The National Child Protection Alliance of Australia [NCPA] is a non-profit organisation dedicated to ensuring the protection of Children and Young People from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The NCPA was formed by researchers, academics, child welfare/protection professionals, advocates for children, Children’s lawyers, Parents and Children and Young People of Australia to promote the Rights of Children underthe U.N. Convention and in particular:
• The Rights of Children and Young People to be protected from Harm and Exploitation
• The Rights of Children and Young People to express their own views in any judicial and administrative proceedings, and for their views to be given full account in decisions affecting their lives
NCPA Committee for 2018/2019
Chairperson
Vice Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
COMMITTEE:
Public Officer
CONSULTANTS:
Expert Consultant
Legal Advisor
Media Liaison
Webmaster
Niki Norris, AM
Charles Pragnell Dip.S.W., L.R.C.C. [U.K. Home Office]
Bernadette McMillan
Geoff Jessup
Kim Johnson, Deborah Martin, Robert Deal
Geoff Jessup
.
Charles Pragnell Dip.S.W., L.R.C.C. [U.K. Home Office]
Flora Zaydenberg
Cecelia Haddad
Paul Murphy
Chairperson: Niki Norris, AM
Vice Chair: Charles Pragnell Dip.S.W., L.R.C.C. [U.K. Home Office]
Treasurer: Bernadette McMillan
Secretary: Geoff Jessup
COMMITTEE:
- Kim Johnson
- Deborah Martin
- Robert Deal
Public Officer: Geoff Jessup
CONSULTANTS:
Expert Consultant: Charles Pragnell Dip.S.W., L.R.C.C. [U.K. Home Office]
Legal Advisor: Flora Zaydenberg
Media Liaison: Cecelia Haddad
Webmaster: Paul Murphy
Founders of NCPA
Nicolette (Niki) Norris AM
Niki is the Chair of the National Child Protection Alliance Australia and in 2017 was invested as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community and particularly to the rights of children to care and protection and to voice their views and opinions. She is currently focusing on social policy, youth resilience and leadership (NSW) and the ongoing and damaging effects of trauma caused to children and the protective parent when they become involved in Family Court proceedings.
Niki has been an advocate for children and young people and their families for over a decade. She was a founding member of the NCPA, held the role of Vice Chair since inauguration and took on the role of Chair in 2017. Her specialist area of responsibility within the NCPA has been in Parliamentary Liaison and the setting up of groups of children and young people, and parents, to provide an opportunity for them to speak about their experiences and how Federal and State systems are failing children and their protective parent and what changes are necessary in both State and Federal Law Acts.
Niki hosted and organised seminars and several forums in NSW Parliament House where she and other key speakers outlined the problems to parliamentarians and representatives from Child Protection Services and organisations. She spoke in the Parliamentary Inquiry General Purpose Standing Committee No 2 into Child Protection in May 2016, also in a Senate Inquiry in Canberra in July 2011 and in August 2018 addressed a Family Law Summit in Melbourne.
Niki’s work in NSW has saved a number of children from ongoing violence and/or sexual abuse after the Family Court ruled they must live with or spend time with an abusive or negligent parent. Those children are now young adults and NCPA has provided opportunities for them to speak directly to Ministers, Commissioners and Senators to explain that vital changes are necessary to protect other children from suffering similar trauma.
Under the umbrella of the NCPA a new group was formed called, ‘Young People Against Child Abuse’ and Niki is now mentoring young survivors and other keen young people and taking them to speak with State and Federal leaders to explain the damaging aftermath and ongoing trauma which has been forced upon them by systemic failures.
