Life Vital Academy

What an incredible event the inaugral Vital Skills Summit was yesterday. A room filled with engaged professionals. It was inspiring to hear conversations across sectors happening. It truly was Different Roles. Different Pressures. Shared Responsibilities.

Yesterday was not 'a conference' it was a summit. Built around four principles. Responsibility. Kindness. Learning. Community.

Thank you to everyone who attended, for taking a day out of your busy schedules and for making time for learning.

I do need to take this opportunity to say that this day would not have been what it was without:

Centre for Professional Development School of Education Durham University who incredibly guided the summit, helped develop the ideas and partnered with us on this journey. The knowledge and support that has been given has been incredible and has allowed the summit to push beyond the bar it originally set.

Prof. Carlene Firmin MBE - Thank you! Your approach, your knowledge, your ability to challenge every person in the room with three simple questions.
•What do young people impacted by these issues in Jersey need?
•Which contexts are influencing young people’s safety in Jersey?
•Who could be safeguarding young people? What is getting in the way?

Prof. Catherine Reading - Your support has been amazing. Your knowledge and challenges on AI was eye opening in a world embracing this new technology, and learning how to grasp the safeguards needed moving forward. Your question "where responsibility sits when the output looks plausible, helpful and fast?" is going to stay with us and definitely influence policy around AI usage. Also your incredible facilitation throughout the day, Thank you!

Rebecca Sherrington - Thank you for your talk opening the door to what the Jersey Care Commission does, how it works and the reminder that the carrot is much better than the stick!

Dr Julie Luscombe/ People Like Me Coaching and Training Consultancy - a presentation that landed with everyone, your keynote on burnout was inspiring, honest, brutal and challenging. Thank you for talking about the 'hard thing' that society is scared about.

Geoff Benning - Thank you for bringing Kindess to the forefront and a reminder that "Kindness under pressure *is* what strength looks like".

The CPD Group for your incredible support and accrediting our event for 8 hours of CPD.

Nollaig Markham and Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Jersey for all your help with planning the venue and event management.

Yesterday was just the start. The Vital Skills Summit is not just a one off. The plan, to challenge the concepts that people are not always ready to challenge.

So here is a promise: The Vital Skills Summit will keep helping professionals across different sectors confront their pressures by leading in learning and communication.

Watch out for dates on our next Vital Skills Summit, coming this autumn. The topic... Mental Health

Different Roles. Different Experiences. Shared Responsibility.

We are proud to be delivering the Vital Skills Summit in association with Durham University.

Durham has just announced an outstanding result in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, with 3 subjects in the world top 10, 10 in the top 50, and 22 in the top 100.

Why does that matter here in Jersey?

Because on 31 March, we are bringing that calibre of academic expertise to the island for 8 hours of CPD (accredited by The CPD Group), shared learning, and important conversations around safeguarding, leadership, education, decision making and professional practice.

Speakers include Professor Carlene Firmin MBE and Professor Catherine Reading.

Get your tickets now, before it is too late!

Less than a week to go.

The Vital Skills Summit is happening next Tuesday (31st March), and this is your chance to be in the room with outstanding speakers from Durham University.

Professor Carlene Firmin MBE, Professor of Social Work, and Professor Catherine Reading, Professor of Education, are coming to Jersey to spend a day talking about safeguarding, leadership, professional judgment, and shared responsibility.

If you work in the health service, education, social work, or the charity sector, then this is a conversation that is genuinely important to you.

Don’t leave it too late.

Buy your tickets with the link in the comments

Only 10 days left to book.

The Vital Skills Summit is taking place in Jersey on 31 March, and if you are still thinking about coming, now is the time to secure your place.

In association with Durham University and accredited by The CPD Group, this is 8 hours of recognised CPD designed for people working across health, social care, education and the charity sector.

This is not just another event to sit through.
It is a full day of learning, challenge, reflection and real conversation with leading speakers bringing important research and practical insight into the room.

If you want to end the first quarter with CPD that genuinely adds value to your work, this is it.

Tickets close in 10 days.
Please do not leave it too late.

8 Hours of CPD!
A quick correction from me. I previously shared 6 hours of CPD. The Vital Skills Summit offers 8 hours of CPD accreditted by The CPD Group for full day attendance.
Book your place, then tag a colleague from another sector who should be in the room.
The Summit brings people together across health care, social care, education, and the charity sector. It exists to create a shared space for learning, reflection, and responsibility.
In association with Durham University and Centre for Professional Development School of Education

Speakers and sessions across the day:
Professor Carlene Firmin Contextual Safeguarding
Professor Catherine Reading AI and Health Care
Associate Professor Angela Gill Safeguarding 101 Different roles. Different pressures. Shared responsibility.

Skills in Action talks
Rebecca Sherrington, Care Commission
Dr Julie Luscombe/ People Like Me Coaching and Training Consultancy, The Silent Struggle, Stopping the Slow Creep of Burnout
Associate Professor Angela Gill, Different roles. Different pressures. Shared responsibility.

Geoff Benning Kindness Under Pressure: Why Behaviour Is a Safety Issue

Plus an end of day Expert Panel Q and A focused on Monday actions.

Event details Tuesday 31 March 2026 Radisson Blu Hotel, St Helier, Jersey

The Vital Skills Summit is coming to Jersey on 31 March.

This one day learning forum will bring together professionals from education, health, social care and the charity sector for a powerful day of shared learning, practical insight and cross sector conversation.

We are proud to welcome Professor Carlene Firmin MBE, creator of Contextual Safeguarding and a world leading expert in this field, who will be sharing her groundbreaking work on how harm can happen beyond the family home and why safeguarding must be understood through the wider contexts of young people’s lives.

Alongside this, the summit will explore safeguarding, behaviour, leadership, burnout, professional judgement and AI, with expert speakers and discussions designed to support those working in complex, people facing roles.

This is more than a conference. It is an opportunity to learn, reflect, connect and take practical insight back into your work.

If you work in education, health, social care or the charity sector, this is a conversation you will want to be part of.

Book your place and view the full programme [Link in comments]

Please share with colleagues and teams who would benefit from being in the room.

Three weeks today until the Vital Skills Summit 2026.

We are incredibly proud to welcome Professor Carlene Firmin MBE from Durham University as our leading keynote speaker.

Professor Firmin is one of the most important voices in safeguarding today, and her work is helping professionals rethink how we understand harm, vulnerability, and the environments around children and young people.

This summit is about bringing professionals together for shared learning across health, social care, education, charities, and leadership.

The conversations on the day will be relevant, practical, and timely and, with only 3 weeks to go, now is the time to book your place.

If your work involves people, safety, professional judgement, leadership, or safeguarding, you should be in the room.

Don’t miss out.
Book now and join us.

The one thing that really matters in training?

It isn’t the certificate.

It’s understanding.

At Life Vital Academy, we believe education should be accessible and affordable. It should not cost the earth, especially when it relates to safety, leadership and caring for others.

That is why we will match any written quote for equivalent training.

We trust what we deliver.

We see education as a responsibility, not a luxury.

The same belief sits behind the Vital Skills Summit, delivered in association with Durham University. World-class speakers. Practical conversations. Fair pricing.

Because when people truly understand what they are doing, confidence grows and standards rise.

That is what matters.