National Child Protection Week

2025 Webinars

Don’t miss out on this year’s amazing lineup & insightful discussions!

Headshot of Leesa Waters webinar presenter
Headshot of Dr Melissa Kaltner, webinar presenter
Headshot of Ursula Donohue, webinar presenter
Headshot of Jeanette Kerr, webinar presenter
Headshot of Timothy Noakes, webinar presenter

From Pressure to Possibility:

Strengthening the Child, Youth & Family Workforce Together

Join us for a powerful discussion that brings to light the often-overlooked pressures and barriers facing the child, youth, and family workforce. Together, we’ll explore how public expectations, political influence, and national narratives are shaping child protection, and ask the hard questions: Are we on the right track? Who is leading real change?

This session will spotlight frontline voices, especially from remote and under-resourced areas, and share findings from Lumenia’s latest research. We’ll unpack key workforce challenges like burnout, recruitment, and cultural safety, while showcasing practical, community-led solutions and innovations aligned with the Safe and Supported Framework.

Whether you’re in policy, practice, or research, this webinar is a chance to contribute to a solution-focused conversation on meaningful prevention, early intervention, and the future of the sector.

Leesa Waters – CEO, NAPCAN

Leesa has over 30 years of experience in the social services sector, working in youth refuges, child protection services, women’s refuges, correctional facilities, courtrooms, NGOs and government departments across Australia. 

As the Chief Executive Officer of NAPCAN, she has an in-depth understanding of the issues that impact families. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Welfare), Bachelor of Law (Honours), Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a current Australian practising certificate from the NSW Law Society. 

Leesa currently lives in regional NSW and has worked nationally across regional, remote and metropolitan communities. She is passionate about the power of prevention and is a strong advocate for respectful relationships education for children and young people. 

Leesa believes we should all continually ask ourselves ‘what is it like for the child?

Dr Melissa Kaltner – Partner, Lumenia

Dr Melissa Kaltner brings over twenty years’ experience driving change for children, families, and communities. She is co-founder of Lumenia, a specialised child and family sector consulting practice that works across Australia to shape the sector’s practice.

Throughout her career, Dr Kaltner has led teams in academia, public services and consulting. She holds a PhD in paediatrics and has contributed extensively to the child and family field, authoring book chapters and peer-reviewed publications. She is an active member of the Australian Evaluation Society’s New South Wales Organising Committee and was awarded a 50th Anniversary Churchill Fellowship for international research into out of home care practices.

Passionate about collaborative approaches, Dr Kaltner is committed to working in partnership to support families and communities to achieve their aspirations.

Ursula Donohue – CEO, Ngunya Jarjum.

I am Ursula Donohue from the Dunghutti, Biripi, Worimi Nations. I am the Chief Executive Officer at Ngunya Jarjum.

 I have worked in the Human/Community Services sector for over 36 years along the East Coast, New England & Metropolitan areas in Centrelink, Job Network, Department Community Services: Partnership and Planning [which is now Department Communities & Justice: Commissioning & Planning] and more recently with Burrun Dalai Aboriginal Corporation.  

Having worked within these sectors, I bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to Ngunya Jarjum and I’m passionate about improving outcomes for our children, young people, families and communities, plus I consider myself to be a strong advocate on Aboriginal Affairs especially when it involves children, young people, families and communities too.

 Prior to joining Ngunya Jarjum, I was an Executive Officer of Programs at Burrun Dalai where I was responsible for overseeing the organisation’s strategic direction and ensuring that its programs and services aligned with the contracts, our mission statement and values. I was also responsible for designing and implementing evidence-based programs, managing complex budgets and partnerships, and building and mentoring high-performing teams.

Jeanette Kerr – Community Leader 

Following a 29 year career with the Northern Territory Police Force, Ms Kerr took on the challenging role of Deputy CE for Territory Families, overseeing Child Protection, Out of Home Care, Families Programs, Youth Justice and Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Reduction, including a Royal Commission reform agenda.

Jeanette is committed to early intervention methods, with kinship care and improved service delivery as a priority for child protection approaches in the Northern Territory.

Following the completion of her Masters of Studies in Applied Criminology at Cambridge University in 2016, she was engaged as an academic supervisor for the program until 2021. 

Following the change of government in the Northern Territory in 2024, Jeanette has pursued other opportunities to work with the community.

Timothy Noakes – CREATE Young Consultant 

Timothy Noakes is a proud First Nations man, passionate advocate, and CREATE Young Consultant with lived experience of the out-of-home care system in Australia.

