Meet our speakers
Meet our speakers
This conference will include a number of dynamic keynote speakers and optional concurrent sessions, covering not only legal topics and issues relating to child protection law and practise, but also research and findings from academics working in the area, health and medical issues, parental drug and alcohol use, and social welfare and psychological issues.
Speakers - Thursday 26 May 2022
Dr Sarah Kastelic
Keynote speaker
9:30am - 10:30am
Dr Sarah Kastelic (Alutiiq), an enrolled citizen of the Native Village of Ouzinkie, became the executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) in January 2015. Prior to joining NICWA in 2011, Sarah led the National Congress of American Indians’ (NCAI) welfare reform program and, in 2003, was the founding director of NCAI’s Policy Research Centre. She began her career at the Bureau of Indian Affairs central office as a child welfare specialist in 1998. She earned a master’s degree and PhD from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, where she serves as adjunct faculty. Sarah has served as principal investigator of several national federally and privately funded research projects, partnering with reservation-based and urban Indian communities. She has authored numerous publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and curricula. She is a member of the boards of directors of the Independent Sector, Council on Accreditation, Generations United, and Underscore.
President Judge Ellen Skinner
Meaningful change for first nations families: A look ahead
10:50am - 11:45am
Judge Ellen Skinner was appointed as the President of the Children’s Court of New South Wales and a Judge of the District Court in November 2021. Prior to her appointment as President, her Honour had first been appointed as a magistrate of the Local Court in 2009 before being appointed as a children’s magistrate in 2017. Before joining the bench, President Skinner worked as a Managing Solicitor at the Aboriginal Legal Service, at Legal Aid New South Wales, and at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. President Skinner was admitted to the legal profession in 1999 having graduated from the Australian National University in Arts and Laws. Throughout President Skinner’s career, she has maintained a commitment to improving outcomes for the young people and families who come before the Children’s Court.
Monique Hitter
Meaningful change for first nations families: A look ahead
10:50am - 11:45am
Monique is currently acting CEO of Legal Aid NSW. She was appointed to the role of Deputy CEO in November 2018 and prior to that was the Director Civil Law for 11 years.
Monique has been practicing law since 1997 and has also served as a Senior Member on the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal in the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division.
In over 30 years working in social justice, Monique is especially proud of having established the Civil law Service for Aboriginal Communities, the Children’s Civil Law Service and expanding the reach and scope of the Legal Aid NSW Civil Law Program, such that the Productivity Commission in its landmark Inquiry into Access to Justice Arrangements, stated that it set the national benchmark for the provision of civil law services.
More recently in her role as Deputy CEO, Monique led a process to establish new policies in response to sexual harassment and unacceptable behaviour, the development of the Family Law Blueprint and Legal Aid NSW’s response to the pandemic.
Brendan Thomas
Plenary: Meaningful Change for First Nations Families: A look ahead
10:50am - 11:45am
Brendan Thomas is a proud Wiradjuri man, a father of four and is the Deputy Secretary, Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes in the Department of Communities and Justice.
Brendan leads the Department’s response to NSW’s commitments to Closing the Gap – specifically overrepresentation of Aboriginal people and young people in the criminal justice system and the out of home care system, and women and children’s safety from domestic and family violence, within a newly created division.
Prior to this, Brendan was the CEO of Legal Aid NSW, one of Australia’s largest law practices, for half a decade. Brendan led work to ensure clients were at the heart of the important work it does, increased the number and quality of services provided to Aboriginal clients, and secured future funding for Legal Aid NSW and community legal centres across NSW.
As Deputy Secretary of the Department of Justice, Brendan led major criminal and civil justice reforms including reforms to sentencing, the introduction of circle sentencing, major reforms in the field of domestic violence, services to victims of crime and to Aboriginal communities, including Aboriginal Sentencing courts, the Safer Pathway Scheme and Youth on Track.
He founded the Design Out Crime Research Centre and served among other things on the Australian Criminology Research Council, The Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, and the Board of the NSW Crime Commission.
