Director of Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia; Chair, South Australian Child Protection Expert Group

Professor Leah Bromfield, Director and Chair of Child Protection at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, is one of Australia’s foremost child protection experts, who has worked nationally and internationally with government and non-government organisations in establishing and implementing child protection reforms.

Prof Bromfield’s prominent work leading and supporting government reform and significant contributions to Inquiries and Royal Commissions has directly changed laws, policies, and practices in the field of child protection. Her roles and appointments include Commissioner in the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings, and Professorial Fellow to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, established by the Australian government, leading its extensive research program. Prof Bromfield’s expertise has been extensively recognised, including as Chair or of the inaugural South Australian Child Protection Expert Group and member of the Council of Australian Government’s National Framework for Protection Australia’s Children Governance group since 2010, and through awards including the Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year (Public Sector and Academia, 2017), and the 2018 Women in Innovation Social Impact Award.

Nadia Bergineti is the CEO and Founder of The Reily Foundation, a South Australian not-for-profit organisation working to transform the child protection system by supporting parents to safely care for and reunify with their children.

With a deep commitment to child and family wellbeing, Nadia leads an innovative, lived-experience-informed organisation that provides practical support, education, and advocacy to families navigating state intervention.

Under her leadership, The Reily Foundation has developed successful early intervention and educational parenting programs, which is notably recognised for its peer workforce model that empowers parents with lived experience to help others.

Nadia’s strategic vision has positioned The Reily Foundation as a key contributor to reform conversations across government and non-government sectors. She represents the organisation on multiple advisory bodies and is a driving force behind initiatives that strengthen family preservation and reduce reliance on out-of-home care. With a background spanning social impact, governance, and advocacy, Nadia brings both professional insight and personal passion to building a future where families are kept safely together.

Professor Scott Wilson

Scott's background is one of poly drug use and he spent considerable amounts of time and effort to give up illicit drugs and alcohol. Scott's youth was spent misusing and abusing alcohol and other drugs which bought him into both law enforcement and health agencies constantly. Scott has been employed by the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council (SA) since November 1993. In 1995, Scott was appointed became the CEO a position he has had ever since.

Scott Wilson is a well-respected Aboriginal leader and CEO of the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council (South Australia) (ADAC) for over 30 years. He is also a Professor in Public Health at the School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University.

Scott’s personal and professional experience in substance misuse has made him a valued member of nearly every major governmental and non-governmental committee in Australia for more than 30 years. He has received several awards including the Australian Centenary Medal. Scott was the 2013 recipient of the Sydney University Graduate Medal the “Sister Alison Bush Medal” (Indigenous achievement).

In 2017, Scott was awarded the APSAD (Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs) First Peoples Award “for Excellence in Science, Research and Practice”.

His other past leadership roles include being Deputy Chair of both the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee and the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation (FARE).

Scott was elected the Lead Convener of the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network (SAACCON) in 2019 and represents not only the specific needs of the SA Aboriginal community, but our NGO organisations at the National level, through the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation of Peaks (Coalition of Peaks), of which he is the Co-Deputy Lead Convenor.

The CoP is made up of 80 Peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organisations from across Australia.

Scott was also appointed Chairperson of the International Indigenous Drug Policy Alliance (IIDPA) in 2024 and was elected to the inaugural SA “Voice” to Parliament in 2024.

Scott was also awarded the SA Network of Drug and Alcohol (SANDAS) First Peoples Award in 2024

Co-Chair Aboriginal Affairs Executive Committee; Executive Director, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Nerida Saunders is a Murri woman from the Kamilaroi Nation, born in Moree in Northern New South Wales (NSW).

Nerida has worked in the Public Sector for the past 31 years; commencing in 1988 and has worked in NSW, Qld and SA. Nerida’s extensive career has encompassed important senior roles in various areas of complex social policy and service delivery including families and communities, child protection, housing, and Aboriginal Affairs.

Since arriving in South Australia, Nerida has held the positions of Director Children, Youth and Family Services, General Manager for the Aboriginal Housing Authority SA, and since 2009 the Executive Director, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation within Department for the Premier and Cabinet.

Nerida was awarded the Public Service Medal as part of the Australia Day Honours in 2016 for outstanding public service in the provision of leadership and advocacy in the area of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Nerida sits on a range of boards and committees, including the Premier’s Council for Women, Child Protection Reform Portfolio Management Board Issues group on Suicide Prevention, and Exceptional Needs Executive Committee, to name a few.

Deputy Director and Associate Professor, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia

Melissa O’Donnell is Deputy Director and Associate Professor at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia. Melissa is an internationally recognised researcher in the area of child maltreatment and vulnerable children and families and has utilised population-based linked administrative data for over 15 years to contribute new knowledge and evidence. The main focus of her research program includes: i) risk and protective factors for vulnerability to child abuse and neglect; ii) outcomes for children in care; and iii) infant removals by the child protection system. Melissa collaborates with government and non-government partners to ensure research addresses areas of policy and practice and to enable effective translation.

