commuter students from September 2026.

: rebecca-o-hare

Carley Owen

Student Experience Manager, University of the Arts, London

Carley Owen is an award-winning HE leader, LGBTQ+ advocate, and dynamic speaker with over 15 years experience of transforming higher education communities through bold, inclusive practice.

Currently the Student Experience Manager at the University of the Arts London, Chair of the LGBTQ+ Staff Network and trustee for Enhance the UK a user led disability charity, Carley has led sector-recognised initiatives that centre belonging, visibility, and authentic student voice. Her work spans large-scale LGBTQ+ campaigns, innovative engagement programmes, and community-driven events that have reached thousands across the UK creating spaces where people feel safe to be unapologetically themselves.

Carley’s impact has earned national recognition, including Role Model of the Year (Education) at the Queer Student Awards, alongside multiple awards for excellence in student engagement and EDI/community impact. She is known for creating work that goes beyond celebration, embedding meaningful and lasting inclusion into everyday experiences.

Grounded in lived experience and driven by purpose, Carley champions intersectional approaches to equity and belonging. Expect insight, honesty, and practical inspiration challenging you to create environments where LGBTQ+ communities don’t just exist, but thrive.

: carley-owen-9807b9a4

Georgina Pilling

Student User Experience Officer, University of Warwick

Georgina is a Student User Experience Officer at the University of Warwick, specialising in inclusive practice, student engagement, and student‑centred service design. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Management and a PGCE.

Georgina became a mature student while working at Warwick, an experience that has strongly shaped her commitment to improving support for those balancing study with work, caring responsibilities, or later‑life transitions.

Before joining Warwick, Georgina spent five years in teaching, focusing on inclusive classroom practice and enhancing the overall student experience. In 2025, Georgina moved into the Student Experience & Engagement team as a Student User Experience Officer. She works on student‑centred projects aimed at developing belonging across the institution, and supports the team through data analysis, insight generation and evaluating the impact of institutional events and initiatives.

: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/studentexperience/
: georgie-pilling-969402311

Sarah Richardson

Head of Student Services, University of Derby

Sarah is an AMOSSHE Executive Member and Head of Student Services at the University of Derby.

Jo Rushworth

College Director of Quality in Education, University of Lincoln

Jo is College Director of Quality in Education at the University of Lincoln. Jo is a National Teaching Fellow (NTF) and Professor of Bioscience Education who is renowned for leading, developing and implementing inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategy across HEIs with positive impact upon student experience and outcomes. 

Inspired by their own lived experience as a disabled student, Jo’s has sector-leading expertise in embedding anticipatory reasonable adjustments into curricula and assessment through a unique, award-winning pedagogic approach to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) tuned to higher education. 

Jo’s favourite dessert is barfi, and she enjoys learning Chinese, board games and gardening in her spare time.

: jo-valerie-rushworth-72b55a7b

Suparna Sengupta

Commissioning Editor, Epigeum

Suparna graduated with an MA in English Literature from India and has since built a diverse career spanning journalism, book publishing, and digital learning. She started her professional journey in journalism, working as a reporter at The Statesman newspaper before moving on to become an editor at NDTV 24x7, India’s leading English news channel, where she contributed to editorial decisions and news coverage. She later transitioned to publishing, managing book production across various subjects as a project editor at Dorling Kindersley.

: https://learningresources.sagepub.com/epigeum

Andy Shanks

Director of Student Wellbeing, The University of Edinburgh

Andy became the University of Edinburgh’s first Director of Student Wellbeing in August 2017, a key appointment in the University’s commitment to delivering an outstanding student experience. Andy’s remit includes leading strategically on student wellbeing and tackling gender-based violence, and responsibility for the Student Counselling Service, the Disability and Learning Support Service, the Chaplaincy and the Student Wellbeing Service, as well as for relationships with the University Health Centre.

Originally from Edinburgh, Andy graduated from the University of Manchester in 1994 with a BA (Hons) in Russian and Social Policy. Andy trained and worked as a Mental Health Social Worker and then as a Service Manager in London. He was also South West Locality Manager at the City of Edinburgh Council / NHS Lothian with responsibility for the delivery of integrated, statutory health and social care services in that area of the city.

He is a season ticket holder at Hibernian FC.