Children's Magistrate Sue Duncombe
Cultural safety in the courtroom
11:45am - 1:00pm
Children’s Magistrate Sue Duncombe was appointed as a Magistrate of the Children’s Court of New South Wales in September 2010. Prior to her appointment, Magistrate Duncombe was a foundation director of the Mawul Rom project, a cross cultural leadership, mediation, and conflict resolution program working closely with, and learning from, Elders and respected people in North-East Arnhem Land. Magistrate Duncombe was instrumental in the establishment of the first Youth Koori Court pilot in 2015 and has continued to be an advocate for Youth Koori Court in its expansion to Surry Hills Children’s Court, which opened in 2018.
Cassandra Bennett
Hot topics in care and protection
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Cassandra is a Senior Solicitor in the Child Protection Practice Group. Her practice includes the conduct of litigation in areas in which the Practice Group specialises, including complex care applications in the Children’s Court and appeals to the District Court, merit and judicial review matters in the Court of Appeal, parens patrie applications to the Supreme Court, Adoption Applications in the Supreme Court and interventions in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Cassandra was previously a solicitor in both the Criminal Law and Administrative Law Practice Groups within the Crown Solicitor’s Office.
Cassandra graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Honours), and recently from King’s College London with a Master of Child Studies (Distinction).
Magistrate D Maher
Breakout discussion: Cross over kids: A cross practice/jurisdiction discussion
1:45pm - 3:00pm
Children’s Magistrate Debra Maher was appointed as a Magistrate of the Children’s Court of New South Wales in May 2018. Prior to her Honour’s appointment, Magistrate Maher served as Solicitor in Charge of the Children’s Legal Service, where she oversaw a team of legal professionals that spanned across seven suburban and regional New South Wales Children’s Courts. During Her Honour’s more than 20-year legal career, she has worked across a range of jurisdictions, including the Children’s Court, Drug Court, Local Court, District Court and Supreme Court. This work was undertaken at major legal institutions such as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and Legal Aid New South Wales. Magistrate Maher was admitted to the legal profession in 1995 after graduating from Macquarie University in Legal Studies.
Jordan White
Breakout discussion: Cross over kids: A cross practice/jurisdiction discussion
1:45pm - 3:00pm
Jordan is a Project Officer with Youth Justice NSW, currently developing an evidence-based intervention program focusing on supporting the needs of ‘crossover kids’ within NSW. Jordan has worked with DCJ in both child-protection and out-of-home care, more recently in a pilot initiative that supported casework intervention for young people with dual child protection and youth justice engagement. Jordan has undergraduate degrees in Science (Psychology) and Arts (Criminology), and an Honours degree in Psychological Science. Jordan has recently completed a Master of Development Studies and is a current Doctoral student in Public Policy and Governance at UNSW, researching The Impacts of System Responses on the Trajectories of Crossover Kids within NSW. Having represented Australia in swimming throughout 2008 - 2019, Jordan has a passion for mentoring and supporting younger generations to achieve their full potential, both in and out of the pool.
Professor Judy Cashmore AO
Breakout discussion: Evidence and expertise
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Judy Cashmore is Professor of Socio-legal Research and Policy, and Professorial Fellow in the Research Centre for Children and Families at the University of Sydney. Her research has focused on decision-making processes and children’s involvement with, and perceptions of, criminal and child welfare processes concerning children’s safety, care and adoption, and the prosecution of child sexual offences. She has been a long-term researcher on the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) of children entering care for the first time in New South Wales, focussing her analysis on children’s relationships with their family and their carers. She is a member of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales and the NSW Children’s Court Advisory Committee.
Dr Peter Krabman
Breakout discussion: Evidence and expertise
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Dr. Peter Krabman is a child, adolescent, adult and family psychiatrist, and addiction psychiatrist.
Dr Krabman maintains a busy clinical practice in Sydney, providing psychiatric review, diagnosis, and treatment (including family therapy, individual therapy and medication management) to children & adolescents, and their parents.
Dr. Krabman prepares single expert reports in family law matters.
He serves on the Professional Advisory Group to the Children's Court Clinic in NSW and has a background in research, addiction medicine and military medicine.
