Teen Works 2005: Young People and the Internet

Date: Tuesday the 15th of November 2005  - Venue: Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

8.50 am: Coffee and Registration - 9.20 am: Main Program - 4.30 pm: Programme End

Conference Speakers

Josh Dhaliwal - mobileYouth - www.mobileyouth.co.uk

Josh co-founded mobileYouth having spent several years spent in broadcast television and new media.

His interest in wireless media stems from working at news broadcaster ITN where he worked with UK network operator Orange on the development and strategy for launch of their online and mobile internet portals as well as Europe’s first mobile news service. This was followed by a period exploring the potential of live video streaming on mobile networks and devices working with broadcasters’ and several global network operators.

Josh is an occasional speaker and commentator on the subject of young people and mobile phones an area in which he has chaired several industry conferences as well as being a spokesperson for the media. His media credits include appearances on CNN, Sky News, BBC Breakfast News, Tonight with Trevor McDonald and BBC Radio.

Angus Cormie - The Digital Business - www.thedigitalbusiness.com

Angus Cormie runs The Digital Business – a consultancy business that specialises in the Digital Media space, including where the world of fixed internet and mobile come together, corporate and social responsibility planning in the mobile space, and various digital content and e-business topics.

After seven years in Philips, Angus joined O2 in 1994 and has had extensive experience in developing both corporate and consumer mobile services. Before leaving O2 in 2005, he had responsibility for the O2 web presence, as well as the overall online e-business strategies for the company. In addition, Angus has had a significant involvement in the definition and implementation of many new and future digital content services, and has been actively involved in helping define O2’s “content standards” policies in this space. This has included participating in the group activities that initially developed the cross-network self-regulatory Code of Conduct, published in 2004, designed to establish greater protection for the vulnerable in the mobile sector.

Rhian Davies - Assistant Children's Commissioner for Wales - Policy and Service Evaluation

Born in 1957, Rhian Davies grew up and was educated in Port Talbot, South Wales. After graduating from Cardiff College of Higher Education in 1979, qualified to teach drama, she embarked on what was to become a twenty two year career in local authority social work, albeit, the original intention had been to gain a broader life experience before returning to a teaching career. She gained a professional social work qualification, six years later. Her social work experience has been honed across a variety of settings including a Working Boy’s Hostel, a CH (E), Remand Centre, Child and Family Social Work, Child Protection Training Officer, Policy Development and Planning, and latterly Head of Children’s Operational Services. In consultation with Helen Kenward, she designed and implemented the first accredited post qualification training programme for the joint investigation of child abuse, which assessed video interview techniques for the gathering of evidence from child witnesses. She took up post as Assistant Commissioner for Wales with responsibility for policy and service evaluation on March 4th 2002.

Elizabeth Williams - Head of Youth and Pupil Participation Division, Welsh Assembly Government

Elizabeth Williams has been Head of the Welsh Assembly Government's Youth Policy Team since October 2001, which became the Youth and Pupil Participation Division (YAPP) in November 2003. The division is
responsible for implementing Extending Entitlement: supporting young people in Wales (2000) which sets out the Assembly's cross-cutting agenda for 11-25 year olds. Young People's Partnerships in each local authority area bring all relevant partners together to develop a network of support, services and opportunities for young people to meet their entitlements.

Youth and Pupil Participation takes the lead role in the Assembly's developments for transforming 14-19 provision set out in Learning Country: Learning Pathways 14-19 (Nov 2002) and the resulting Action Plan (April 2003). The division also has responsibility for pupil engagement including attendance, exclusions, discipline, bullying, PSE including sex and relationships, substance misuse and health education, looked after children and education other than at school.

Previously, Liz worked as a teacher, head teacher and primary adviser in Gwent, before becoming Assistant Director for Education for Blaenau Gwent in 1995. As Assistant Director she had responsibility for curriculum, standards and performance in schools, adult and community education, the youth service, education welfare service and educational psychology service.

Richard Wenner - The Internet Project

Richard Wenner is a Charted Engineer by training and has experienced both sides of work on the Internet from the early days, first as the MD of his own hardware design company and latterly writing software for use in schools
and colleges. His work has always involved 'state of the art' design using novel ideas to solve engineering problems. He has received several DTI SMART awards for Design and Technology and has been involved in a number of educational projects working with optical fibres for the European Union. Two areas of current interest involve making technology easier to understand and the creative use of media in education.
 

Jonathan Green - Services manager ChildLine Cymru

Jonathan Green is the services manager for ChildLine Cymru/Wales in Swansea, where he has worked for the last 13 years. A fine art graduate, he then trained as a psychotherapist; and worked in the field of complementary medicine prior to joining ChildLine as part of the team establishing it in Wales. He was attracted to ChildLine because of its ethical child-centered service and the fact that it is free and available to any child.

In his current role he is responsible for the effective delivery of ChildLine's service in Wales, which involves recruiting training and supporting a large team of volunteer counsellors, and dealing with the wide range of difficulties which young people present to ChildLine. He has a special interest in all aspects of children & young people's mental health, and also in the effective support and supervision of those working with traumatised young people. He is a father of three.

Tamara Littleton - CEO of eModeration Limited - www.emoderation.com

Tamara Littleton is the CEO of eModeration Limited. Founded in 2002, eModeration
was set up to provide twenty-four hour community management and moderation to clients in the TV, entertainment and digital publishing industry and blue chip clients hosting online communities.

Tamara has an established background in editorial quality control, fault escalation and process management gained from previous work as Product Delivery Director for Chello Broadband, Online Operations Manager for BBC Online and a history in consultancy and publishing.

