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Pernille Randrup-Thomsen is the Director of the Staircase to Staircase programme, where a team of 10 professionals works with vulnerable families, helping them change their lives so that all family members can thrive. Pernille has been working in the municipality of Aarhus for 35 years. She is an educated social worker and has been a leader in social services for the past 25 years.

Before moving on to the Staircase to Staircase programme, she was Head of Department for challenged unemployed youth in the Job Center in Aarhus. She has always had a heart for challenged young people, particularly during the period in their lives when they move on to become adults and must meet so many demands.

Since 2019, she has been Head of the Staircase to Staircase programme and has played a big role in developing various methods. She strongly believes in changing our approach to welfare to a Relational Welfare approach and is deeply involved in developing the interprofessional method in the Staircase to Staircase programme.

She is a skilled speaker and is often requested to talk about the work in the Staircase to Staircase programme not only in Denmark but also abroad.

Mick Ward is a Senior Associate of Nurture Development where he delivers training and support for organisations on Asset Based Community Development. He is also a Trustee of PAFRAS (Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers based in Leeds), a Trustee of Polite Rebellion, a Leeds-based arts organisation, a board member of Marching Out Together, the Leeds United LGBTQ+ fan group, and a Shared Lives Carer. He retired in June 2020 as Chief Officer, Transformation, and Innovation, for the Adults and Health Directorate in Leeds City Council. His role focused on Asset Based Community Development, Digital Health, Arts and Well-Being, Service Transformation, Equality, and Innovation in Practice. He is from Leeds and worked in social care at Leeds City Council for 42 years, initially as a Care Assistant. He then developed and managed a range of services for persons with disabilities and then moved into commissioning for Adult Social Care, Public Health, Housing Support, and the NHS. This developed into an expanded joint role as Deputy Director across the Local Authority and NHS in Leeds. Mick has a strong commitment to the social model of disability, citizenship, communities, innovation, culture, equality & diversity, and working in partnership.

Jane Dudman is a freelance journalist, event chair & consultant. She is the former public leadership editor of the Guardian, where she worked for 14 years until December 2020. Jane is a senior commentator on UK and global public services, with expertise in central and local government and social housing. She is an experienced chair of UK and global events.

Fred Fogg, the National Director of Community-Based Safety Initiatives for the Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP), has dedicated his career to making a positive impact on young people and their communities. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Fred joined YAP in 1996, drawn by the organisation’s mission and core principles. Having experienced the challenges of growing up in Newark, Fred understood the importance of providing opportunities for young people labelled as “High Risk.” He believed that if his peers had access to programmes like YAP, their life trajectories might have been vastly different. Throughout his tenure, Fred has worked tirelessly to support these promising youth, their families, and their communities.

His multifaceted role at YAP has included involvement in juvenile justice, violence intervention and prevention, gang intervention, child welfare, and behavioural health. Fred’s leadership has led to the establishment of over a dozen youth justice and child welfare programmes within the nonprofit. Beyond programme development, Fred has also focused on systemic change. He has championed juvenile justice reform, criminal justice reform, and community violence intervention. In his current position, Fred not only supports new local YAP violence interruption leaders but also collaborates with cities to implement innovative programmes tailored to their unique needs. His dedication continues to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people and their communities.

Christian Fillet was elected as Chair of the European Social Network (ESN) in 2015. Prior to that, he was ESN Treasurer for six years and Vice-Chair for the previous four years. He is the director of social and health services for the City of Bruges in Belgium and also a member of the board of the Flemish Directors Association (VVOS). Christian specialises in non-profit management, accounting, and social law.

Alfonso is CEO of the European Social Network, which brings together over 186 social services departments in public authorities in 33 countries. Alfonso oversees the Network’s management and strategic direction, leads the policy programme co-financed by the European Commission, the annual European Social Services Conference and European Social Services Awards. He has 15 years’ experience in public policy, has authored and co-authored several publications and is a regular contributor of articles to academic journals, newspapers, and specialist social services magazines. Before joining ESN, Alfonso worked in public policy programme evaluation and project management in the private sector.

He holds an MA in modern languages from the University of Granada, an MA in European Governance from the College of Europe, an MSc in Public Policy from University College London and a Masters in Executive Management of International Associations at Solvay Brussels School for Economics and Management. Alfonso advises public authorities in their social services reforms and teaches on social services innovation, reform, and organisation in master’s degree programmes at the Universities of Barcelona, The Basque Country and the School of Public Administration in Galicia, Spain.