Executive Director of Medical Services & Senior Staff Specialist Paediatrician, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Health

Dr Diana Lawrence is a highly respected Paediatrician and Medical leader in South Australia, with extensive experience in the assessment and care of infants and children, particularly those who may have experienced child maltreatment. In her early career, Diana worked for eight years as a Consultant Paediatric Emergency Physician in the Paediatric Emergency Department and Child Protection Service of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital, before moving to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) in 2005, where she remains as a senior Consultant Paediatrician.

In her time at FMC, Diana worked for many years in the FMC Child Protection Service and along with her colleagues, contributed submissions to the Nyland Royal Commission into Child Protection in SA.

More than four years ago, Diana was appointed the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at SALHN (Southern Adelaide Local Health Network) which incorporates Flinders Medical Centre, Noarlunga Hospital, the Jamie Larcombe Centre and many other sites, including the Repat Health Precinct.  In her role as CMO, she is focused on providing strong supportive leadership along with fostering a collaborative culture, partnering with consumers and community to provide high quality safe patient care to meet the needs of the people of Southern Adelaide. As a respected and experienced clinician, Diana’s advice is frequently sort after by a broad range of stakeholders and peers.

Diana always keeps the care of children and their families at the centre of her practice, and is delighted to be part of the SA Child Protection Expert Group contributing to improving safety and outcomes for children in SA.

Professor, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University

Sharon Dawe is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at Griffith University, Australia, an Adjunct Professor at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, UniSA and a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, UK. She has been working as a researcher and clinician in the field of substance misuse and mental health for over 30 years at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London (UK), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW and currently Griffith University. Her current research interests include child maltreatment, diagnosis and treatment of trauma and neurodevelopmental disorders.

She is the co-developer of the Parents Under Pressure program (www.pupprogram.net.au), designed for complex families that includes parental substance misuse. She leads a large consortium developing a diagnostic process for young children with prenatal alcohol exposure and potential Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Sharon is passionate about improving the outcomes for children living in adverse circumstances by supporting parents to manage difficult life situations.

Kate Alexander has worked in child protection and out of home care service provision for over 30 years, from junior sexual assault counselling roles to the most senior practitioner lead in the largest statutory system in Australia.

Kate is a social worker with a Masters in Couple and Family Therapy and has recently completed a PHD at Melbourne University. Her research investigated the attitudes of the child protection workforce toward domestic violence, determined the impact of worker attitudes on their assessment of children’s safety and found that combining a therapeutic approach for understanding violence with a standard safety assessment significantly reduced the likelihood of children being removed from their mothers.

In 2019, Kate was awarded the NSW Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to family and community services and in 2010 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and travelled to the U.K, Norway and the USA researching child protection systems.

Chief Executive Officer, Relationships Australia SA

Claire has more than 30 years' experience in the not-for-profit community services and education sector. She was appointed as CEO of RASA in 2016. Claire is innovative and outcomes-driven, with demonstrated commitment to human services that strengthen family safety, build cultural respect, and use community resources wisely. She has expertise in strategic planning, financial management, outcomes evaluation, and organisational change.

Claire is skilled in designing evidence-based services attuned to the needs of their location, and understands the importance of changing how services are implemented to ensure successful client outcomes. She is also committed to strengthening cross-disciplinary collaboration for collective impact, most recently working in partnership with La Trobe University and the Family and Federal Circuit Courts of Australia, ensuring the constellation of risks faced by parents and their children are holistically considered at the beginning of the court process, and; with DCP in implementing a family group conferencing model across South Australia, empowering families to make decisions central to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in their care. Highlights of Claire’s publications with others are listed below.

As a professional educator, Claire has also led the development of several national and international resources that build and extend professional skills, including AVERT Family Violence, SQUARE Suicide Questions and Resources, Family DOORS (detection of overall risk screening), Cultural Fitness Training, the challenging racism game, and Point of Contact - children living with family domestic violence.

Claire is currently Chair of the National Relationships Australia Board and is a member of the SA Gambling Advisory Council.

Chief Executive Officer, MacKillop Family Services

Dr Robyn Miller, PhD, is a social worker and family therapist with over thirty five years’ experience in the community sector, local government and child protection in Australia. She was a senior clinician and teacher for fourteen years at the Bouverie Family Therapy Centre, La Trobe University, and part of an innovative team working with families who have experienced trauma and sexual abuse. Robyn has practised in the public and private sectors as a therapist, clinical supervisor, consultant, and lecturer and was a member of the Victorian Child Death Review Committee for ten years. From 2006-15 she provided professional leadership as the Chief Practitioner within the Department of Human Services in Victoria and has also worked as a consultant with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Robyn is currently the CEO of MacKillop Family Services, one of the largest providers of specialist services to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and their families in Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Western Australia, and Northern Territory. Robyn serves as a Board Director of Australian Catholic Standards Ltd and the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (NSW).

