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Stephen Barry has extensive experience in working with children, young people and their parents/carers within the social work, mental health and abuse field.

He is a qualified social worker and psychotherapist, registered with HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council) and accredited as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.  He was Topic Expert to the NICE Public Health Advisory Committee on the development of Guidelines on working with children and young people with harmful sexual behaviour (2016).

Stephen is the Principal Clinician and Service Manager for the multi-agency Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust Be Safe Service in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, which provides assessment and therapeutic intervention services to children and young people who have engaged in problematic/harmful sexual behaviour and their parents/carers, and offers advice, consultation and training to professionals.  Stephen was instrumental in the establishment of the service in 2008.  Be Safe also provides services to authorities and services outside of Bristol on a commissioned basis.

Be Safe has been involved in a number of cross agency collaborations including the Keep Safe Programme for young people with learning disabilities with Kent University Tizard Centre, the Restore Project with the Green House Sexual Abuse Counselling Service and support to Circles of Support and Accountability, South West youth pilot project.