About Us

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre) is a symbol of hope and an essential vehicle for action for many victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Its formation recognises the decades of advocacy by victims and survivors to be listened to, believed, validated, protected and ultimately supported to heal from the trauma they carry with them. Its focus extends beyond institutional child sexual abuse to abuse that occurs in the family, community and online.

The National Centre has woven the voices and experiences of victims and survivors into its very fabric. It acknowledges the strength and expertise that derives from their lived and living experience of child sexual abuse. The National Centre recognises and honours the diversity of victims and survivors' experiences, identities and cultural backgrounds and their contributions to the common purpose of addressing child sexual abuse.

Our founding story

The establishment of a national centre to raise awareness and understanding of child sexual abuse, support help-seeking and guide best practice, was a key recommendation (9.9) of the 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Royal Commission identified that ongoing national leadership is necessary to improve outcomes for victims and survivors of past child sexual abuse and prevent future child sexual abuse.

Of the 136 Royal Commissions conducted since Federation, this was the first relating specifically to the sexual abuse of children and young people. It was a watershed inquiry that helped the nation to understand the real and enduring effects of the trauma stemming from child sexual abuse. It also made it clear that “the number of children who are sexually abused in familial or other circumstances far exceeds those who are abused in an institution.” As such, the National Centre will focus on child sexual abuse in all the contexts in which it occurs.

Founded in late 2021, the National Centre is a partnership between three respected organisations with strong histories of leadership in responding to the child sexual abuse – the Australian Childhood Foundation, Blue Knot Foundation and the Healing Foundation.

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Vale Joe Tucci

Dr Joe Tucci, who sadly passed away in March 2024, was our inaugural Board Chair and CEO of the Australian Childhood Foundation. A driving force in the safety and protection of children worldwide for decades, Joe's vision for the National Centre knew no bounds. It was clear, steadfast, and filled with hope and optimism that we would create real change together. Joe’s leadership on a range of National Centre foundational resources have and will continue to be critically important. We will continue honouring Joe’s remarkable contributions by further realising his vision of a very different world for children and for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

Our vision

A community where children are safe and victims and survivors are supported to heal and recover, free of stigma and shame – a future without child sexual abuse.

Our purpose

To disrupt the dynamics that have failed to stop child sexual abuse and prevented victims and survivors from being believed, validated and supported in the ways they need.

Our strategies & plans

Our Here For Change – Five Year Strategy
Our Learning and Professional Development Plan
Our Research Plan
Our Commitment to Engagement
Our Co-design Methodology
Our Knowledge to Action Framework

Click to learn more

Our Here For Change – Five Year Strategy

This Strategy represents the start of a committed journey for the National Centre to transform the way that child sexual abuse is understood and responded to in Australia.

It describes a collective ambition in which we all work together to:

  • empower, educate and enable families, communities and service providers to better meet the needs of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across their lifespan
  • empower children, young people and adults who have experienced child sexual abuse to heal and recover
  • inspire community, policy and practice change to stop child sexual abuse from occurring.

Here for Change – Our Five Year Strategy has been widely consulted in its development and sets the starting point for what the National Centre intends to do. We cannot achieve our plans, however, without collaborating closely with the many national, state and local initiatives. For this reason, the National Centre will periodically pause and reflect on the best way it can continue to meet the intentions of those the Strategy seeks to benefit. This Strategy will also continue to evolve over time with the input of victims and survivors and other key people and organisations.

Our Learning and Professional Development Plan

This Plan sets out the importance and role of learning and professional development to the National Centre’s strategic goals. It outlines our direction and approach to build and strengthen the capability of workers and organisations in how they respond to and support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, and how this will be achieved through training, learning and development opportunities.

Our Research Plan

This Plan sets out the National Centre’s strategic research objectives and priorities and describes the ways in which we will deliver these to a high standard. The aim is to build an accessible and robust evidence base that will contribute to addressing our seven key challenges and supports our organisational goals.

Our Commitment to Engagement
Our Co-design Methodology
Our Knowledge to Action Framework

The National Centre’s Knowledge to Action Framework describes how we build, shape and grow a shared body of usable and meaningful knowledge to positively influence beliefs, attitudes, practice and policy.  We define knowledge as expertise, evidence and experience from five diverse and interconnected sources including: Lived and living experience; Cultural knowledge; Research and theory; Practice Knowledge and Procedural knowledge.

Through our Knowledge to Action Framework we will mobilise knowledge through multiple and coordinated initiatives and activities to respond to different contexts and needs. This includes training and professional learning, knowledge resource development, policy and advocacy, communication and awareness raising and research and evaluation.