Entering care at a young age, Tim navigated multiple placements, disrupted schooling, and deep disconnection from culture, family, and community. Despite these challenges , including periods of homelessness after care, Tim has transformed his journey into one of leadership, resilience, and impact.

He now mentors younger peers, co-facilitates programs, and regularly speaks at major events, including the Voices in Action CREATE Conference (2023), Home Stretch Symposium (2025), and Children and Carer’s Awards (2025).

Through advocacy, training, and public speaking, Tim is a strong voice for reform, especially for First Nations young people seeking connection and justice.

With dreams of acting on the big screen and a deep commitment to community, Tim shows what’s possible when young people are given the space to lead.

Headshot of Leesa Waters webinar presenter
Headshot of Nooria Ahmadi, webinar presenter
Headshot of Anne Hollands, webinar presenter
Headshot of Tom Docking CEO Dads Group
Headshot of Lil Gordon, webinar presenter

Launch of National Child Protection Week

Join us online for the official launch of National Child Protection Week 2025 – a dynamic and uplifting webinar designed to spark ideas and shift the conversation into real action.

You’ll hear powerful reflections from national leaders, grassroots advocates, and young changemakers on the reforms, challenges, and community-led solutions shaping child protection in Australia today. We’ll spotlight the role of fatherhood and male allies in connection and early intervention, the impact of youth-led advocacy, and the importance of a whole-of-society approach.

This is about igniting change, starting with you. Whether you’re working on the front line or influencing policy, this webinar will leave you energised, informed, and ready to make a difference.

Let’s move from conversation to action.

Register now and be part of something bigger.

Leesa Waters – CEO, NAPCAN

Leesa has over 30 years of experience in the social services sector, working in youth refuges, child protection services, women’s refuges, correctional facilities, courtrooms, NGOs and government departments across Australia. 

As the Chief Executive Officer of NAPCAN, she has an in-depth understanding of the issues that impact families. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Welfare), Bachelor of Law (Honours), Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and a current Australian practising certificate from the NSW Law Society. She also recently completed her Australian Institute for Course Directors Course. 

Leesa currently lives in regional NSW and has worked nationally across regional, remote and metropolitan communities. She is passionate about the power of prevention and is a strong advocate for respectful relationships education for children and young people.

Nooria Ahmadi – National Youth Officer NAPCAN

Nooria Ahmadi is a passionate young advocate for social inclusion, with a strong focus on inclusivity, youth empowerment, and culturally safe practices in sectors. With lived experience as a refugee and a background in community leadership, Nooria has contributed to national forums, research projects, policy discussions and a number of submissions to government bills. She is committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and driving meaningful change through storytelling, advocacy, and collaboration.

Nooria completed professional placement with the QLD Office for Director of Public Prosecution. She worked in the National Injury Insurance Scheme as the Corporate Governance and Policy Officer. She is currently a youth Advisor and Executive Assistant in National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Anne Hollonds – National Children’s Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission

Anne Hollonds is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner, a role based at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The National Children’s Commissioner monitors policy and legislation to ensure that the human rights of children are protected and promoted, and provides advice to government. Formerly Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, for 23 years Anne was Chief Executive of government and non-government organisations focused on research, policy and practice in child and family wellbeing.

As a psychologist Anne has worked extensively in frontline practice, including in child protection; domestic, family and sexual violence; mental health; child and family counselling; parenting education; and family law counselling.

Anne currently contributes to numerous expert advisory groups and boards. Her report ‘Help Way Earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing’ was tabled in the Australian Parliament in August 2024.

Thomas Docking – CEO, Dads Group

Thomas Docking is a father, husband, and CEO of Dads Group, and the founder of Man With a Pram. Since 2014, when he and his wife Kate welcomed their first child, Thomas has worked to close the gap in perinatal care by supporting both dads and mums in the crucial early parenting years. His programs connect families through local and online communities, helping reduce isolation, improve mental health, and promote healthy infant development. Partnering with Playgroup NSW, hospitals, governments, and universities, Thomas leads a national movement to ensure parents feel equipped, connected, and supported from pregnancy through the first years of their child’s life.

Lil Gordon – Acting National Commissioner Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children & Young People

Lil Gordon is a proud Ngemba woman from Brewarrina in Northern NSW with 34 years of experience working in and alongside Aboriginal communities.

Lil Gordon is a strong, dynamic and accomplished leader. Throughout her career, she has worked in high-level complex environments requiring resilient and focused leadership. Lil’s current role is Acting National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. The National Commission is a newly established separate and independent entity within the Social Services portfolio.

