Mental Health Services - Government Events

Youth Culture vs. Gang Anthems: Drill Music and its Role in Youth Representation

12 minute read

Mar 2026

David Kingsley, an Associate at Criminology Services Limited, recently took the stage at our National Tackling Gang Crime, Violence and Weapon Crime Conference 2026, where he delivered an insightful keynote on Drill music. “Today's session is not about music appreciation. It is not about defending violence. It's not about suggesting that music causes violence or crime. It's about understanding how drill music operates within certain environments, how it sometimes intersects with real world dynamics, and why it has become increasingly relevant to policing, safeguarding, and the courts.” - David Kingsley

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Behind the Statistics: Strangulation and the Reality of Violence Against Women

8 minute read

Feb 2026

Last year, violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the UK was declared a national emergency by the police. This violence is everything from domestic abuse, harassment and sexual assaults. It is estimated that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse, and 1 in 3 women will suffer sexual assault in their lifetime. These statistics show the depth of this issue, and how important it is that changes are made to education, support and justice systems to ensure victims are protected. In 2022, new government legislation turned strangulation and suffocation from being included in charges like assault or bodily harm into stand-alone offences which can be punished accordingly. It highlighted the growing realisation that strangulation is a deep enough issue that it warrants recognition as a violent act.

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Ending Youth Homelessness: The Role of Schools and Local Councils

6 minute read

Feb 2026

Last year, around 118,000 young people presented themselves to their local authority in need of housing support. This is a worrying statistic. Yet it is one that with proactive steps, can be greatly reduced. It was one of the big topics at the recent National Homelessness Event 2026, which brought together industry experts and passionate speakers to explore how we can support the homeless and reduce the rate of people entering homelessness in the UK. It was a powerfully moving day, where great conversation, networking and learning took place. One of the stand out sessions was Stephen Elder’s case study, ‘Preventing Youth Homelessness Before It Happens – Working in Schools to Identify and Support Children at Risk’.

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Supporting Disadvantaged Students: ‘IntoUniversity’ and the Challenges of getting into Higher Education

8 minute read

Aug 2025

How can we truly level the playing field for disadvantaged students? At our Supporting Disadvantaged Students in Higher Education Conference, Dr Emily Magrath from IntoUniversity shared powerful stories and practical solutions for breaking cycles of disadvantage. From early intervention to local collaboration, her insights reveal what’s working, where challenges remain, and how universities, charities and […]

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Tackling Extremism and Creating Connections: The Groundswell Project’s Three-Tier Approach

7 minute read

Aug 2025

The UK saw a 41% rise in terrorism-related arrests in the UK from 2023-2024. This sparks the need for prevention and change. The Preventing and Tackling Extremism in the UK Conference looks at this in detail.

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Interview Series: Meet the Chair, Michael Sanders

3 minute read

Jul 2025

We recently held the Local Government Technology Conference, in Westminster, London. It was an exciting day of learning, networking and interesting conversation. As most of our conferences are online, when we do get to meet people face-to-face, and host speakers in a physical space, it is a wonderful feeling. Seeing all of the conversations, the […]

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Mind in Motion: How Movement Transforms Mental Health at Work

6 minute read

Jun 2025

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, conversations around mental health are no longer a luxury, they’re a necessity. At the forefront of this movement is Matt Balfour, a wellbeing content creator, public speaker, Samaritan volunteer, and the founder of Let’s Go Wellbeing. His mission is simple yet profound: to help organisations build healthier, more engaged workforces […]

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Videos

Suicide Prevention Strategy for England: The Latest Government Guidance

5 minute read

Sep 2024

Verity Mallion, the Suicide Prevention Lead at the Department of Health and Social Care, delivered an insightful keynote at our National Suicide Prevention Conference 2024 on the latest government guidance and updates aimed at reducing suicide rates and improving support for vulnerable individuals.

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Videos

Tackling Mental Health Inequalities: Ensuring Accessibility for All Communities

1 minute read

Jul 2023

Every 1 in 4 people in the UK have mental health difficulty. In this video, the Centre for Mental Health discuss inequalities that increase risk of poor mental and how these inequalities prevent people from accessing services to get the help they need.

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Videos

Government Guidance and Updates on Tackling Substance and Drugs Misuse

29 minute watch

Jul 2023

In 2021, there were 4,859 deaths reported deaths related to drug poisoning. In this video, the Home Office Joint Combatting Drugs Unit share the latest guidance for tackling drug and substance misuse, highlighting how authorities can learn from high performing areas to reduce drug rates.

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Government Updates

Government Update: The Essex Mental Health Inquiry

3 minute read

Jul 2023

Many people will experience mental health problems in their lives. This government update looks at some of the long-term government aims to improve mental health services and the recent Essex mental heath statutory inquiry.

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Videos

Working in Partnership to Provide Wrap-Around Support to People Affected by Eating Disorders

1 minute read

Jul 2023

It is estimated that 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder. In this video Paula Blight, Chief Executive of Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorder Association, discusses developing joined up pathways between services to intervene early and help individuals recover from their eating disorder.

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