Institute For Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) Survivor Liaison & Research Worker

Marianne is a certified domestic violence practitioner. She has volunteered and worked in the sector in frontline services since 2016. Her academic background lies in Psychology & Criminology.

In 2020, she completed obtained a Master of Science degree in Psychology with accreditation from the British Psychological Society.

SafeLives NFS Programme Lead Trainer

Before becoming a trainer, Sophie worked as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (Idva) as well as an Advocacy Service Manager for many years, predominantly in London. She has also worked as an IRIS Advocate, training GPs and healthcare professionals in domestic abuse.

More recently Sophie worked with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid as their Labyrinth Project Lead, where she supported small voluntary-sector organisations to form networks, and provided domestic abuse awareness sessions.

Sophie is passionate about supporting survivors of domestic abuse and ensuring their voices are always at the heart of her work.

Domestic Abuse Practice Development Manager (Cafcass)

Paul has worked in the public and voluntary sector for over 20 years. She joined SafeLives in 2008 as a Trainer and assessor for Idva and Marac. She was a Marac Quality Assurance Assessor before becoming the Marac Manager for the Marac Development Programme.

For five years Paul has been the lead for SafeLives’ Beacon Sites, piloting and implementing Whole Family Integrated Services. Paul has experience of working within the Criminal and Family justice systems.

Prior to working for SafeLives, Paul was an Idva based in a hospital (primarily covering A&E and Maternity departments) and has frontline knowledge and experience of supporting domestic abuse victims and working with multi agency partners.

Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) expert

Lisa has worked in the domestic and sexual violence sector for more than a decade, holding CEO, volunteer coordinator and trainer roles.

As a survivor of both domestic and sexual violence she now works with organisations to embed lived experience, with a particular focus on wellbeing and working ethically. She works across the charitable sector, government, and education and also leads several lived-experience advisory groups.

Lisa is also the trustee of a rape crisis centre, a keen Parkrunner, and has two dogs who love to make an appearance when presenting!

Domestic Abuse Practice Development Manager (Cafcass) & Head of Innovation (SafeLives)

Michelle has worked at SafeLives for almost 20 years, coming from domestic abuse coordinator roles in Wigan and Victim Support, for which she was involved with the initial local implementation of Marac and Idva, as part of the risk-led response to domestic abuse.

Michelle joined SafeLives just as the DASH risk checklist was being finalised and piloted with partners; she has trained and assessed Marac and Idvas, and, as Head of Innovation, created SafeLives Authentic Voice Model, working with Pioneers and Changemakers and their lived expertise to highly influence all we do.

This authentic voice led to four years of developing transparent and trusting relationships with Cafcass, and to Michelle being seconded to the organisation for two years to help improve their response to families, as part of their domestic abuse improvement programme.

Head of Policy and Public Affairs, at SafeLives

Joanna heads up the SafeLives Public Affairs, Policy and Influencing team, using her knowledge and expertise to influence local and national policy, in order to transform the lives of families affected by abuse

Joanna’s presentation will look at recent and upcoming legislative developments impacting frontline practice.

There will be time in the session to reflect and share experiences of delivering new policies focused on supporting victims of domestic abuse.

Graphic Artist and Facilitator

Federica will be digitally illustrating insights from the conference in real-time.

Federica is an artist and facilitator who uses visual storytelling to challenge linear thinking and foster shared understanding.

Her work explores social justice, health inequalities, the impact of digital technologies, and collaboration with diverse communities – including LGBTQ+ groups, migrants, inmates, and survivors of abuse.

She integrates computational arts into her practice, recently supported by a DYCP grant from Arts Council England, and is studying for an MA in Computational Arts at Goldsmiths University of London.

SafeLives Practice Team Manager

Dan has worked in the social care sector for 20+ years.

He is the Lead for SafeLives’ Beacon Sites, which involves implementing Whole Family Integrated Services into local authorities as well as advising on strategy and local domestic abuse responses and supporting areas to develop their governance and authentic voice offers.  

Prior to working for SafeLives, Dan managed young people’s domestic abuse services, family intervention projects and has been the CEO of a local charity working with vulnerable families. 

Innovation Lead, Pioneer, Advocate, Leader, Victim, Survivor and a progressive worker towards thriving!

Dawn is a dedicated advocate for survivors of domestic abuse, a leader in safeguarding, and a fierce champion for equality and social justice. With both personal and professional experience shaping her approach, Dawn has spent her life ensuring that the voices of those often unheard—women, children, and silenced communities—are placed at the centre of change.

Dawn is an internal Pioneer and Innovation Lead at SafeLives, using her lived experience of growing up in an abusive household and experiencing the long-term impacts of domestic violence as a child before later facing abuse in her own relationships.

Her lived experience fuels her passion for creating specialist, survivor-led services that truly meet the needs of Black and Brown women and girls. As Co-Founder and Director of Bambuuu, a ‘by and for’ domestic abuse service, Dawn is dedicated to ensuring culturally responsive, trauma-informed support is available for women and girls experiencing or recovering from abuse.

Professionally, Dawn has spent over two decades working in safeguarding, advocacy, and systems change. She worked on the frontline as a social worker in a child protection team and an Idva manager where she led Marac, Integrated Offender Management, and Court Idva teams.

Domestic Abuse Strategic Lead

Shana is the founder of St Helens the Best Me CIC, a by-and-for grassroots organisation, led and run by volunteers in the community with lived experience of adverse childhood experience and domestic abuse, filling in the gaps that are normally left behind, breaking the cycle of domestic abuse and supporting people with unresolved trauma in holistic ways. 

Shana is also a local government officer and domestic abuse trainer with 25 years of lived experience of domestic abuse, ‘honour’-based abuse, and forced marriage.

Shana uses her lived experience in research and policy development to help change systems, and supports organisations to become more inclusive and diverse for marginalised communities and neurodiverse people.

Shana is a part of various other organisations – local, national and international.