Lil’s previous role is the First Assistant Secretary – First Nations Partnerships Division with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications & the Arts. Lil led the development and implementation of the First Nations Agreement, Our Stories on Country, which includes building cultural capability, strengthening engagement and partnerships with First Nations people and communities, growing First Nations employment and policy advice and coordination. The Division partners across the department to deliver on the department’s Closing the Gap, Reconciliation Action Plan and broader First Nation commitments. 

Lil is also a former Head of Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Department of Premier & Cabinet where she has led and influenced change in government to support the social, cultural and economic aspirations of Aboriginal people in NSW, making sure their voices are heard and interests represented. Lil led a highly complex and diverse policy area providing expert and strategic advice to the highest levels of the NSW Government about barriers to, and opportunities for, achieving social justice for Aboriginal people and communities in NSW.

Other roles include Consultant, Aboriginal Partnerships & Outcomes with Uniting, Director of Partnerships with Aboriginal Affairs, Director of Aboriginal Learning Circle with TAFE NSW, CEO of Barang Regional Alliance and a teacher in high school, Juvenile Justice, and Correctional Centres.

In 2023, Lil engaged in the Atlantic Fellowship for Social Equity and completed a Master of Social Change Leadership. 

Lil has plans to continue her leadership path, grounded in her deep connection to culture and her ancestors. Building relationships of equity and ensuring fair exchange in all interactions by applying leadership practices through deeply held ways of knowing, being and belonging; values-based, collaborative, and curiosity-based approach.

Headshot of Alice Dolin, webinar presenter
Headshot of Daniel Jack Paproth, webinar presenter
Headshot of Heather Jackson, webinar presenter
Headshot of Simon Copland for National Child Protection Week Webinar, ANU Researcher

Unpacking Netflix’s Adolescence:

Building healthier masculinities in today’s online world

What’s really going on behind the screens of young people today? This confronting yet essential webinar dives deep into the hidden worlds of online subcultures that glorify misogyny and gendered violence.

Building on the conversations started by the hit Netflix series Adolescence, we’ll explore how these toxic narratives are spreading across social media, gaming, and online communities, shaping beliefs, behaviours, and even national security responses.

Hear from experts in education, policy, tech, and youth safety as we unpack how violent misogyny is taking root, why respectful relationships education (like NAPCAN’s Love Bites) is more urgent than ever, and how families, schools, and platforms can work together to intervene early.

We’ll also be discussing what real accountability from tech companies should look like.

If you care about the digital world young people are growing up in, this webinar is for you. Join the conversation.

Alice Dolin – Researcher, NAPCAN  (Moderator)

Alice sits on the NAPCAN Youth Speak Out council, where she regularly contributes to consultations, campaigns, and policy submissions about issues facing young people. 

Alice has a background in science and languages, and her areas of interest include the impact of technology on young people, the design of online spaces, and the meaningful engagement of youth voices. 

She has spoken at multiple conferences about how to engage young people in decision making, and has also represented NAPCAN at NSW Parliament to argue for respectful relationships education as a tool to combat online harms. 

Alice additionally works as a researcher with NAPCAN with an interest in survey design and data management. She is currently leading a research project on how to ensure the safety of young people in youth advisory councils, engaging with numerous youth councils around the sector.

Heather Jackson – Director, Interventions and Innovation, Women Family and Community Safety, Strategy, Policy and Commissioning – Department of Communities and Justice

Heather has been involved in countering violent extremism since 2016 for various agencies, with a focus on client reintegration into the community and violent extremism disengagement. 

Heather leads three countering violent extremism programs with specialist staff in NSW, and nationally. These provide support and structured case management to people vulnerable to, or who have engaged in, violent extremism. 

Youth vulnerability and susceptibility is a particular area of interest and ongoing research. 

Heather also provides consultative advice and support for teams to implement intervention pathways and deliver community and stakeholder engagement programs. 

Heather is recognised through international and national speaking engagements and extensive media outreach via radio and print

Daniel Jack Paproth – Communications Manager at The Man Cave

Daniel is the Communications Manager at The Man Cave, and a former Lead Facilitator. 

Over the past seven years, he has worked directly with thousands of teenage boys in classrooms across Australia, and now he focuses on translating the insights from those programs into stories that the wider world can engage with, building a bridge between an often misunderstood and maligned demographic – young men – and the communities and systems that surround them.

Dr Simon Copland – Researcher, Australian National University 

Dr. Simon Copland is a researcher at the Australian National University, focusing on violent extremism, misogynist groups online, and white supremacy. He is the author of the book The Male Complaint: The Manosphere and Online Misogyny.

