Our annual Youth in Mind Berkshire events are designed to educate and upskill anyone working with children and young people across Berkshire. They highlight what’s on offer locally to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Youth in Mind Berkshire takes the form of in-person conferences or webinars, with young people at the heart of the planning and playing an active part in the events. The young people are part of our Children and Young People’s Forum, which involves students from Berkshire West secondary schools.
With experts in their fields and a wide range of organisations contributing, Youth in Mind Berkshire events are great professional development opportunities.
Youth in Mind Berkshire Webinars 2025
To find out more about Youth in Mind Berkshire events email youthinmind@mindinberkshire.org.uk
Photo credit: Billi Nascimento
Youth in Mind Berkshire Webinars 2025
Empower yourself to better support children and young people.
These free, live mental health webinars are for professionals, parents and carers. You’ll gain practical tools, expert insights, and the confidence to make a real difference to the young people in your care.
Invisible Children
Supporting children and families with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
Tuesday 1 July from 4pm to 5pm
This webinar will provide practical guidance for professionals and families supporting children experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), and how this is related to other factors (e.g. neurodiversity).
It will cover early identification, trauma-informed approaches, and reintegration strategies, with a focus on collaboration between schools, families, and services.
The webinar will be delivered by Claire Thomas (Senior Educational Psychologist and Strategic Lead for the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in Reading),Sharon Priest (a highly experienced social worker, currently a SEND Consultant working in the RISE Team in Brighter Futures for Children) and Dr Alec de Sausmarez (Senior Educational Psychologist and Service Lead for the Reading Inclusion Support in Education (RISE) in Brighter Futures for Children).
The Internet and Young People
Understanding young people’s lived experiences and how their online interactions affect them
Thursday 3 July from 4pm to 5pm
In this webinar, Alistair Barfield, a highly engaging and knowledgeable speaker, will talk about
- How the digital world represents a safe space for many neurodivergent young people.
- Content creators and influencers – notable examples and a general overview of young people’s relationships with content.
- Practical tips and guidance on creating positive environments with young people regarding their digital interactions.
- How young people can be exploited online through harmful behaviours.
- Understanding young peoples lived experiences and how their online interactions affect them.
Ali is an autistic/ADHD man who is passionate about neurodiversity and radicalism. He is founder of Deflect + Protect, a Community Interest Company focused on keeping young people safe online. Ali recently gave evidence to The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee on how to improve media literacy among children and protect them from online harms.