Our board

The National Centre Board is responsible for corporate governance and guiding and monitoring the business on behalf of the Founding Members. The Board is dedicated to fulfilling these duties in a lawful and professional manner, with the utmost integrity and objectivity and is committed to achieving high standards of governance.
The Board recognises the critical value of lived and living experience to support enhanced outcomes for victims and survivors from diverse backgrounds who have a range of needs. This approach honours and elevates their knowledge and expertise and will help us to achieve our goals.

Meet the team

Dr Cathy Kezelman AM
Board Chair
Glenn Kennedy
Deputy Chair
Shannan Dodson
Board Member
Fiona Cornforth
Board Member
Janise Mitchell
Board Member
Belinda Johnson
Board Member
Michael Go
Board Member

Click on board member to read bio

Dr Cathy Kezelman AM
Board Chair

Dr Cathy Kezelman AM is a medical practitioner, President of Blue Knot Foundation and has a lived experience of complex trauma. She has been a driving force within Blue Knot, previously ASCA, for over two decades and has held a number of board and key representative roles within the mental health and related sectors.

Cathy is co-author of a range of seminal Blue Knot publications and guidelines, a prominent voice in the media and at conferences, and a national advocate for trauma-informed transformational changes and informed responsiveness to people experiencing the impacts of complex trauma.

Glenn Kennedy
Deputy Chair

Glenn Kennedy has extensive legal, fiduciary, trustee, compliance, governance, and risk framework experience in international banks across Asia, Europe and Australia. As a values and integrity-driven senior leader and CEO, he has a track record in stewardship, industry engagement, driving transformation and enhancement in business performance.

Glenn also has considerable director experience and a passion for heritage management, is a qualified solicitor and has worked in legal practice in Sydney and Dublin.

Shannan Dodson
Board Member

Shannan Dodson is a Yawuru woman and CEO of the Healing Foundation. She was previously the Deputy CEO of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA).

She has over 18 years experience working in Indigenous affairs and is a strategic communications and engagement specialist. She has extensive skills in management, campaigning, public speaking, media, writing, and community engagement.

She was recently the Co-Chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and worked on the Australian Marriage Equality campaign. Shannan is passionate about First Nations’ rights and understanding mental health issues, particularly intergenerational trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Fiona Cornforth
Board Member

Fiona Cornforth is of the Wuthathi of the far north-east cape of Queensland with family roots also in Zenadth Kes. She is a founding Board Member of the National Centre as previous CEO of The Healing Foundation. Fiona has gained experience and perspectives in education, leadership and business development locally and globally and shares a message of celebration and gratitude for the greatness of ancestors, Elders, and the ontology and authority that holds her and her family. Fiona is now Head of Centre at the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the Australian National University.

Janise Mitchell
Board Member

Janise is a social worker, Deputy CEO at the Australian Childhood Foundation and Director of the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care. She has experience in child protection, high risk adolescents, public policy analysis, program development and evaluation and has extensive experience in the development of innovative therapeutic programs for traumatised children and young people.

Janise is responsible for the development and implementation of a number of national and state-wide therapeutic out-of-home care programs, child abuse prevention programs and professional education training programs. She has a Masters degree examining the policy and practice underpinning therapeutic care initiatives in Australia and is an Adjunct Associate Professor with Southern Cross University.

Belinda Johnson
Board Member

Belinda Johnson is Deputy CEO of the Blue Knot Foundation and an accountant with over 25 years of finance and business experience in a variety of SME’s. Belinda has a strong background in corporate governance, business and finance management, audit and risk and competitive/lean manufacturing.

Currently, Belinda is in Public Practice, providing Cloud-based financial management solutions to a variety of micros and SME. Belinda holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from UWS and a Certificate in Governance Practice with the Governance Institute of Australia.

Michael Go
Board Member

Michael Go is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in C-Suite and Non-Executive Director roles. He has held senior leadership positions at a number of organisations in investment banking, capital markets, technology and not-for-profits. In these roles, he has demonstrated a proven track record of success in growth, regulation and compliance and business transformation.

Michael is passionate about using his skills and experience to make a positive impact on the world. He is particularly interested in working with organisations that are focused on social justice, environmental sustainability and education. In addition to his professional experience, Michael is also an active speaker and writer on topics related to leadership, innovation and social impact. He is a regular contributor to industry publications and has spoken at events internationally. Michael is a highly motivated and results-oriented leader who is committed to making a difference in the world.

