THE SHiFT MOVEMENT
Founders and Trustees
SHiFT was founded by four of the UK’s leading social policy innovators, all of whom have exceptional track records of turning ideas into action. Our Trustees are committed and passionate with outstanding and wide-ranging experience.
Josh Macalister OBE MP | CO FOUNDER
Sophie Humphreys OBE | CO FOUNDER & TRUSTEE
Rebecca Cramer | CO FOUNDER & TRUSTEE
Michael Clark | CO FOUNDER, TRUSTEE, FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Professor Martin Griffiths | CHAIR OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Rasheed Pendry | TRUSTEE & PRACTICE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Sarah Hazzledine | TRUSTEE
Dr Luke Roberts | TRUSTEE & RESEARCH EVALUATION COMMITTEE CHAIR
Pam Parkes | TRUSTEE
Keir Monteith KC | TRUSTEE
The National SHiFT Team
Steve Brock | PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT LEAD ( NORTH EAST)
Steve brings over 20 years of child protection experience, working across Canada and England. Specialising in domestic violence, trauma-informed practice and identity formation, he’s developed and delivered training for a range of professional audiences. He's a certified Safe & Together model trainer, dedicated to ongoing learning, and engages with researchers and practitioners in trauma and resilience. Encouraging thinking beyond labels, he enjoys outdoor adventures with his partner and dog.
Hilary Dixon | DIRECTOR OF PRACTICE & LEARNING
Hilary previously worked in Youth Custody Services, focusing on preserving meaningful family connections for children in YOIs. Before her training as a systemic psychotherapist, Hilary served as a social worker in child protection teams in the London Boroughs of Ealing and Newham. She worked in a specialised domestic abuse team and an adolescent exploitation team, driven by her strong commitment to assisting childen and young people facing challenges beyond their families.
Eve Middleton | DATA & INSIGHT ANALYST
Eve is a psychology graduate with experience working as a Social Researcher for the Civil Service. Her research focused on policing, crime reduction and ethical decision-making. She is a passionate advocate for a holistic approach to crime and drug use, which tackles the root causes and focuses on prevention rather than punishment. Outside of work, Eve is involved in activism and supports other young people to become politically engaged and make meaningful changes towards achieving climate and social justice.
Sally Dickin | HEAD OF PRACTICES
Sally, with over 25 years in Local Authority Children's Services, focuses on Youth Justice. Committed to shifting negative perceptions of young people in the justice system, she advocates for recognizing their potential rather than defining them by behaviour or circumstances. Sally envisions a society supporting children's journeys without judgment. Outside work, she enjoys walks with her dog, horse riding, and is a mother to a teenage son.
Lucy Passmore | NATIONAL TEAM COORDINATOR
Lucy worked extensively in arts management at the University of Surrey whilst completing an MA in Victorian Studies at Birkbeck College, running the cultural affairs department at the English-Speaking Union before moving on to be an equity research editor in different investment banks. After returning from 12 years in the Netherlands, she was an Education Support Officer at St Christopher’s Hospice prior to joining SHiFT. She spends her spare time with her three daughters and trying to persuade her 15-year old dog to go for a walk.
Carla Morris | PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT LEAD (NORTH WEST)
Carla is a qualified and registered social worker with extensive experience in the Domestic Abuse and Criminal/Sexual Exploitation Sector. Before SHiFT, her work focused on behaviour change work and recovery for adult and child survivors, and systems change. Carla is passionate about changing the structures and systems that prevent many young people from accessing the help and support they need to live happier, safer and healthier lives. Carla loves socialising with family and friends and travelling, but she also spends a lot of her spare time watching box sets and trying to perfect handstand press-ups.
Rebecca Tankard | FINANCE MANAGER
Rebecca is currently supporting SHiFT as its Finance Manager. She is a graduate of Teesside University with 20+ years’ experience as a Finance Manager, working within both the private and charity sectors. Her main role is at Pause. Rebecca has long supported charities, offering practical support as well as financial guidance; from being a Home Start volunteer in the 1990s, to her current role as Trustee/Treasurer for Age UK in Darlington. Rebecca is a keen walker, often spending her weekends on the Fells and in the Dales, preferring the sky as her ceiling!
Phoebe Minson | EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS LEAD
Phoebe’s background includes being the Creative Director at a Central London gallery, and the role of Head of Communications at an art-tech start-up. Her unique approach to communication and information accessibility is shaped by the intersection of her passion for the arts, creativity, and a dedicated commitment to addressing contemporary issues, with a particular focus on women and children. In her free time, Phoebe can be found in galleries or with her head in a book.
Dr Amy Ludlow | CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Dr Amy Ludlow, with 16 years of experience (studying, teaching, and researching) at the University of Cambridge, is an accomplished Researcher and educator with Expertise in law and criminal justice. She excels in bridging policy, practice, and research for systemic impact, particularly in the fields of prison reform, cultural improvement, and prison education. Amy is mum to two daughters and the wife of a busy NHS doctor.
Micheal Griffiths | PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT LEAD (ETE SPECIALIST)
Micheal is a highly experienced professional in the field of education, training, and employment in the UK specialising in inclusion and special education for students with SENDs, with young people in both statutory and third-sector organisations. Micheal is passionate about ensuring that all young people in the UK have access to eco opportunities within the education system. Micheal enjoys socialising with her friends and family travelling as much as possible, creating online content, and indulging in Netflix!
Sam Fern | SYSTEMIC CONSULTANT
A qualified social worker since 2007, Sam completed a post-graduate diploma in Applied Systemic Theory in 2013. With 15 years of experience working with children and families in statutory, hospital, and court settings, including the Family Drug and Alcohol Court, she has served as a frontline social worker, practice supervisor, and manager. She was a principal social worker in a London authority, leading strategy for services supporting missing and vulnerable children at risk of exploitation. Samantha later moved into a contextual safeguarding lead role before becoming Head of Practice at Collective Space, where she oversees social and clinical work with children and families.
James Preston | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
James Preston, an experienced operational leader in the youth sector with a decade of experience in national government-funded youth contracts, also has a background in higher education, where he facilitated the accreditation of courses for a global university. His unique insight into the Criminal Justice system comes from five years as a Police Officer in Essex, offering firsthand experience with the challenges of repeat offending among children. Beyond his professional life, James is a father of five and coaches his youngest son's local football team.
Ella Armstrong | LEARNING AND INSIGHTS LEAD
Ella has spent her career researching, designing, delivering, and evaluating various evidence-informed policies and interventions seeking to achieve better outcomes for children and families across criminal justice, education, and mental health in the UK. She is fiercely passionate about amplifying and learning from the voices of often overlooked young people, families, and communities, and combining these insights with those of practitioners and policymakers to drive meaningful systemic change. Prior to joining SHiFT, Ella completed an MSc at the University of Oxford in Social Policy and Intervention Evaluation. Outside of work, Ella is a keen musician and also enjoys taking her camper van on surfing adventures whenever she gets the chance.