Alberta Ossoulo, Child Death Review Family Liaison Coordinator, Child Bereavement UK
Over 10 years supporting families to access support services for themselves, children and wider family with SEND and bereavement needs (She also has lived experience in both these areas). Experience in collaborating, co-producing and networking with organisations to advocate for service user-based goals. Worked/works mainly in the charity sector – Royal Society of Mencap and Child Bereavement UK, and Public Sector – NHS. Her current role as Family Liaison Co-ordinator is to support bereaved families living in the East London broughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest through the child death review process. It also involves signposting them to national and local bereavement related support services and charities.
Kerry Khosa, Head of Place Based Outreach, Child Bereavement UK
Kerry has over 10years experience working as a CYP counsellor, clinical supervisor and trainer across multiple settings, including Hospice settings, schools and the charity sector. Her role at Child Bereavement UK is Head of Place Based Outreach which focuses on working with communities to raise awareness of the bereavement support available and providing psychoeducation around bereavement and it’s impact on children, young people and families.
Karen Luyt, Programme Lead, National Child Mortality Database, and Professor of Neonatal Medicine, University of Bristol
Nasim Khan, Registered Genetic Counsellor
Naz Khan is a Registered Genetic Counsellor, Registered Nurse and Health Visitor with over 30 years of experience in genetics, public health and community healthcare. She is a recognised leader in genomic medicine and has dedicated much of her career to improving equity of access to genetic services for underserved and ethnically diverse communities.
Since 2005, Naz has led pioneering work supporting consanguineous families, helping to develop culturally competent approaches to genetic counselling and service delivery. Her work has focused on reducing health inequalities, improving genetic literacy and ensuring that genomic services are accessible, equitable and responsive to the needs of diverse populations.
Alongside her extensive clinical experience, Naz has led the development of innovative service models, multidisciplinary care pathways and community outreach programmes designed to improve access to genomic healthcare. She has developed and delivered education and training for a wide range of healthcare professionals, including midwives, doctors, genetic counsellors and allied health practitioners, supporting the integration of genomics into routine clinical practice.
Naz works closely with universities, public health teams, community organisations and patient groups to ensure that the voices of patients and families inform service development and research. She holds an Honorary Lectureship within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester and is involved in developing innovative digital approaches to support families accessing genetic counselling and genomic information.
Karen Low, Consultant Clinical Geneticist and NIHR Clinical Research Fellow
Dr. Karen Low is a consultant clinical geneticist based in Bristol with a special interest in genetic conditions associated with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and autism. Karen has led a national study in the UK of over 500 children with genetic neurodevelopmental conditions – GenROC. Through her clinical and research work, she has seen firsthand the challenges families face when limited information is available about their child’s genetic condition—particularly how knowledge gaps can affect clinical care. She is passionate about involving patients in research. Her PhD focuses on learning from parent-reported data in genetic neurodevelopmental conditions.
Karen has also conducted research on several rare syndromes, including PUF60-related syndrome and HUWE1-related syndrome, and has particular expertise in KBG syndrome. She serves on the scientific advisory board of the KBG Association, is deputy chair for the KBG international consensus guideline and organized a UK KBG Family Day in partnership with Unique and has authored four patient information leaflets for families.
Serena Haywood, Consultant Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician
Dr Serena Haywood is a Consultant Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician at St Georges in London. She has been a Medical Examiner since 2020. She is also a Team Leader for performance assessments for the GMC and a Doctor Supporter for BMA Wellbeing. She is putting together a PhD proposal for 2028 on the interface between the child death review process and the medical examiner system.
Sarah Hodkinson, Head of Bereavement Service, Shooting Star Children’s Hospice
Sarah is an Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, music therapist and EMDR therapist, and head of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices’ Specialist Bereavement Service. She leads a team of 45 staff supporting families following anticipated and unexpected child deaths.
Dr David Wright, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton
Dr David Wright is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, with a particular interest in health inequalities. Principal researcher on the QUINTET study, he interviews families and professionals about their experiences and needs following sudden and unexpected child deaths.
Vicky Sleap, Deputy Director, National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)
Claire Thomas, National Clinical lead, NHS Wales
National Clinical Lead for Child Health in Wales, Paediatric Lead for the Child Death Review Programme in Wales, and Designated Doctor for Safeguarding Children. With a commitment to driving system-wide transformation across the NHS through an equitable, children’s rights-based approach. She is particularly passionate about ensuring that the investigation and review of child deaths identifies modifiable factors and translates learning into coordinated, population-level public health action to prevent avoidable deaths and improve outcomes for babies, children and young people.
Ian Fitzgerald, Senior Investigating Officer, Staffordshire Police
DCI Ian Fitzgerald has 29 years’ service with Staffordshire Police, building extensive experience across CID, professional standards and major crime investigations. A PIP 3 Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), he has led more than 25 homicide and complex investigations, working alongside forensic specialists, pathologists and the Crown Prosecution Service to bring offenders to justice and support bereaved families.
Ian has standardised and lead’s the force’s approach to sudden and unexplained deaths, in particular deaths in domestic settings where coercive and controlling behaviour is prevalent, including falls from height and delivers specialist training to officers.
DS Sonia Milligan, Staffordshire Police
Dr Laura Neilson, Founder, Shared Health Foundation
Isabel Kaner, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Shared Health Foundation
Isabel leads on national political influencing at Shared Health, working with politicians across all parties and Government representatives to change policy and improve outcomes for vulnerable families and children.