She is a member of the Home Office Sub Committee advising the UK Government on moderation of communities to help safeguard children. She is also vice-chair of e-mint, the online community for community professionals (http://www.e-mint.org.uk). Tamara is well respected in her arena having been involved in the internet since 1994 and part of the original team that started many of the early BBC communities online.

Ruth Hammond - BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency)

Ruth is a graduate teacher of 20 years standing with experience of the primary, secondary and FE sectors. Since joining Becta in 2002 her work has involved collaborating with national agencies, government departments and subject associations on the dissemination of effective practice using ICT to schools and practitioners. Ruth has responsibility for Becta’s advice and guidance relating to Internet Safety issues, and represents Becta on the Home Secretary’s Internet Task Force on Child Protection.






Bill Westhead - Cyberspace Research Unit, University of Central Lancashire
 

Bill joined the Cyberspace Research Unit in May of 2005. He has extensive industry experience relating to Internet developments and applications and previously worked for a new media design agency. In addition to commercial work Bill is also a volunteer with Lancashire Constabulary and has a personal interest in Internet security, research and crime prevention; specifically identity theft, hacking, viruses and botnets.

Bill is responsible for the development of the Internet Safety portal, liaison with industry, law enforcement and government and writing of safety content and guidance.

Mary Louise Morris - Childnet International - www.childnet-int.com
 

Mary Louise Morris is an experienced trainer and presenter who has been working with electronic media since 1996. After gaining a Masters degree in Interactive Media Design, she worked for seven years in a variety of sectors helping to design and manage interactive projects, from CD ROMs to large scale corporate internet projects. Prior to coming to Childnet she worked as an ICT teacher in primary schools and summer camps for children aged 5 years to 16. At Childnet she heads up the awareness and education projects, and runs the train the trainer programme. She trains professionals in both the public and private sector in Childnet materials, and advises them on the best way to communicate internet safety messages to different audiences.




Robert A. Cullen. - Trafod - www.trafod.com 

Robert Cullen is the founder of Trafod Sexual Abuse and Trauma Treatment Centre. Trafod provides a child protection consultancy with specialist areas of focus in respect of risk assessments where adults are viewed to be potentially harmful. Specialist assessments are also provided in cases where children are involved in sexual behavioural problems. Trafod also provides specialised intervention on a wide spectrum of trauma including sexual abuse. Rob Cullen has been trained in the use of EMDR, a specialised treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Rob Cullen is known throughout the UK for his involvement with the National Organisation for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers with whom he was National Secretary. Rob Cullen was a member of the co-ordinating group of Stop it Now! UK and Ireland.

Robert Cullen is also a former Probation Officer, serving firstly with Mid Glamorgan Probation Service and more recently, the National Probation Service South Wales for nineteen years. Rob Cullen’s work as a Probation Officer is highly respected by Magistrates, District Judges and presiding Crown Court Judges.

Kate Watson, Bristol City Council

Kate has worked as a Consultation and E-Participation Officer at Bristol City Council since graduating with a first class honours degree in Politics & Social Policy in June. As part of her degree Kate carried out a final year research project into the scope for extending e-democracy initiatives for young people in Bristol, for which she was awarded a first-class mark of 80%. Since beginning employment at the City Council Kate has continued to work on initiatives to engage young people, and now plans to further her research into young people and e-democracy at a post-graduate level.

Courtney Taylor, Acting Assistant Chief Executive, Wales Youth Agency www.wya.org.uk

Courtney is the acting assistant chief executive of the Wales Youth Agency. In his current role, he is proud of his involvement with the Staff College which was set up specifically for the training of youth workers. This has involved taking responsibility for the delivery of a wide range of courses for youth workers and the production of training resources including a CD Rom and e-learning. This work has led the way in good practice issues, highlighting quality standards for trainers, training venues and training resources, as well as producing coherence of training delivery, which would map training delivered by different organisations. The work involves close links with the Welsh Assembly Government as well as working with other similar organisations within the UK.

Courtney is a also a qualified teacher and youth worker and has extensive experience of delivering learning and working with people, gained through his teaching experience, managing youth and community centres and projects, lecturing, training and providing support for youth workers. His training has involved strategic development of courses, and writing and delivering programmes at both Further and Higher Education levels. As a lecturer, he has written modules for NEWI, UWCN and UWIC and delivered modules in Sociology, Social Psychology, and Multi-cultural Studies. He has also, more recently, been an active participant in developments of Youth and Community courses within Trinity College, Carmarthen and the Open University, Milton Keynes.
 

Sangeet Bhullar, Executive Director, WISE KIDS www.wisekids.org.uk

Sangeet Bhullar is the executive director and founder of WISE KIDS, a Wales based non-profit organisation committed to promoting Positive and Safe Internet use, established in October 2002. In this capacity, she works with various organisations throughout Wales and elsewhere, and provides consultancy services and customised training programmes for youth organisations, community groups, librarians, teachers, parents, young people, and businesses in this area. These training programmes promote greater understanding and awareness of the Internet and the content, new technologies and services that it offers, and using these proficiently. WISE KIDS training programmes also provide awareness of and strategies to handle Internet safety and literacy issues from grooming in chat rooms and cyber bullying, to inaccurate information online, spyware, spam and scams like phishing.

Prior to June 2002, Sangeet lived and worked for nearly 10 years in Singapore, where she ran an ICT consultancy. In Singapore she was also an active member of and trainer with PAGi (Parent's Advisory Group for the Internet), a government-backed, non-profit making organisation to promote safe Internet use. In that capacity, she conducted numerous Online Safety Workshops for parents and educators. For more background and awards information, please see the WISE KIDS website: http://www.wisekids.org.uk