: https://www.amosshe.org.uk/about/our-team.html

Chilima Sianyeuka

Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Service (Disability, Neurodiversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing), University College London

Chilima is Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services (Disability, Neurodiversity, Mental Health and Wellbeing) as well as Deputy Safeguarding Lead (students) and Inclusion Lead at UCL.

Chilima is a qualified coach with expertise in mental health and has over 15 years’ experience within education. She has successfully led her service to grow threefold. Chilima was awarded the UCL One Personal Excellence Award in 2021 for her commitment, outstanding service and integrity.

Current interests include, but not limited, intersectional approaches to care and improving outcomes for disadvantaged communities. Chilima is a director at 4-22 Foundation CIC serving communities in Haringey and Enfield. 4-22 Foundation CIC was crowned ‘Small Business of the Year’ and won the ‘Mission Possible’ award for best social enterprise at the 2023 Small Awards.

: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/support-and-wellbeing

Cienna Simmie

Head of Residential Life and Conduct, University of East London

Cienna is Head of Residential Life and Conduct at the University of East London following a 2017 restructure which realigned the halls of residence to Student Services from Estates and Facilities.

Over the past nine years, the Residential Life team have navigated the pandemic, overcame challenges, serious welfare and disciplinary incidences, created a Residential Life Welfare team and introduced Living Learning Communities while generating significant income for the University. Cienna’s role has grown, and she now has responsibility for Student Conduct and Projects & Communications including E6 compliance. With the support of her wonderful colleagues, this oversight has enabled the Residential Life team to embed their processes and practices with all teams within Student Services, benefitting both staff and students.

: cienna-simmie-0725375b

Julie Spencer MBE

Head of Student Wellbeing and Deputy Academic Registrar, University of Lincoln

Julie is the Head of Student Wellbeing and Deputy Academic Registrar at the University of Lincoln. She was awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to education around her sector-leading support of students’ physical and mental wellbeing.  

Julie has extensive experience of leading the provision of reasonable adjustments and is currently leading Lincoln’s approach to rethinking reasonable adjustments considering the Abrahart case. She is renowned for her incredible compassion for students and her collaborative approach to working closely with academic staff to develop institutional approaches that transform student outcomes. 

Julie’s favourite sweet treat is dark chocolate, and she enjoys wild swimming in her spare time.
 

: julie-spencer-mbe-3704a71b0

Jill Stevenson

Director of Student Life, Robert Gordon University

Jill is Director of Life at Robert Gordon University, responsible for strategic direction and leadership of all aspects of student support, sport & Street Sport, academic study skills, immigration and visa advice & compliance, Residential Life, Student Help Point, health and wellbeing, crisis management/referrals, safeguarding, support for international students, GBV & anti-harassment, and the Centre for Careers, Employability and Community Engagement. 

She is passionate about creating inclusive and empowering organisational cultures where people can thrive and is committed to all aspects of EDI, with a particular interest in creating environments and cultures where health, wellbeing and inclusion are central to success.

Jill is also proud to have served as Chair of AMOSSHE for two consecutive terms from 2021 to 2025, and to have been appointed the first ever professional services institutional Dean at the University of Stirling.

: jill-stevenson-6086b534

Victoria Stoner

Senior Academic Partnerships Manager, Epigeum

Victoria is Senior Academic Partnerships Manager at Epigeum, part of Sage Publishing, where she is responsible for developing and managing collaborative partnerships with universities and institutions across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. With a strong focus on relationship‑building and sector engagement, she works closely with institutions to support strategic priorities through Epigeum's high‑quality, impactful online, self-paced, programmes for staff and students.

Donna Stretton

Disability Services Team Manager, University of Cumbria

Donna is the Disability Services Team Manager at University of Cumbria. She has over 30-years experience working within the SEND sector. Donna is passionate about supporting all students and has both professional and lived experiences of neurodivergence.

Along with managing the Disability Services Team, Donna delivers Essential Autism training across her university, accredited by The National Autistic Society. Donna has adapted course materials to support staff and students within the higher education sector.

Donna is keen to collaborate to improve the experiences of students, ensuring their voices are heard and needs met through positive change.

: https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/student-life/student-support/disability-and-spld/
: donna-stretton-21544b354

Jennifer Sumner

Clinical Lead for Mental Health, University of Lancashire

Jen Sumner is the Mental Health Clinical Lead at the University of Lancashire and has worked in the higher education sector for over three years. She is responsible for leading a team of Mental Health Advisors who assess students presenting with mental health difficulties or in crisis and ensure appropriate support plans and referrals are in place. 

