Kate Alexander

Project Lead – Practice and Strategic Governance, Life Without Barriers Kate Alexander is a social worker has worked in child protection for over 30 years spanning frontline, research and executive leadership roles. She is currently working with Life Without Barriers, leading a project on practice governance across the whole agency. Kate held the role of Senior Practitioner in the NSW statutory child protection system for over 13 years and was responsible for caseworker learning child death reviews and quality assurance. She recently completed a PHD which 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. Kate was awarded a NSW public Service medal in 2019 for outstanding service to families and community and a Churchill Fellowship in 2010 which saw her travel to Norway, the U.K and the USA researching child protection systems.

Rosanna Arena

National Manager, Social Work Services, Services Australia Rosanna Arena was appointed National Manager of Social Work Services at Services Australia in October 2023, leading the branch as it navigates changes in leadership, ways of working with and assisting customers, and strengthening the group’s ability to work more collaboratively.

Rosanna practiced as a Senior Social Worker across New South Wales and Victorian Health, specialising in neurology and stroke care, crisis intervention, short term counselling, on-call emergency response, discharge planning and aged care safety intervention.

Since joining Services Australia in 2006, Rosanna has held a range of senior leadership roles, including Business Manager for Social Work Services, Program Manager Customer Service Delivery, Region Manager, and Acting National Manager. In this time, she worked on a number of initiatives including self service (early years), implementation of customer liaison officers and national emergency management.

Richard Ayoub

Community Services/Lived Experience Advocate With over 25 years of lived experience informing his work, Richard brings personal insight and professional expertise to homelessness and community services. His personal journey includes surviving homelessness caused by domestic violence, which has fueled his lifelong commitment to supporting those facing similar challenges.

Richard began his career in Out-of-Home Care before moving into refugee and asylum seeker support, including four years working offshore with displaced communities. He has since held roles across Specialist Homelessness Services, Home Youth Assistance Program and Bail beds, and Alternative Care Arrangements, always with a focus on walking alongside children, young people, and families experiencing crisis.

Progressing into senior leadership, Richard has overseen projects, budgets, staff development, and service delivery, while remaining grounded in direct engagement. Today, as a foster parent to two boys with lived experience of domestic violence, he continues to champion safety, belonging, and hope for the next generation.

Professor Jan Breckenridge

Head of the School of Social Sciences, UNSW Professor Jan Breckenridge is an internationally recognised interdisciplinary social sciences scholar in areas of gendered violence and her research and engagement activities are oriented towards maximum impact in innovative social policy development, best practice service provision and outcome measurement of effectiveness. Jan’s research delivers academic excellence by combining the goals of quality and impact enacted through extensive engagement activities to create a more just society and produce demonstrable social benefits. Jan currently manages a philanthropic grant as part of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Next Chapter and Next Chapters Innovations programs. As part of this program, GVRN received funding to support and advance research into economic and financial abuse, building an evidence base for best practice responses by financial institutions and opportunities for knowledge exchange between community partners. Jan is a chief investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant 2025 which aims to aims to address the ways in which the tax and transfer system in Australia can be used by perpetrators of intimate partner financial abuse. Jan is currently an invited member of the Social Services Advisory Board providing advice to the Department and the Honourable Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service and Government Services.

Deirdre Cheers

CEO, Barnardos Australia
MPubAdmin, MSW (Res), GradDip (Couns), BSocStud (Hons), MAASW, GAICD
Experienced CEO and respected leader in the Australian and International context of child focused social care and protection, Deirdre has an extensive career in professional social work, management and leadership.  With a 45 year career in child rights and advocacy including management and direct service delivery of children’s social care, family preservation, early intervention and out-of-home care for children, Deirdre is a graduate in social work from Sydney University and an AASW member since 1982. With qualifications including Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration, she has an extensive Australian and international policy, practice and research publication and presentation record across a range of areas concerning outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and families.
Deirdre is a previous Board Director of the Community Council for Australia (CCA) and the NSW child welfare peak body Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA), and over the span of her career has had extensive participation in government advisory Committees and Ministerial Councils at both State and Australian government levels. Deirdre is also a credentialled Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tori Cooke

Director, Pandora Projects Victoria (Tori) provides consultation and subject matter specialism in family violence programs and projects and is a skilled clinical supervisor and TAE40116 trained educator in private practice.  Tori is a social worker experienced in working with women experiencing family violence, suicide bereavement counselling, AOD counselling and working directly with men using violence and abuse. She has developed and implemented women’s healing programs and is well known in designing MBCP responses (individual, case management and groupwork programs) for men’s groups in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. In the last five years, Tori has worked on a range of initiatives in the men’s family violence space in Victoria as part of the Victorian Family Violence Royal Commission reforms working as the practice specialist at Relationships Aust Victoria and Head of Workforce Development at No to Violence in the last five years. Now based in Perth, Tori continues to support best practice responses, and the health and wellbeing of practitioners in private practice through Pandora Enterprise Projects. Tori contributed as a subject matter expert in the innovative Victorian Orange Door Hubs induction training and a subject matter contributor in the design of the MARAM Framework training in Victoria. She currently teaches part time at South Metro TAFE, lectures at the University of Western Australia and provides external supervision and mentoring to front line practitioners. 

