VetLed: Veterinary Human Factors Courses

Keynote Speaker - Dr Chris Turner

Dr. Chris Turner Dr Chris Turner is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and co-founder of the clinician-led movement Civility Saves Lives, focused on how behaviour, culture and teamwork shape performance and safety. He is interested in both highly performing teams and governance. This has led him from being process and blame focussed to something much more fundamental, the impact of behaviour on performance. As well as giving 2 TEDx talks, Chris has spoken in Parliament, at conferences across many disciplines, and around the world on this topic. A high-energy, highly practical speaker, Chris brings the evidence base behind civility and the real-world difference it makes in high-stakes environments.

Dr Nieky van Veggel

Dr Nieky van Veggel is an applied and veterinary social scientist at Anglia Ruskin University. He has a background in veterinary nursing and animal health science, and now leads the OneWelfare Research Group which has a focus on research into the intersection of the human-animal bond and access to healthcare and education. In addition to his veterinary sector work, Nieky has an interest in professional practice and scholarship and workforce wellbeing and is the lead editor for Scholarship in Practice.

Dr Sally Goldspink

Dr Sally Goldspink is an Associate Professor at Anglia Ruskin University and Programme Director for the Professional Doctorate. Her teaching helps practitioners turn real‑world experience into research that makes a difference. Sally’s research informs national practice in professional advocacy and collaborative leadership, using experience‑based approaches in health and social care. She led a major NHS‑funded study on Professional Nurse and Midwifery Advocates and works across disciplines to understand the experiences of professionals, patients, and families. Her work connects academic rigour with frontline relevance to drive ethical, practical change.

Rebecca Stephens

Rebecca has 30 years of social work experience as a frontline practitioner, consultant, and educator in Australia and England. She is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the

University of Sussex. Her teaching and research focus on the human-animal bond, pet loss and bereavement, ‘The Link’ between animal and human abuse, and welfare and safeguarding for both humans and animals. She is developing new interdisciplinary partnerships across the social work, veterinary, and animal welfare sectors to promote knowledge exchange, curriculum development, and training opportunities to advance Veterinary Social Work in the UK. Rebecca is a Trustee for The Links Group and Our Special Friends, UK. She is currently undertaking a PhD exploring interdisciplinary approaches to psychosocial support for veterinary teams and clients, aiming to bridge the gap between human services and veterinary practice in the UK.

Katie Gray

Katie is a dual qualified Veterinary Nurse and Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, who believes that to take care of our patients, we must first take care of ourselves. After a decade at the RVC’s QMHA, six of which were spent as a Senior ECC Nurse, she transitioned into mental health to bridge the gap between clinical practice and emotional wellbeing. With an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and experience in domestic abuse support, Katie brings a wealth of empathy and expertise to the veterinary community. Katie has been working as a Hospital Counsellor supporting the team of 250 people at The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre since 2022. Beyond the hospital work, she has also written and delivered various CPD to veterinary professionals from ECC topics to mental health and wellbeing since 2017, completing a PG Cert in Veterinary Education in 2020. Katie is currently embarking on a training in Clinical Supervision, to further enhance her ability to support veterinary professionals through supervising others in the future. To find her own balance, she volunteers for Streetvet and is a keen swimmer, but is never far away from her four legged bestie, Martha. 

Dan Tipney

Dan is the Training Director at VetLed. Bringing vast expertise across numerous industries as a former international athlete and coach, airline pilot, and Human Factors trainer, he now applies his expertise to training veterinary teams. 

Dan has spent many years as Head of Culture, Patient Safety and Human Factors at The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre, witnessing first-hand the profound impact of integrating Human Factors into veterinary practice. He is a dynamic trainer whose delivery is always inspiring and engaging!

Jess Woolrich RVN

Jess has experience across first opinion, mixed, and referral practices in the UK and abroad, meaning she really ‘gets’ how veterinary teams work.

A compassionate and insightful trainer, Jess understands and connects deeply with those she trains. 

Jess is an experienced RVN and gained her PGCert in Veterinary Education in 2022.

Dr Katie Ford

Katie graduated from Liverpool vet school in 2012. Through her own experiences of imposter thoughts and self-doubt in practice, with support, she found there was a different way to live in vetmed. She quickly grew an online following as @katiefordvet as she shared her story online. She retrained as a coach in 2017 and went on to co-found Vet Empowered in 2020 alongside Claire.

She has since completed a Master’s Degree in Emotional Wellbeing, alongside a CMI Level 7 qualification in Somatic and Trauma-Informed coaching. Katie is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, a recipient of the RCVS Inspiration Award in 2023 and was voted as the BrightMinds Wellness Champion in 2024 by her peers. She is an international keynote speaker.

Katie is known for being authentic, kind and real. Alongside Claire, she is especially passionate about supporting new graduate and mid-career veterinary professionals through coaching, working alongside many of the large veterinary groups in their graduate schemes.

Dr Claire Grigson

Claire is an experienced veterinary surgeon who has worked in a wide range of practice roles, including team leadership and charity practice. She still loves working as a vet on the ground alongside her role as co-founder of Vet Empowered. She has nearly 20 years experience in clinical practice. 

Alongside clinical work, Claire is a qualified and experienced coach with an Advanced Certificate in Coaching Practice and further certifications in somatic and trauma-informed coaching. During her work at Vet Empowered, Claire has worked with Katie to support hundreds of veterinary professionals to build confidence and find their version of balance as they move towards sustainable and rewarding paths in the profession. She is known for her energetic, kind (and very Scottish) presence, honest storytelling, and occasionally inviting people to pause, breathe, and reflect.