Dr Gary Banks
Breakout discussion: Evidence and expertise
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Dr Gary Banks is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and is the Director of the Sydney Counselling Centre. He has been in practice for more than 34 years. He has been appointed to the NSW Children’s’ Court Clinic since its inception and as a Single Expert and Family Consultant to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for more than 25 years.He is appointed to the NSW Psychology Council as a Professional Member and is also an expert reviewer for the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission and has conducted in excess of 2000 court evaluations and provided expert testimony in more than 400 matters.
Magistrate D Williams
Breakout session: ADVO's in the Children's Court
2:30pm - 3:00pm
Children’s Magistrate David Williams was first appointed as a Magistrate of the Local Court of New South Wales in February 2014 before being appointed as a Children’s Magistrate in January 2016. Prior to his appointment, Magistrate Williams worked as a solicitor in property law and environmental law, seeing him work across most of the State’s courts including Local, District and Supreme. Subsequently, his Honour assumed the role of Crown Prosecutor and began a long-established career with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. There, Magistrate Williams developed a deep understanding of special hearings under mental health and serious criminal trials. Magistrate Williams was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1997 after graduating Wollongong University in Laws.
Dr Fiona Oates
Breakout session: Vicarious trauma on families and secondary victims panel
3:15pm - 4:00pm
Dr Fiona Oates is a social work trained practitioner, educator and researcher with 20 years of experience working with vulnerable children and their families. Dr Oates’ doctoral research titled “Working for the Welfare: exploring the experiences of Indigenous child protection workers” qualitatively explored the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undertaking child protection work. Dr Oates has a strong interest in supporting the professional development and wellbeing needs of practitioners working in trauma-laden environments and has developed a support and supervision framework as a result of her work in this area. The TISS model is a trauma-informed, practitioner-centered framework that acknowledges the challenging occupational environment practitioners work in and has context specific strategies embedded within. A book about the TISS model titled ‘Trauma Informed Support and Supervision for Child Protection Professionals: a model for those working with children who have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect and their families” is due for release in August 2022. Dr Oates is based in Far North Queensland.
Russell Manser
Breakout session: Vicarious trauma on families and secondary victims panel
3:15pm - 4:00pm
Russell lives on the North Coast and is the founder of The Voice of a Survivor, an organisation that champions the rights of people who have experienced sexual abuse and injustice. Russell Manser, himself a survivor of institutional child sexual abuse, is a committed champion for the rights of others who have experienced these traumatic and painful abuses. In speaking up about his own abuse, Russell confronted his haunting past, and since then he has done the hard work required to dramatically change his life and shift his focus to wellness.
Dr Paul Gray
End of day 1 session: Conundrum discussion
4:00pm - 5:15pm
Dr Paul Gray is a Wiradjuri man and Associate Professor at the Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research, UTS, leading their child protection research hub. Paul is committed to reimagining child protection systems and practice to promote healing for our communities, and end their disproportionate impact on our children, families and communities.
Paul has worked in a range of roles focused on the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children. Starting as a cadet in psychology at DCJ in 2007, he has worked as a psychologist at DCJ, a project officer with the Office of the Senior Practitioner, and spent 5 years as the Executive Leader of Strategy, Policy and Evidence at AbSec, the Aboriginal child protection peak organisation in NSW.
Paul serves as co-chair of the national Family Matters campaign aimed at ending the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. He is a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group for the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, part of the Children’s Court Clinic Professional Advisory Group and is a Company Member of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT).
Linden Barnes
End of day 1 session: Conundrum discussion
4:00pm - 5:15pm
Linden has been an ethics solicitor at the Law Society for almost 12 years. During this time, she has dealt with ethical issues across the full spectrum of legal practice. This has included guiding solicitors acting for all the different interests in children’s matters. Linden provides support for those matters, upholding the administration of justice in assisting her clients.
Speakers - Friday 27 May 2022
Dr Marsha Scott
Coercive Control: What can we learn from the Scottish experience
9:30am - 11:00am
Dr. Marsha Scott is a feminist researcher and practitioner and has advocated, volunteered, researched, and worked in the violence against women sector in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe for 30 years. Prior to taking her post at Scottish Women's Aid in April 2015, Marsha worked for 10 years at West Lothian Council, where she helped set up and had strategic responsibility for the West Lothian Domestic and Sexual Assault Team.