Carolyn Cousins

Director, Tuned In Consulting Carolyn Cousins from Tuned In Consulting (BSW, MSW, MEd(Adult), MSc(App. Neuroscience) has previously worked in and managed teams in the DFV sector, as well as provided specialist training for the Education Centre against Violence. She has been involved in the Staying Home Leaving Violence Program since its early days, facilitating specialist training and undertaking policy writing and updates. In 2019 Carolyn developed DFV training for the NSW Police Force, both for General Duties and DVLO Policing roles. She currently supervisees professionals in a range of DFV related roles and continues to provide specialist training, having hosted forums for Safer Pathways and other specialist DFV programs. Most recently, Carolyn has been involved in the roll out of the new DVSAT resources.

Dr Christine Craik AM

AASW Accredited Family Violence Social Worker Dr. Christine Craik AM is an Accredited Family Violence Social Worker and has worked in family violence for over 30 years in practice (casework counselling and advocacy), alongside teaching and research. Christine’s current research and practice involves advocacy in the Courts for victims of FV, making clear the way systems are biased along gendered, racial and class lines and therefore easily weaponized by perpetrators and their advocates. Christine is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT in the Social Work undergraduate and postgraduate programs at RMIT University, where she has developed and coordinates and teaches into the ‘Working with Violence and Abuse’ courses (among others). Christine is a past National President of the AASW, and volunteers as a survivor/advocate for Safe Steps.

Simone Czech

CEO, Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) Simone Czech is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA), the NSW peak body representing the voice of non-government community organisations that deliver services to children, young people and their families experiencing vulnerability.
Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Administration, Simone has extensive operational experience in the disability sector, child protection and out of home care programs, as well as demonstrated skills and knowledge in the development of policy and reform initiatives gained over 25 years’ working in a variety of roles within what is now the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
In her most recent role as Deputy Secretary of Child Protection and Permanency, District and Youth Justice Services in NSW, Simone oversaw the delivery of high quality child protection, and out of home care services and held responsibility for a number of state-wide services including the Child Protection Helpline, Joint Child Protection Response Program, Adoption and Permanency Services, Psychological Services, Engagement and Family Support, Intensive Support Services, Information Exchange and Access, and Interstate Liaison. She also oversaw Youth Justice NSW, ChildStory and the NSW Office of the Senior Practitioner.
Simone is passionate about delivering high quality services to vulnerable children, young people and their families. She is particularly dedicated to ensuring children and young people who are in out of home care have the best possible outcomes.
On a more personal note, Simone is an avid gardener, and she particularly enjoys growing the most beautiful and fragrant roses.

Jessica Findling

AASW Accredited Family Violence Social Worker Jessica is a Lecturer in Criminology and Justice Studies at RMIT University. She is An Accredited Family Violence Social Worker and a Criminologist. Her experience in direct practice includes ten years in community organisations as a counsellor, caseworker and advocate, with a focus on survivors of domestic and family violence and disability. Jess currently coordinates Case Management Practice and teaches in the Inside Out program, where students from RMIT (outside) learn alongside students who are incarcerated (inside). Jess has also taught in the Graduate Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence and coordinated and taught into various subjects in Social Work and Human Services.

Hayley Foster

Director, Family Violence
Director, Access, Equity and Inclusion Hayley Foster, BBus (Ec) LLB (Hons) GDLP GDFDRP GAICD, is the Director of Family Violence and Access, Equity, and Inclusion at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia charged with advising the Chief Justice and CEO on enhancing the Court’s response to family violence and increasing accessibility for diverse populations. Hayley is a recognised leader in family, domestic, and sexual violence prevention and response efforts, with a career spanning frontline services, behaviour change, law practice, policy development, and executive leadership. Hayley has played a key part in shaping policy and law reforms at state and federal levels, including the criminalisation of coercive control, affirmative sexual consent laws, a national curriculum on respectful relationships, paid domestic violence leave, Respect@Work, and the prioritisation of safety in family law. Hayley Foster was a member of the Commonwealth Advisory Group for the current 10-year National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.

Shannon Harvey

Director, Impact Data & Evaluation, The Benevolent Society
Doctoral Candidate, UNSW Social Policy Research Centre Shannon Harvey (they/them) is a social policy researcher, working between academia and the not-for-profit sector. At the Benevolent Society, they lead on data and evaluation, collaborating with social work and allied health colleagues to translate evidence into practice that improves the lives of children and families, older people, and people with disabilities. Alongside this, their PhD study at UNSW investigates non-binary people’s experiences of family violence and their engagement with a service system commonly segregated by binary gender.