Deputy Secretary, Child Safety and Youth Justice Operations - Department for Education, Children and Young People - Tasmania

Peter Whitcombe joined Tasmania’s Department for Education, Children and Young People in September 2024. He leads Child Safety, Youth Justice and Out of Home Care Services across Tasmania as well as a significant reform agenda reflecting the recommendations of Tasmania’s Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings.

Peter has over 23 years’ experience working in child safety, care services and youth justice in Aotearoa New Zealand and brings experience leading the establishment of the Children’s Team in the South Island across health, policy, education, police, community agencies and Māori organisations. Following early-career practice as a social worker and team leader and manager, since 2015 Peter has held senior public service roles across children’s services. Before moving to Tasmania, Peter was Deputy Chief Executive |Chief Social Worker for New Zealand’s Ministry for Children. In this role, he was the Ministry’s authority on all matters relating to social work practice, providing overall leadership and direction for practice, influencing across the children’s system with other executive members and Ministers, setting priority areas of focus, and shaping workforce strategy and professional development approaches. He oversaw the design and development of New Zealand’s National Care Standards into legislation, has led major national workforce change projects and has extensive leadership experience in service growth, improvement and delivery for children and families.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Throughout his career he has been proud of nurturing high performing teams that achieve better, safer outcomes and experiences for children and families.

Director, Two Worlds Consultancy; Aboriginal Social Worker

Shirley Young is an Aboriginal woman descending from the Nukunu people in South Australia. She is a Social Worker and the Director of Two Worlds Consultancy and co-director of Endless Eden.

Shirley has previously worked in various Public Service organisations over a span of 24 years in portfolios such as Health, Child Protection and Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

For the last five years she has been running a state-wide business called Two Worlds Consultancy that contracts services to government and non-government organisations. Services include reunification, therapeutic support to children in Out of Home Care settings, providing supervision to staff in government and non-government organisations, contracting services to the NDIS sector, delivering corporate training and development packages, writing corporate documents and casual lecturing for university social work students.

Shirley currently represents a variety high level working groups that inform and address the over representation of Aboriginal children, young people and families in the child protection system to address systemic failures.

Executive Director, Child & Family Support, Department of Human Services

Katherine Hawkins is Executive Director, Child & Family Support, within the Department of Human Services where she is responsible for the implementation and system-wide outcomes monitoring of the Child and Family Support System, which provides family support and preservation services and other programs designed to respond earlier to child abuse and neglect. She and her team are using a ‘learning systems’ approach to integrate data, practice wisdom, lived experience and cultural leadership to ensure services across the state are iterative and curious in their implementation and evolution.

Katherine's approach is led by the mantra "big ideas, great outcomes, with people, for people": using highly relational methods and innovation to attain better outcomes for people living with complex challenge and disadvantage. She has held executive positions in the areas of early intervention, access and inclusion, youth justice, housing, veteran’s mental health and corrections. Katherine is a registered forensic psychologist, has a diploma in business and personal coaching, and has a number of published articles in peer-reviewed journals.

PhD (Social Work/ Social Policy), University of NSW, BA (hons. In sociology), University of New South Wales, B Social Work, University of New South Wales.

BJ Newton is a proud Wiradjuri woman and mother to three children. She is a Scientia Associate Professor based at the Social Policy Research Centre within UNSW Sydney. BJ specialises in Indigenous research methods and child protection research and policy. Her research focuses on working in partnership with Aboriginal organisations to build evidence and support Aboriginal families interfacing with child protection systems.

BJ is the lead investigator of the Bring them home, keep them home research. This project investigates the rates, outcomes and experiences of successful and sustainable restoration for Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. This is a four-year research project in partnership with Aboriginal organisations in NSW funded by the Australian Research Council. This research is making significant impact across the child protection sector, facilitating truth telling for families silenced by the system, Aboriginal community-determined initiatives, and individual and system-level advocacy. Building on the findings and impact from Bring them home, keep them home, BJ has just been awarded an Investigator Grant by the National Health and Medical Research Council commencing in 2026 titled Understanding systems abuse and Aboriginal resistance in child protection contexts.

BJ has extensive experience working on a range of child protection and domestic and family violence commissioned research for NSW DCJ, the Coroner’s Court of Victoria, and multiple projects for the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. BJ was the inaugural Associate Dean (Indigenous) of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, a position held from January 2021- August 2022 when she accepted the Scientia academic position which enables her to focus on her research and impact.