Kate Alexander
Coercive Control: What can we learn from the Scottish experience
9:30am - 11:00am
Kate is the Senior Practitioner, Office of the Senior Practitioner (OSP) for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. The role of the OSP is to inspire, influence and review child protection practice. Kate is responsible for the OSP’s work in the review of child deaths, leading evidence based child protection approaches, and facilitating learning through conferences, publications and coaching strategies.
Kate has a Masters of Social Work (Family Therapy) and has worked in the field of child protection for more than 25 years in a variety of roles including therapeutic, casework and management. She is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Melbourne, focused on decision making in child protection.
In June 2018, Kate was awarded a NSW Public Service Medal for outstanding contribution to family and community services.
Dr Lesley Laing
Working with Victims & Perpetrators of Domestic Violence panel
11:30am-12:30pm Friday
Lesley Laing is Honorary Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Sydney where her research focuses on violence against women and children. She is currently participating in several action research projects. One involves exploring practice at the intersections of domestic violence, child protection, mental health and substance use, using the Safe and Together approach. She is the co-author with Cathy Humphreys of the book: Social Work and Domestic Violence: Developing Critical and Reflective Practice. Lesley has been a member of the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team since its inception in 2011.
Biljana Milosevic
Breakout session: Working with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence panel
11:30am - 12:30 pm
Biljana is a bi-cultural Social Worker and the Centre Director of Jannawi Family Centre- a specialist and unique NGO therapeutic child protection service in south west Sydney. Funded by NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Jannawi (‘with me, with you’ in Dharug) offers counselling to adults and children, in addition to complex case management, parent education, risk assessment, child development interventions, home visiting, practical and court support. She has over 21 years’ experience working directly with children and families at significant risk, experiencing interpersonal violence, abuse (including sexual abuse) and neglect. She believes in ethical practice promoting social justice and the need to work holistically with families to understand the way violence impacts their lives and how to promote safety.
Narelda Jacobs
Cultural Safety: Lessons learned and ideas for the future
1:15pm - 2:00pm
Narelda Jacobs was the presenter of Perth’s Channel Ten News at Five for 12 years before recently moving to Sydney to take up a role as a panellist on Network Ten’s popular daily Studio 10 program.
She has been a journalist at Network Ten for 17 years and when she was appointed presenter of the station’s nightly hour long 5pm news service in Perth in 2008 she became the first indigenous female news anchor for a commercial network in Australia.
Narelda graduated from the WA Academy of Performing Arts and began her career at GWN (Golden West Network) in Bunbury. She joined Ten News in 2000, eventually becoming their court reporter, and also filling in as weather presenter during summer months.
After the sudden death of news anchor Charmaine Dragun, Network Ten announced that production of their Perth news bulletin would return to Perth from Sydney, and they selected Narelda as news anchor.
Narelda understands the importance of providing young children with role models, and often volunteers her time to visit schools.
Narelda was awarded a Royal Surf Life Saving Society Media Award for her report on a Perth infant who drowned in the family fishpond at his own first birthday party. Her on air profile has provided her with the opportunity to be involved in numerous community events.
Narelda is patron of Motor Neurone Disease Association WA, ambassador for David Wirrpanda Foundation, Breast Cancer Care WA and the Disability Services Commission.
Narelda is also an assured, articulate and polished master of ceremonies who has hosted numerous corporate and government events and awards evenings. Her presence brings a touch of class to any occasion. She is also a much in demand speaker for corporate events.
Merran Butler
Breakout session: POCOLS and Permanency
1:15pm - 2:00pm
Merran has worked in Commonwealth and State government since 1991 in a variety of analytical and research roles. Merran is currently the Director, Statistical Analysis, Data Governance and Research within Family and Community Services Insight, Analysis and Research (FACSIAR) in the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). She currently has responsibility for leading and managing the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS), Research and Knowledge Translation, the Knowledge Hub, Statistical Analysis, Data Linkage and Governance, and the Human Services Dataset Governance and Privacy. She is the Chief Investigator of the POCLS which examines the outcomes of children and young people entering out-of-home care in NSW for the first time.
