Speaker
Clare Stafford
CEO of the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
Biography
Clare Stafford is the CEO of the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust which was set up in 1997 in memory of Charlie Waller, a young man who took his own life whilst suffering from depression. CWMT raises awareness of depression and other mental health problems, fights stigma, provides education and training to schools, universities, workplaces, GPs and nurses, and encourages those who may be depressed to seek help.
Clare has over 25 years’ experience of managing and developing NHS mental health services including psychological therapies and specialist services. She was seconded to the Department of Health in 2008 as a Senior Policy Advisor for the National Personality Disorder Programme, developing evidence-based national policy guidance.
Clare has overseen a significant expansion of the Trusts’ work since 2014, especially in the support and training provided to schools, further education colleges and universities using a ‘whole institution’ approach. She is also Chair of the governing body of Cranbury College in Reading, an alternative provision setting for children and young people who have difficulty in mainstream schools.