Our executive team

Meet the team

Reporting to and working closely in collaboration with the Board of Directors, the CEO drives the strategic vision planning, and operational leadership of the National Centre. The CEO has a wide range of responsibilities and accountabilities that contribute to the overall achievement of the National Centre’s objectives and to promote revenue and growth as an organisation, working closely with the executive team.

Meet the team

Dr Leanne Beagley
CEO
Scott Thompson
Director of Finance and Corporate Services
Alisa Hall
Director of Practice Development and Engagement
Professor Andrea de Silva
Director of Knowledge Generation, Research and Evaluation
Our staff team

Click on team member to read bio

Dr Leanne Beagley
CEO

Leanne brings more than 30 years’ experience in the health, mental health and non-government social service sectors. She started as a clinician and then a leader in child and youth mental health settings, moving into government policy leadership and then into advocacy at a national level. She brings expertise in system, program and policy design, service development and commissioning, organisational strategy and risk management – and she has sought to amplify the voices of those with lived experience throughout all of this work.

Leanne’s professional qualifications are in Occupational Therapy and Family Therapy and she holds a Master of Business Leadership degree and a Master of Laws degree. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a PhD in Psychology in organisational dynamics. Committed to strong, sound, strategic and accountable governance, Leanne has expertise as a non-executive Director including as a past Board Chair with Eating Disorders Victoria, a Deputy Chair of the Board of Tweddle Child and Family Centre and a Director of the Western Alliance Academic Health Science Centre. She has recently been appointed to the Board of PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia).

Scott Thompson
Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Scott Thompson is a CPA and has an MBA from Deakin University. He worked in public practice in Australia before moving into corporate roles after moving to London in 2001. He started his corporate career at Thomson Reuters before moving into the technology and software industry where he gained experience in large international organisations and private equity.

Upon relocating back to Australia in 2015, Scott has worked in the mental health, education and disability sectors. It is from these roles that Scott found a sense of purpose from working with charities and not-for-profits, leading him to the role of Director of Finance and Corporate Services at the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse.

Alisa Hall
Director of Practice Development and Engagement

Alisa is a social worker, service leader and executive with 30 years of experience working in health, community care, and violence against women and children service areas and settings. She has extensive experience leading workforce programs and initiatives to build the capability of practitioners, organisations, sectors and industries, including as Deputy Director of Health and Community Services Workforce Council and Director of Programs at the social impact organisation Pilotlight UK.

With qualifications in social work, public health, organisational behaviour and governance, Alisa has held numerous board and committee roles across the areas of education, consumer advocacy and community care.

Professor Andrea de Silva
Director of Knowledge Generation, Research and Evaluation

Andrea is an experienced applied research professional, knowledge generator and thought leader with over 20 years of experience working across diverse areas of public health, prevention, social justice, and inequalities. Her skills include co-designing and evaluating solutions to complex societal problems informed by lived experience, data, evidence and practice-based knowledge. Andrea uses her expertise and experience to create evidence-based services, policies and laws, and drive system reforms to address barriers that harm, marginalise and oppress.

She has led research teams in top tier universities and previously held roles as Research Director in several Victorian public sector organisations. In addition, Andrea has published over 150 research articles and reports, presented internationally and is an adjunct Professor at Monash University.

Our staff team

We have a group of highly capable staff who work across research, communications, knowledge dissemination and organisational functions and who are committed to ensuring that everything we do strikes a balance between empathy and expertise, between reflective listening and targeted action.

Our governance

The National Centre has an integrated governance and advisory structure that embeds the expertise of adults with lived and living experience of child sexual abuse, the rich strength of knowledge of First Nations Peoples and the voices of children and young people, as well as the expertise of researchers, practitioners, justice organisations, corporate entities, government and policy leaders. There are Board sub-committees and there are Advisory Committees. Each committee has Board-approved Terms of Reference.

