Speaker Group: Conference 2026

Shalitha Seneviratne (Shali) is a Master of Nursing Research student at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, and a Registered Nurse based in Melbourne with a postgraduate qualification in mental health. His current research explores the impact of ward design on falls in acute older adult mental health inpatient settings, with a focus on Australia’s

Michelle qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2011 in South Africa. She joined Cygnet Harrow in June 2022 to lead the Occupational Therapy department, having worked as an occupational therapist in vocational rehabilitation, SEN schools, and acute mental health care. She also gained experience in outdoor-based/ experiential learning with children, adolescents, and adults. Michelle is

Josh Jones is Regional Lead Occupational Therapist at Cygnet, where he combines clinical expertise with a passion for transforming environments to support recovery. With a background in complex mental health practice, brain injury and pediatrics, Josh is particularly interested in how sensory-inclusive design, biophilic elements, and meaningful use of space can enhance therapeutic engagement. He

I am the lived experience co-lead of the NIHR Soteria research project. I work for several organisations using my lived experience of having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. These include national Mind and Health Education England. My passion is to see accessible, compassionate non coercive coproduced services freely available for people who experience what is

Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan is the National Clinical Director for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Chair of the Clinical Reference Group (NHS England) and has been involved in a number of regional and national transformation programmes. She is also a Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry working in a large mental health and learning