Headshot of Greg Antlciff webinar presenter
Headshot of Ben Matthews, webinar presenter
Headshot of Sophie Havighurst, webinar presenter
Headshot of Emma Carmody, webinar presenter

Preventing Childhood Emotional Abuse: Prioritising Action

In partnership with Australian Institute of Family Studies.

This webinar will explore how we can improve our response to emotional abuse and the role parenting support can play in prevention.

We’re pleased to announce the topic and panel for the webinar we are producing in partnership with NAPCAN this year for National Child Protection Week (7–13 September).

This year we’ll be picking up the conversation from our National Child Protection Week webinar from 2023 on preventing childhood emotional abuse and the role of parenting and family supports.

It’s always a big week for NAPCAN and the sector and we’re very proud to be involved again.

Greg Antcliff (Moderator) – Chief Operating Officer, NAPCAN

Greg is a registered psychologist and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), where he oversees operations and strategic initiatives to protect children and youth in Australia. His leadership centers on advancing evidence-informed practice in child protection and primary prevention efforts. 

Ben Mathews – Distinguished Professor, Queensland University of Technology

Ben is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Law at Queensland University of Technology.

For 25 years he has conducted multidisciplinary research into child maltreatment. His research has influenced legal and systemic reforms in Australia and overseas to improve ways of preventing, identifying and responding to child maltreatment.

He has served on two World Health Organization Guideline Development Groups on Health Sector Responses to Child Maltreatment.

He is the Lead Investigator of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, which identified the national prevalence of all five forms of child maltreatment, and their associated mental health disorders, health risk behaviours, and burden of disease. The ACMS generated landmark evidence about the prevalence and associated outcomes of different types of child maltreatment, but also pinpointed how we can improve prevention of child maltreatment in future generations.

Sophie Havighurst – Child clinical psychologist and Leader of Tuning in to Kids at Mindful: Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health, University of Melbourne

Professor Sophie Havighurst is a child clinical psychologist and Leader of the Tuning in to Kids program.

For over 25 years, in collaboration with co-creator Ann Harley and their team of researchers, trainers and students, they have developed parenting programs that support children’s emotional development, conducted research evaluating these, and helped to make these widely available to those who work with families.

Sophie is the Chair of the Parenting and Family Research Alliance (PAFRA), a multidisciplinary research collaboration of experts from leading universities and research centres actively involved in conducting research, communication and advocacy pertaining to parenting, families and evidence-based parenting support.

She is also a Co-Convenor of the End Physical Punishment of Australian Children (EPPAC) advocacy group, made up of 160 members are working to change the laws that allow parents to use corporal punishment with children.

Emma Carmody – Senior Practice Design Specialist, Parenting Research Centre

Emma is a Senior Practice Design Specialist at the Parenting Research Centre and is currently completing her Master of Social Work.

She brings close to 20 years’ experience in the child and family sector, with a strong foundation in child protection and a specialist focus on domestic and family violence. Emma has supported practitioners across systems to embed evidence-informed approaches that centre the safety and wellbeing of children and families.

She specialises in translating research into practical frameworks, tools, and training, and has led the development of domestic and family violence practice models co-designed with practitioners, children, and young people.

Emma brings a trauma-informed, reflective lens to her work and is passionate about strengthening practice through collaboration, capability building, and systems change.

Headshot of Jess Stone, webinar presenter
Headshot of Helen Schenider - Commander, Human Exploitation for the Australian Federal Police
Heashot of Tracy Adams - CEO, yourtown for use in NCPW 2025 webinar

Power, Shame & Screens

Protecting Young People From Image-Based Abuse

Young people are growing up in an increasingly complex digital world, one where image-based abuse is becoming disturbingly common. But behind the headlines are real lives, real harm, and real opportunities for change. This webinar is your chance to step into a conversation that goes beyond awareness and into action. Bringing together experts from across education, youth services, and law, we’ll unpack the growing threats facing young people online and offer tangible, trauma-informed strategies for prevention, response, and recovery. Together, we’ll explore how to build digital literacy, encourage consent-based online behaviour, and reduce the shame and stigma that prevent young people from speaking up. We’ll also highlight what compassionate, early intervention looks like, at home, in classrooms, and across communities. This session will add a powerful depth to a topic that urgently needs our attention and empathy.