Tara Hunter

Director, Full Stop Australia Tara Hunter is the Director of Clinical and Client Services at Full Stop Australia providing leadership for all the helplines, sexual abuse and fee for service counselling services. She also oversees the national training and consulting practice and holds executive responsibility for Full Stop’s clinical Governance Framework.
With a Master of Social Work and various certifications in workplace training and family dispute resolution, Tara brings a wealth of expertise to her role. As a member of the NSW Women’s Advisory Council, Tara represents Full Stop on various government and non-government advisory bodies
Her background in managing sexual assault support services within the public health network system, guiding teams through complex caseloads, and advocating on key law reform matters, such as sexual consent, positions her as a valuable contributor to the national conversation on ending gender-based violence and abuse.
Committed to a client-centred approach, Tara aims to build stable and reliable trauma-specialist systems that support clients and front-line workers. Simultaneously, she actively addresses the underlying systemic and social causes of gender-based violence.

Rebecca Latham

Domestic and Family Violence Health Workforce Specialist (Qld), Mater Health Qld With a deep commitment to lives lived in freedom and safety, Rebecca Latham is a Social Worker notching 25 years of service to the profession. Currently employed with Mater Health Qld, Rebecca has been involved in implementation of Queensland’s DFV reform agenda ensuring health systems are skilled and poised to play their part. Rebecca’s background spans child protection, crisis counselling, research, career guidance and practice across a range of public health settings, as both a clinician and social work educator. Rebecca enjoys bolstering the capacity of health systems to respond to patient psychosocial complexity and is tenacious at infusing values of courage, dignity, empathy, and justice in her efforts to improve quality of care and service, to those who need it most.

Niko Milić

Social Work Manager, Services Australia Niko Milić is a social worker with over 25 years of experience across service delivery, leadership, and program development. He currently leads the Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement team within Services Australia’s Social Work Services Branch, guiding a service that supports people experiencing complex challenges, advocates for fair access to government support, and ensures social work practice remains responsive within a large service system. He plays a key role in ensuring the voices of social workers contribute to agency-wide decisions, helping shape services that are inclusive, trauma-informed, and grounded in real-world experience.

Niko’s professional focus includes working with individuals at risk of suicide or self-harm, people impacted by family and domestic violence, young people without adequate support, and communities affected by disasters and emergencies. His leadership spans the delivery of social work services across face-to-face, telephony, and online platforms.

He has played a key role in domestic and international emergency response efforts by government and is a long-standing member of Services Australia’s Family Support Team. Niko was awarded the Australian Public Service Medal for his outstanding contribution to the government’s response to the aged care crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brandy Murphy

Senior Social Worker/Senior Aboriginal Counsellor, New Street and Sexual Assault Services, NSW Health Brandy is a Wiradjuri woman and works in the PARVAN space with NSW Health as a social worker. Brandy weaves a unique clinical and cultural skill set when working with children and adolescents that have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour and in her role with sexual assault services.
Brandy is passionate and is a strong advocate for social justice, human rights, fairness, healing, and dismantling systems that participate in causing further harm to people and communities. Brandy is a proud member of the Yamurrah collective and is committed to ongoing learning and development to ensure her practice continues to make a meaningful difference with the people and communities she is connected to.

Anthony Schembri AM

Chief Executive, Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) Anthony Schembri AM is Chief Executive of Northern Sydney Local Health District and an Accredited Social Worker of the AASW. With over 30 years in the NSW public health system, he has held senior leadership roles including Chief Executive of St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney for a decade, Hospital General Manager and Hospital Social Worker roles. Anthony is experienced in medical and health research board governance and currently serving on the Boards of the Kolling Institute for Medical Research, Sydney Health Partners, Australian Hospitals and Healthcare Association, and the North Foundation. He holds an honours degree in social work (UNSW), postgraduate qualifications in public administration and also public policy (University of Sydney) and is an Adjunct Professor at both the University of Sydney and Macquarie University, and Industry Professor of Health at UTS. Anthony was recognised in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday honours and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UNSW Sydney.

Cindy Smith

CEO, Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Cindy has led AASW since 2016. She is a qualified social worker with almost 20 years’ experience in positions including leadership in community health and out-of-home care, managing a counselling team, senior management of a Child, Youth and Family Directorate in community health, and Executive Director of a not-for-profit organisation. Cindy is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Services Management and a member of Chief Executive Women. She is a Certified Health Executive, holds a Bachelor of Social Work, a Masters in Health Administration, and a Graduate Certificate in Health Service Management. Cindy served as an AASW Board Director from November 2011 to June 2016.

Heidi Snell

Acting General Manager, Regulatory Operations Division, eSafety Heidi has been with eSafety’s Regulatory Operations Division since December 2024, acting as General Manager and leading the compliance and enforcement work against the most extreme forms of online harm. The Division also incorporates the complaints schemes for harmful online content directed at individuals, eSafety’s training and educational programs and resources, and the implementation of age restrictions for certain social media services.

Prior to this role Heidi led the establishment of the National Anti-Scam Centre at the ACCC and has overseen numerous investigations and litigation relating to anti-competitive conduct and consumer protection matters.

Heidi has a Bachelor of Law and an Executive Master of Public Administration and is a Vincent Fairfax Fellow and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.