Dr BJ Newton
Breakout session: POCLS and Permanency – what the evidence tells us
1:15pm-2:00pm on Friday
BJ is a Wiradjuri woman and researcher in the area of Aboriginal child and family welfare, using participatory and Indigenous research methods. BJ completed a PhD in Social Work and Social Policy at UNSW in 2016. She has 15 years’ experience working as a researcher at the Social Policy Research Centre, works with the Social Work program at UNSW, and is the Associate Dean Indigenous of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW.
Magistrate N Ford
Breakout session: Advocacy in the Children's Court: Oral advocacy
2:00pm - 2:30pm
Children’s Magistrate Nicole Ford was appointed as a Magistrate to the Children’s Court of New South Wales in March 2021. Prior to her appointment, Magistrate Ford’s 25-year legal career was spent working in rural and regional communities throughout the State. Her Honour began her career working in private practice in Wagga Wagga before joining Legal Aid New South Wales in 2007. There, she undertook a role as the Solicitor in Charge of the Legal Aid New South Wales’s Riverina Murray offices, where she continued to provide access to justice for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.
Professor Elizabeth Elliott
Breakout session: A closer look at Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
2:00pm - 2:30pm
Elizabeth Elliott is a Professor in Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney and the Children’s Hospital Westmead. For 20 years she’s been involved in clinical care, research, advocacy and policy development on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. She Co-Chairs the Australian Government’s National FASD Advisory Group; helped develop WHO guidelines for management of alcohol misuse during pregnancy and an International Charter for Prevention of FASD; and was an invited speaker at WHO’s inaugural Global Summit on Alcohol, Drugs and Gambling. She -led development of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD, FASD Hub, FASD Registry, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in FASD, and contributed to NHMRC's national alcohol guidelines and a national awareness campaign on alcohol harms in pregnancy. She leads the NSW Health Clinic for Assessment and Management of FASD; is Co-Director of the Centre for Care and Intervention for Children Affected by Drugs and Alcohol; and Director of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Her research addresses FASD in remote Aboriginal communities, out-of-home care and the juvenile justice system.
Dr Martha Barnett
Breakout session: Advocacy in the Children's Court: Written advocacy
2:30pm - 3:00pm
Martha R M Barnett was called to the New South Wales Bar in 2010 and practices mainly in family law but also conducts adoption matters and coronial inquests. For the past nine years she has been a member of Culwulla Chambers, Sydney. She was awarded a PhD in law from the University of Sydney in 2014, for a thesis titled Evolution: Procedural Innovation in Abduction Convention Determinations in Australia.
Originally from Canada, she completed a B.A. at the University of Alberta before migrating to Australia. She undertook an LLB at the University of Sydney and graduated with first class honours.
Bronwen Elliot
Breakout session: COVID 19 - the short and long term impacts on children and young people
2:30pm - 3:00pm
Bronwen Elliott began her career working with what is now DCJ, and in a non-government OOHC agency. She is now an independent social worker with many years experiences as a clinician with the NSW Children's Court Clinic. She also provides training and clinical supervision to a range of agencies in the family work and out of home care sectors, and has undertake many projects focusing on improved practice in child protection, family work and out of home care. Bronwen has a Masters Degree in Public Policy, and a keen interest in strengths based practice and theories of human attachment and adaptation.
Magistrate P Hayes
End of day 2 session: Latest and greatest case update
3:15pm - 4:15pm
Children’s Magistrate Paul Hayes was first appointed as a magistrate of the Local Court of New South Wales in 2015 before being appointed as a Children’s Magistrate in 2019. Having practiced extensively in criminal law prior to his appointments, his Honour appeared in jurisdictions ranging from the Local Court to the Court of Criminal Appeal. Before being appointed to the bench, his Honour worked at Legal Aid New South Wales for 25 years, including 9 years as Deputy Director of the organisation’s criminal division. His Honour has also been a solicitor at a large Sydney law firm and advised the Crown Prosecution Service in the United Kingdom. Magistrate Hayes was admitted to the legal profession in 1987, having graduated from Macquarie University in Arts and Laws.