Professionals from across Edinburgh and Lothians children’s services sector are being invited to gather this November to champion better collaboration and explore how to improve outcomes for young people facing adversity, as national children’s charity Kibble brings its annual conference back to Glasgow.
The event will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow on 3 November. It will provide a space for the nation’s professionals working across social care, education, health, justice and the wider children’s services sector to share insight, challenge current thinking and explore practical approaches to supporting young people.
This year’s conference will be chaired by Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, Nicola Killean, with keynote addresses from author Steven Russell, care-experienced lawyer Ryan McCuaig, Rob Holland, National Director (Scotland and Wales) and UK Strategic Lead for Volunteering at the National Autistic Society, and Dr Clare Allely, Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Salford.
Opening the keynote programme, London-based Steven Russell will draw on more than two decades of experience advocating for children and young people, alongside his own experience of growing up in care.
Steven, Director of The Dual Perspective and author of Drip by Drip, Day by Day: Finding Purpose Through the Pain, will explore the importance of relationships, connection and belonging in helping young people navigate adversity.
His keynote will examine how everyday interactions can have a lasting impact on a young person’s life, and how professionals can create the conditions for trust, safety and positive change.
Ryan McCuaig will bring his own lived experience to the conference, sharing his journey from Easterhouse in Glasgow to a successful legal career after overcoming personal, financial and social challenges. A former Chair of Who Cares? Scotland, Ryan is a dual qualified construction lawyer, social mobility speaker, and university lecturer and tutor with a particular interest in social mobility and improving access and retention of working-class talent in the professions.
Ryan left school without any Highers before going on to graduate with a first-class law degree, qualifying as a solicitor in Scotland, England and Wales. His keynote will explore the importance of resilience and opportunity, while challenging perceptions of what is possible for those who experience adversity early in life.
Rob Holland, National Director (Scotland and Wales) and UK Strategic Lead for Volunteering for the National Autistic Society, will join the speakers to bring a national perspective on autism, drawing on his experience leading the charity’s influencing work to improve support and inclusion across Scotland.
He will explore the changing public discourse, attitudes and the challenges of misinformation, as well as the need for greater collaboration between organisations and professionals to ensure autistic children and young people receive the right support.
His contribution will also build on Kibble’s own work in this area, following its achievement of National Autistic Society accreditation. The accreditation recognised Kibble’s commitment to embedding exemplary autism practice across its services and supporting staff to better understand and respond to the needs of autistic children and young people.
Professor Clare Allely will bring specialist expertise from the child and youth justice sector, exploring the experiences of young people who come into contact with justice systems and the importance of taking a trauma-informed, developmental and collaborative approach to supporting them.
Her keynote will consider how professionals across social care, education, health and justice can work together to better understand the circumstances and needs of young people, helping to ensure that adversity, vulnerability or harmful behaviour does not define their future.
Mark Macmillan, Chief Executive at Kibble, said: “Our annual conference is about bringing the wider sector together to share learning, challenge existing thinking and consider what more we can do collectively for children and young people facing adversity.
“We are particularly pleased to welcome Nicola back for a third year, while also extending a grateful thanks to our keynote speakers, all of whom provide different and valuable perspectives.
“By bringing together people from across care, education, health, justice and other specialist services, we can move beyond working in silos and focus on what really matters – improving outcomes and creating better futures for young people.”
Alongside the keynote sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in a programme of workshops and discussions designed to explore the conference theme, Mental Health in Mind, in more practical detail.
Bringing together professionals from across children’s services, the sessions will provide opportunities to share learning, examine different approaches and consider how greater collaboration between specialisms can translate into better support and outcomes for young people.
Nicola Killean, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland and Chair of the Kibble Annual Conference, said: “Children and young people who experience adversity are often supported by multiple services and systems throughout their lives. That’s why individual organisations and specialist services must look beyond themselves and work together more effectively for children.
“This conference provides an important opportunity to listen, learn and challenge, while keeping children’s rights, experiences and voices at the heart of the conversation.
“I look forward to welcoming colleagues from across Scotland and beyond for a day of discussion, reflection and practical ideas that can help drive meaningful change for children and young people.”
Kibble Annual Conference 2026 will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow, on 3 November 2026.
Tickets and further information are available via the Kibble Annual Conference – Kibble: Specialist services & support for young people facing adversity