Libby Payne – Consent and Respectful Relationships Educator, NAPCAN

Libby Payne (she/her) is a consent and respectful relationships educator that delivers NAPCAN’s Love Bites Facilitation training to community workers across Australia. Outside of this role she utilises her lived experience of image-based abuse in her advocacy work with the Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commission, and Full Stop Australia. In 2023 she was awarded with the Social Impact in Education Award by Central Coast Council for her work in educating over 2,500 young people in RRE and is currently completing postgraduate studies in Sexology.

Jess Stone – Youth Council Member (NYSO), NAPCAN

Jess Stone is a multi-award-winning youth advocate, policy leader and survivor working to prevent child abuse.

Her recent work includes advising the eSafety Commission and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation on their respective in-development technology-facilitated abuse resources.

Jess serves as a Youth Advisor to NAPCAN, Orygen, the Raise Foundation, DMF, and the U.S. Consulate, and holds leadership roles with SDSN Youth, the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers, and Future Forward Australia.  

Helen Schneider – Commander, Human Exploitation for the Australian Federal Police

Helen Schneider is the Commander of Human Exploitation for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and lead for the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE). In this role, Helen is responsible for leading the coordination and connection of partners to identify, prevent, disrupt and investigate human exploitation, including the online exploitation of children and modern slavery, with a focus on protecting and supporting victims, and removing them from harm.

Helen joined the Queensland Police Service in 1997, commencing in community policing and then progressing her career in investigation areas such as the Criminal Investigation Branch, Tactical Crime Squad, Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team and Homicide Investigation Unit.

Tracy Adams – CEO, yourtown. 

Tracy has more than 30 years experience with yourtown, (Kids Helpline) and was appointed CEO in 2008.  Tracy has overseen significant company growth, including expansion of services to children and young people, as well as a greatly enhanced advocacy agenda, including contributions to reforms related to child protection.  Tracy has frequently addressed Government enquiries into the welfare of Australian children and young people, and regularly contributes to social commentary on issues that are affecting their lives through interaction with the media. 

Tracy holds a number of board positions, and has been and remains a member of child protection committees across multiple jurisdictions.

Headshot of Meron Looney, webinar presenter
Headshot of Ellen Wachter, webinar presenter
Headshot of Genevieve Hernandez- Cardinia Communities for Children Program - Anglicare Victoria

What Children Tell Us:

Listening, Trusting and Taking Action

In partnership with Anglicare.

This webinar takes a deep-dive into what’s possible when children are not only heard but genuinely included in shaping the environments around them.

Join us for a compelling session that brings together powerful voices from across Australia – including children themselves, to share how schools, services, and communities are creating spaces where trust, safety, and collaboration thrive. You’ll hear powerful insights from the Safer Communities for Children (SCFC) program and trainers working in multicultural, First Nations, and rural settings, perspectives too often left out of mainstream conversations.

We’ll dive into how child-led approaches are driving tangible change, from classroom strategies to community-wide action, and what it takes to embed these principles into practice.

This webinar offers real stories, practical tools, and fresh thinking for anyone working to centre children in their work.

Walk away with renewed purpose, grounded strategies, and a stronger connection to the voices that matter most.

Meron Looney (Moderator) – Manager, Northern Territory, NAPCAN

Meron is the manager of NAPCAN in the Northern Territory and has lived on Larrakia land in Darwin for more than 30 years.

She has a background in early childhood education, family support, domestic and family violence work and government policy. She has broad experience in developing resources and coordinating programs to promote safe and nurturing relationships between caregivers and their children.

Meron has been working with NAPCAN for around nine years and loves that their focus is on prevention through developing partnerships. She continues to work with organisations and communities across the Northern Territory to develop and deliver inclusive, culturally safe resources and programs to support children, young people and families.

Ellen Wachter – Communities for Children Coordinator for Greater Dandenong, Mission Australia. 

Ellen Wachter is the Communities for Children Coordinator for Greater Dandenong + 3177 at Mission Australia and is grateful to live, work, and raise her little one on Bunurong Land.

She has worked in Community Development for the last nine years, and in this time her work has run the gamut from writing and delivering children’s projects, to becoming a self-described ‘community connector’ and ‘data nerd’.

She has a particular passion for bringing stakeholders and community organisations together to encourage collaboration and better outcomes for families and communities.

Genevieve Hernandez-  Cardinia Communities for Children Program – Anglicare Victoria

Genevieve is a qualified social worker working currently as a project worker with Cardinia Communities for Children program with Anglicare Victoria. I have experience in Child Protection, and Family Services and I am passionate about working with families and communities to support children of all ages to thrive together. I have an interest in Child Development, (Relational) Trauma, child sexual abuse prevention and recovery, to name a few. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, taking my children out on day trip adventures to new places, and being in nature.