2025 Speakers
Beyond the Walls: Safe Spaces, Smarter Futures
Ross Taylor
Senior Operations Manager | Willmott Dixon
'The Construction of Cambridge South Police Station'
An overview of the New Cambridge South Custodial Facility, due for completion in Spring 2025. The new two-storey facility includes a 24-cell custody suite, extensive office and welfare spaces, and a secure, well-integrated vehicular access and holding area. Delivered via the SCAPE 5 Framework, the project was designed using a pre-designed CODE product model, providing a robust, proven layout tailored to local policing requirements.
Simon Crosby
Group Director – Public Sector | Corstorphine & Wright
'Custody Refurbishment – Longsight Custody Suite'
Longsight Custody refurbishment: how the scheme was developed to achieve a near-newbuild standard, the challenges encountered, and the importance of client input.
Lorna Crowther
Principal Architect | Kier Design
'Millenium Lodge Secure Children’s Home – A Pathfinder Scheme'
There are 14 Secure Children’s Homes throughout England and Wales providing placements for the most vulnerable Young People ages between 10-18. The homes deliver tailored care in high-quality, safe, and therapeutic environments for Children that are placed in the homes directly from the Courts, either through the Youth Custody Service or through the Welfare route.
Millenium Lodge Secure Children’s home is a pathfinder scheme that draws upon best practice design guidance, experiences of Young People, Staff and Visitors in conjunction with lessons learned providing Young People a nurturing rehabilitative, social and educational environment that is safe, secure, robust yet homely.
Liz Lavender
Interior Designer Expert by Experience
Liz Lavender is an Interior Designer Expert by Experience and DiMHN Associate , specialising in creating sensory-informed environments that feel safe, calm, and responsive — particularly for people with sensory needs, autism, or a learning disability. She combines over 20 years of professional design, project management, and global procurement experience with lived insight as a parent navigating the mental health and autism service landscape.
Liz works across healthcare and residential settings, bringing sensory-informed thinking into everyday spaces. Whether redesigning a community clinic, planning improvements to a mental health ward, or co-producing a bespoke home, she shapes environments that support comfort, dignity, and wellbeing for everyone.
Guided by the belief that good design supports wellbeing, she applies the principle that impact comes from thoughtful, informed choices rather than simply spending more. Her purpose is to improve mental health outcomes through better design. She champions a collaborative, network-based approach, working closely with NHS England South West, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, service users, clinicians, and national design networks to ensure environments are inclusive, evidence-based, and practical.
Simon Crosby
Group Director – Public Sector | Corstorphine & Wright
'Custody Suite – Refurbishment, Quality and Current Initiatives'
A brief look at current trends in custody — from refurbishment and how it’s working, to achieving quality in custody refurbishments, and current initiatives such as designing for neurodiversity and trauma-informed design.