Prior to working in higher education, Jen worked in numerous clinical and leadership roles in NHS mental health services over 10 years. She is a registered mental health nurse, and is passionate about supporting individuals with complex and / or severe and enduring mental health conditions to access higher education and reach their full potential.

Jen has particular interest in crisis and risk management, utilising evidence-based assessment methods such as a formulation based approach to ensure a person-centred and holistic approach. 

: jennifer-sumner-69945a282

Angie Venchard

Senior Disability Advisor, The University of Law

Angie Venchard has over 25 years experience in further and higher education within disability specialist services encompassing specialisms in Specific Learning Differences (SpLD), the deaf and hard of hearing, and the blind and visually impaired.  Angie holds a variety of specialist disability qualifications including PG Diplomas in Teaching, Assessing and Diagnosing SpLD, a Masters in SpLD and a MSc in Education and Social Change.  In addition, Angie is also trained at Level 2 in British Sign Language (BSL) and will be continuing studies to be a certified/registered ADHD Coach during 2026. Angie is also member of various professional membership organisations, from the Professional Association of Specialist Teachers of Specific Learning Differences (PATOSS) to the National Association Disability Practitioners (NADP) where she is currently registering for Senior Accredited Member Status. At present, Angie is the Senior Disability Advisor for The Disability and Inclusion Service at the University of Law (ULaw). 

: https://www.law.ac.uk/students/support/disability-and-inclusion/

Asini Wijewardane

Managing Director, UK, Uwill

Asini Wijewardane serves as Managing Director, UK for Uwill, the leading global mental health and wellness solution supporting more than 3 million students at 400+ institutions. A Boston Business Journal's 40 Under 40 honoree, Asini has also served as Uwill's Director of Counsellor Success, building, developing, and managing Uwill’s global counselor community.

With broad leadership and operational experience across three continents, her career includes roles in social enterprise, consultancy, business development, and project management, in addition to non profit organisations such as Cancer Research UK. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Middlesex University, UK, an LLB from University of London, UK, an MBA from the Olin Graduate School at Babson College, USA, and an MSc in Analytics from Harrisburg University, USA.

: https://uwill.com/uk
: /asini-wijewardane
: @/uwilltech

Mark Williams

Chief Operating Officer, Denis Law Legacy Trust

Mark Williams is the Chief Operating Officer of the Denis Law Legacy Trust, one of the fastest‑growing charities of its kind in the UK. He provides leadership across the organisation, working collaboratively to deliver high‑impact programmes that support young people and communities across Aberdeen.

Marks team deliver innovative programming in disadvantaged communities. Under his leadership, participations have grown from 3,000 to over 30,000, and female engagement from 8% to 41%. Programmes span prevention and diversionary work, employability initiatives, volunteer and leadership pathways, and targeted support for young people affected by imprisonment, helping participants build confidence, resilience, and progress towards positive destinations in life.

Mark was instrumental in bringing Cruyff Courts to Aberdeen, delivering the first free‑to‑access facilities of their kind in Scotland and creating high‑quality, safe spaces for young people and local communities to thrive. 

His work has received widespread recognition, including the Greatest Contribution to Police Excellence, a national Pride of Sport Award and the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Mark has also been recognised by RGU with an Honorary Degree for his contribution to young people through sport‑for‑good.

Driven by inclusion, opportunity, and legacy, Mark is committed to empowering young people through sport, creativity, and trusted relationships.

: http://www.denislawlegacytrust.org/
: mark-williams-68367424

Alexandra Wood

Student Success Manager, Royal College of Art

Alex is the Student Success Manager at the Royal College of Art (RCA), where she leads a team dedicated to the applicant and student journey. Her team provides essential first-line advice and guidance for applicants and students, and triages to specialist support teams. 

Recently, Alex was a key lead on a strategic institutional project enhancing enquiry management using the College’s CSM system, ServiceNow, to create a more responsive, student-centered experience, with improved data capture. Alex also oversees the Student Centre which is the RCA’s central support hub, and she co-manages graduation celebrations. She is a member of the Prevention of Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Working Group, and has rolled out training on this subject to RCA students and staff following the OfS E6 condition. Alex is passionate about putting students first, providing holistic support throughout their time at the RCA to ensure they feel a true sense of pride and belonging within the student body. 

: alexandra-wood-88bb57174