Introduction to MindWorks
What is MindWorks?
MindWorks is a new programme that aims to give young people the tools to help manage emotions and behaviours, with the support of caregivers and teachers.
About the trial
MindWorks is being tested as part of a research trial, to find out if our new MindWorks programme can offer better support to young people than the existing support provided in schools alone.
Who delivers MindWorks?
MindWorks is designed by Anna Freud, a charity that specialises in supporting young people and families.
The programme itself will be delivered by trained wellbeing practitioners, recruited by Anna Freud.
An organisation called the The Lab, which is part of the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), will be evaluating the impact of MindWorks.
This trial is funded by the Youth Endowment Fund.
Interested in participating?
We are looking to recruit schools to participate in our trial. To learn more about what this would involve, click the link below.
Meet the team
Professor Eamon McCrory
Chief Executive
Eamon is the Strategic Proramme Co-Director for the MindWorks project. In this role, he provides strategic oversight, quality assurance and senior leadership across the programme, working closely with the delivery team and evaluation partners. Eamon is CEO of Anna Freud and Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology at UCL.
Dr Lesley French
Director of Schools
Lesley is leading the implementation and rollout of the MindWorks intervention amongst schools. In her leadership role at Anna Freud, Lesley oversees community mental health teams for families, online therapy, trauma services, and school training programs. She supports this project with 25 years of experience as a clinical psychologist in youth mental health.
Dr Laura Talbot
Training Development Lead
Laura is the Training Development Lead for MindWorks. She is responsible for creating the practice model and training staff. Laura will also provide ongoing supervision to help the project teams adapt to emerging needs. She brings extensive experience in community youth outreach and school inclusion services.
Harriet Phillips
Project Manager
Harriet is the Project Manager on the MindWorks Project. She is responsible for executing project delivery in collaboration with schools, as well as the clinical delivery and evaluation teams. Harriet has nearly a decade of research experience working with both mainstream and alternative provision schools, to help improve wellbeing outcomes for young people.
Laura Lucas
Schools Relationship Manager
Laura is the Schools Relationship Manager for the MindWorks Project. Her primary role is to facilitate collaboration across the research and clinical delivery teams, whilst working closely with MindWorks schools to coordinate project delivery. She has extensive experience of working with schools in a research capacity to enhance learning and wellbeing outcomes for young people.
Irene Brown-Martin
Race and Equity Consultant
Irene is the Race and Equity Consultant for the project, working to ensure the intervention is inclusive, fair, and supportive for all children and families. She brings extensive experience in culturally responsive care and also serves as the Head of Service for a community youth mental health program.
Tom McBride
Director, The Lab
As Project Director, Tom will oversee the evaluation of MindWorks. Tom leads The Lab, a new initiative dedicated to large-scale impact evaluations of interventions to support vulnerable children. He has over 15 years of experience in research and evaluation roles.
Dr Clare Tanton
Senior Evaluation Manger, The Lab
Clare is leading on the evaluation of MindWorks. She has extensive experience working on the development and evaluation of school-based interventions to reduce violence.
Dr Emily Gray
Advisor, The Lab
Emily is working on the evaluation of MindWorks. In her role she works on a range of research and evaluation projects, particuarly focused on interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Prior to joining The Lab, Emily was a Clinical Psychologist for the NHS.