Presenter biographies: J to L

Gill Jenkins' medical experience is broad based, as, like many GPs, she worked in a variety of departments before completing her training. After qualifying from medical school, her house jobs included cardiology, ear, nose and throat, obstetrics and gynaecology, accident and emergency/orthopaedics and psychiatry.

Having worked as a GP for more than 12 years, Gill has a particular interest in family planning and gynaecology.

For several years she was also a clinical assistant at her local rheumatology department, an experience which Gill says she found both enjoyable and very relevant to many of the problems she still sees in general practice. She has an interest in the specialised area of aviation medicine and is involved in the care of patients abroad and their eventual repatriation, often by air ambulance.

Father of two children who are now young adults, Tim Kahn has been actively involved in their care since they were young, either working part-time or working from home. He has worked extensively in the parenting education field, running parenting groups, writing on parenting issues for newspapers and magazines, and producing and participating in TVa and radio parenting programmes. He has written a book for parents called Bringing up Boys.

Tim has a particular interest in gender issues and believes it is important for men to be actively involved in caring for children – both caring for their own children and working in the field of childcare.

After starting his career at a print workshop, Michael Leadbetter decided he wanted a greater challenge and more fulfilling role, so began working as an unqualified social worker in Moss Side, Manchester. While practising as a social worker he did psychotherapy training in transactional analysis and neurolinguistic psychotherapy, culminating in an MA.

Michael then worked in frontline posts for Manchester social services before becoming social services director for Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in 1986. He was director of social services for Essex County Council for ten years until January 2003.

Michael now has a consultancy practice in children's services and social care. He was appointed head of the National Social Work Practice Learning Taskforce and he also contributes to a healthcare trust and national pilot children's trust.

As well as being a past president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, Michael has served on a number of national committees in the social care field, and held a number of trusteeships, including The Caldecott Foundation, Wooden Spoon Rugby Charity, Parentlineplus, NCH (National Children's Homes) and Youth At Risk.