Board Members

CAFAWA is currently actively participating in numerous working parties and consultation forums and processes and has provided feedback on a number of consultation papers.

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Information

Helen Nys has a long career across government and the sector in Australia and Overseas with a strong interest in the Child Protection and Out of Home Care Systems. Helen is the WA State Director Child Youth and Family for Life Without Barriers, a national provider of services in Out of Home Care. As Co-Chair of CAFAWA Helen is focused on collaboration across the sector, government and community partners to deliver first class services for children with a particular focus on growing and strengthening the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector.

Fiona Cafferty has over 27 years’ experience working with children, young people and families.

Fiona began her career as a Social Care Worker in Scotland before relocating to Australia in 2005. She was initially employed at UnitingCare Adelaide and went on to become a Senior Support Worker, Case Worker, Team Leader and Manager at Uniting WA (previously UnitingCare West) in Perth. She is currently the Practice Lead Children’s Services and chairs the Child Safe Working Group at Uniting WA.

Fiona has a Post Graduate Certificate in Developmental Trauma from the Australian Childhood Foundation and completing a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Disability and Community Rehabilitation) at Flinders University. She’s also completed the Rising Leaders Program at Leadership WA.

In addition to her board position for Child and Family Alliance WA, Fiona sits on the Children’s Policy Advisory Committee.

As a mother of three adults and a grandmother of three children, Fiona is passionate about nurturing children to create positive outcomes for the next generation, with a specific focus on children who have experienced trauma and children living with a disability.

Jennifer Hannan is currently the part time Executive Officer for the Child and Family Alliance WA and works as a Consultant. Previously she was the State Director for MacKillop Family Services before that worked as a Manager and Executive Director for a number of not for profit organisations including Relationships Australia, Centacare and Anglicare over her 40 year career.

Jennifer was past Chair and Board member of FRSA and Families Australia, served for 5 years on the Family Law Council of Australia as the community sector appointee and has current positions on the Department for Child Protection Department (WA) Case Review Panel and is Chairperson of the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre Board.

I have over 30 years in the community service sector primarily in the government (25 years) starting off as a case worker in child protection to managing offices in New Zealand and the Northern Territory (Central Australia). Our family came to WA Jan 2014 where I joined the Department as an Assistant Director for Residential Care. During this time I have had the opportunity to work at the Disability Justice Centre; in the Rockingham District Office; in the East Kimberly region and latterly with Yorganop on a seven month secondment. My heart has always been to get back to being part of a practice based organisation and when this opportunity came up to work with Wanslea I jumped at the chance knowing it would ignite a passion. I am the Operations Manager and oversee the OOHC team, Homestretch and our Leaving Care Service.

Elizabeth, better known as Libby, is the CEO of FINWA. Libby joined FINWA in July from Yorganop, Western Australia’s only Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation providing foster care, as the Executive Manager of the Out of Home Care Program form more than 9 years accumulatively. Libby has worked both within the Community Sector and the Department (of Communities – Child Protection and Family Support) in various roles, including frontline child protection and as a foster carer, both metropolitan and regionally based. Libby holds a Bachelor of Social Work, Graduate Certificate in Child Protection Practice and Diploma of Leadership and Management.

Kellie has over 20 years’ experience working with children and families in Western Australia with strong experience working in regional and remote areas, alongside Aboriginal Communities and in the out of home care sector. Kellie leads the West Australian services for Mackillop Family Services including foster care services in the Perth Metropolitan area, specialist foster care and an emergency support service in the Southwest and general foster care, Indigenous Healing service and Intensive and Family Support services in the Pilbara region.

With qualifications in psychology and a history working in health, disability, mental health and with the Department of Communities, Kellie has been instrumental in ensuing high quality, trauma informed care for children in residential care, secure care, and foster care for more than 15 years.

Having an expert knowledge of the Sanctuary Model, Kellie has developed and facilitated Sanctuary training, created resources, and continues to be involved in consultation around the Sanctuary framework at Mackillop and as a national consultant.

Matt Harbisher is a Goori Man originally from Bundjalung Country Northern Rivers NSW and has over 12 years experience in the Aboriginal Child protection sector including Early Intervention, Out of Home Care, After Care and Residential Care programs Across NSW, QLD & WA.

He is the Manager Child Family & Kinship Services at South West Aboriginal Medical Service that currently delivers the OOHC and Home Stretch Programs to the South West Region.

Matt is a husband and father of 5 children with 2 more (twins) on the way, due in January 2025.

Matt previously managed the largest Aboriginal OOHC agency in Northern NSW and has a deep commitment to keeping Aboriginal Children with their families and connected to their culture.

He has also previously worked as CEO’s for Aboriginal Community Organizations in both WA and NSW.

Josephine Pickering is a qualified Social Worker with 25 years experience who has worked in the Statutory Child Protection system both in the United Kingdom and Australia. She is currently working as Executive Manager Practice Development for Accordwest. Josephine is

passionate about good quality supervision which keeps the work and organisations safe.

Josephone’s aim is to support the sector in reaching the vision for ensuring Young People reach their potential and that fewer children need to enter the care system.

Brenda Yelland has had a successful Social Work career spanning over 30 plus years. Brenda graduated from Curtin University (WAIT) in 1985 with a Bachelor of Social Work. Her first 18 months of practice was based in the Northern Territory, working on several remote Aboriginal communities while based in Katherine. Brenda returned to Perth and has since held Social Work positions in both community service organisations and Department for Child Protection. She spent several years at Anglicare recruiting and providing support to a group of foster carers dedicated to providing emergency placements for children in need of urgent care. Following an 18 month world trip Brenda commenced at Mercy Care. In this role she supported several group homes and a youth accommodation services, both targeting children in the care of the Department. Following 10 years as a Senior Social Worker in a metropolitan district office for the Department of Child Protection, she went on to become a Senior Practice Development Officer supporting other field officers charged with supporting and training Foster Carers. Brenda was then invited to assume management of a centralised respite project, that later become a recurrently funded programme within the Fostering and Adoptions Services of the Department. Brenda has also held roles in leading a permanent care programme and the local and intercountry adoptions teams. Brenda was appointed as the Assistant Director of Fostering and Adoptions in 2012 where she remained until coming to Key Assets in 2015 as the Assistant Director, a new post within the company. Brenda was appointed as the State Director for Key Assets Western Australia in July 2019.

Brenda is enjoying the challenges of her directorship and looks forward to continuing to make a positive and lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families.

Christine has over 13 years’ experience working with children, young people and families and is currently Operations Manager for Out of Home Care at Wanslea.

Christine has significant experience in Out of Home Care in Western Australia, from managing Group Homes, working in Specialist and Disability Foster Care and currently in General Foster Care.

Christine is passionate about child protection, foster care, human rights, children’ safety and well-being, trauma-informed care and culturally safe care for children.

Helen Nys

Barbara Henry

Fiona Cafferty

Jennifer Hannan AM

James Gatenby

Elizabeth Cramer

Kellie Goes

Mark Harbisher

Jodi Guerinoni

Guy Rees

Kieran Dent

Josephine Pickering

Brenda Yelland

Christine Lindahl