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Understanding child sexual abuse

Preventing child sexual abuse by understanding perpetrators’ motivations
Supporting Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Rapid Evidence Reviews
Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)
Preventing repeat child exploitation material offending: An international evaluation of the CEM-COPE Program
Conceptualising and Estimating the Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation (Phase One of Australian Study into Economic Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation)
An environmental scan of Child Sexual Abuse related workforce training offerings in Australia
Enhancing the capability of Australia’s Primary Health Workforce to respond to child sexual abuse
CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Amplifying the voices of victim-survivors: Advancing the harmful sexual behaviour evidence base – the Ava project
Reshaping the Conversation: Development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse
Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Children and Young People’s Safety Project
Child safe practices using contextual safeguarding strategies
The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future
Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors
Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes
Differentiating adverse childhood experience profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Response to child sexual abuse

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.
Supporting Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Rapid Evidence Reviews
Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)
Preventing repeat child exploitation material offending: An international evaluation of the CEM-COPE Program
Evaluation of the Multi-Agency Investigation & Support Team
Conceptualising and Estimating the Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation (Phase One of Australian Study into Economic Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation)
Effect of multi-agency deliberation on perceptions of risk in responses to child abuse and neglect
The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study
CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending
Investigating experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court
Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission
Building trauma-responsive sexual health and relationship education
Learning from victims and survivors about what helps disclosure and responses to child sexual abuse
Amplifying the voices of victim-survivors: Advancing the harmful sexual behaviour evidence base – the Ava project
The dignity by design project: survivor-led system redesign
Evaluating a harmful sexual behaviour education program in a residential care setting
Community as experts: investigating the context, needs and help-seeking pathways for child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters in the NSW Bega Valley
Developing and implementing a framework for abuse prevention through culture change and organisational development
Reshaping the Conversation: Development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse
Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Children and Young People’s Safety Project
Child safe practices using contextual safeguarding strategies
Enhancing the capacity of rural and regional respectful relationship educators
Strengthening relationships and connections for young people in therapeutic residential care
The safeguarding capability of adults in Catholic Church ministries: a global perspective
Creating safer futures: raising public awareness of child sexual abuse among young adults through digital storytelling
Survivor perspectives on institutional use of child sexual abuse material
The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future
Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors
Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes
Differentiating adverse childhood experience profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Needs of victims and survivors

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.
Supporting Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Rapid Evidence Reviews
Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)
Evaluation of the Multi-Agency Investigation & Support Team
The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study
An environmental scan of Child Sexual Abuse related workforce training offerings in Australia
Enhancing the capability of Australia’s Primary Health Workforce to respond to child sexual abuse
Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending
Investigating experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court
Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission
Building trauma-responsive sexual health and relationship education
Learning from victims and survivors about what helps disclosure and responses to child sexual abuse
Amplifying the voices of victim-survivors: Advancing the harmful sexual behaviour evidence base – the Ava project
The dignity by design project: survivor-led system redesign
Supporting continuous quality improvement in safeguarding at Hockey Australia and other national sporting organisations
Evaluating a harmful sexual behaviour education program in a residential care setting
Community as experts: investigating the context, needs and help-seeking pathways for child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters in the NSW Bega Valley
Enhancing the capacity of rural and regional respectful relationship educators
Creating safer futures: raising public awareness of child sexual abuse among young adults through digital storytelling
Survivor perspectives on institutional use of child sexual abuse material
The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future

Prevention of child sexual abuse

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.
Preventing child sexual abuse by understanding perpetrators’ motivations
Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)
Preventing repeat child exploitation material offending: An international evaluation of the CEM-COPE Program
Conceptualising and Estimating the Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation (Phase One of Australian Study into Economic Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation)
The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study
An environmental scan of Child Sexual Abuse related workforce training offerings in Australia
CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Evaluating a harmful sexual behaviour education program in a residential care setting
Developing and implementing a framework for abuse prevention through culture change and organisational development
Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Strengthening relationships and connections for young people in therapeutic residential care
Differentiating adverse childhood experience profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Identification of child sexual abuse

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.
The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study
An environmental scan of Child Sexual Abuse related workforce training offerings in Australia
Enhancing the capability of Australia’s Primary Health Workforce to respond to child sexual abuse
Supporting continuous quality improvement in safeguarding at Hockey Australia and other national sporting organisations
Evaluating a harmful sexual behaviour education program in a residential care setting
Developing and implementing a framework for abuse prevention through culture change and organisational development
Children and Young People’s Safety Project
The safeguarding capability of adults in Catholic Church ministries: a global perspective

Disclosure of child sexual abuse

Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)
The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study
An environmental scan of Child Sexual Abuse related workforce training offerings in Australia
Enhancing the capability of Australia’s Primary Health Workforce to respond to child sexual abuse
Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending
Investigating experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court
Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission
Learning from victims and survivors about what helps disclosure and responses to child sexual abuse
Supporting continuous quality improvement in safeguarding at Hockey Australia and other national sporting organisations
Community as experts: investigating the context, needs and help-seeking pathways for child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters in the NSW Bega Valley