Charles Pragnell Dip.S.W., L.R.C.C. [U.K. Home Office]
For many years Charles Pragnell was an independent Expert Defence Witness for Child Protection and has given evidence to courts in England, Scotland, and New Zealand. Since 1990 he has acted as an advocate/representative for children and families in child protection matters and other proceedings involving various state agencies. Since 1996 he has made special studies of issues involving Munchausen’s Syndrome By Proxy, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Charles has almost forty years of experience working directly with children and young people as a social worker and senior manager of social services. He has undertaken research for the UK National Children’s Bureau and other educational, social and health services and appeared at national and international conferences presenting on children’s issues (including child protection) and social policy, and has lectured at English and Australian universities as a Visiting Lecturer. Charles is regularly published in journals in the U.K., South Africa and Online. He was a member of an international working party of social workers in child and family services which was set up by the Federation Internationale de Communite’ Educative to produce an international Code of Ethical Conduct and Practice Principles for social workers worldwide. He has presented evidence on child protection matters to government Inquiries in the UK and in Australia.
Charles presently occupies the position of Vice Chairman of the Australian National Child Protection Alliance, a body formed and comprised by academics, researchers, lawyers, psychologists, child advocates and protective parents with a view to assisting in the development and improvement of child protection services in Australia in order to promote Australia’s commitment to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the Australian government in 1991 and which is now embodied in the Family Law Act.
Founders of NCPA
Nicolette (Niki) Norris AM
Niki is the Chair of the National Child Protection Alliance Australia and in 2017 was invested as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community and particularly to the rights of children to care and protection and to voice their views and opinions. She is currently focusing on social policy, youth resilience and leadership (NSW) and the ongoing and damaging effects of trauma caused to children and the protective parent when they become involved in Family Court proceedings.
Niki has been an advocate for children and young people and their families for over a decade. She was a founding member of the NCPA, held the role of Vice Chair since inauguration and took on the role of Chair in 2017. Her specialist area of responsibility within the NCPA has been in Parliamentary Liaison and the setting up of groups of children and young people, and parents, to provide an opportunity for them to speak about their experiences and how Federal and State systems are failing children and their protective parent and what changes are necessary in both State and Federal Law Acts.
Niki hosted and organised seminars and several forums in NSW Parliament House where she and other key speakers outlined the problems to parliamentarians and representatives from Child Protection Services and organisations. She spoke in the Parliamentary Inquiry General Purpose Standing Committee No 2 into Child Protection in May 2016, also in a Senate Inquiry in Canberra in July 2011 and in August 2018 addressed a Family Law Summit in Melbourne.
Niki’s work in NSW has saved a number of children from ongoing violence and/or sexual abuse after the Family Court ruled they must live with or spend time with an abusive or negligent parent. Those children are now young adults and NCPA has provided opportunities for them to speak directly to Ministers, Commissioners and Senators to explain that vital changes are necessary to protect other children from suffering similar trauma.
Under the umbrella of the NCPA a new group was formed called, ‘Young People Against Child Abuse’ and Niki is now mentoring young survivors and other keen young people and taking them to speak with State and Federal leaders to explain the damaging aftermath and ongoing trauma which has been forced upon them by systemic failures.
Charles Pragnell Dip.S.W., L.R.C.C. [U.K. Home Office]
For many years Charles Pragnell was an independent Expert Defence Witness for Child Protection and has given evidence to courts in England, Scotland, and New Zealand. Since 1990 he has acted as an advocate/representative for children and families in child protection matters and other proceedings involving various state agencies. Since 1996 he has made special studies of issues involving Munchausen’s Syndrome By Proxy, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Charles has almost forty years of experience working directly with children and young people as a social worker and senior manager of social services. He has undertaken research for the UK National Children’s Bureau and other educational, social and health services and appeared at national and international conferences presenting on children’s issues (including child protection) and social policy, and has lectured at English and Australian universities as a Visiting Lecturer. Charles is regularly published in journals in the U.K., South Africa and Online. He was a member of an international working party of social workers in child and family services which was set up by the Federation Internationale de Communite’ Educative to produce an international Code of Ethical Conduct and Practice Principles for social workers worldwide. He has presented evidence on child protection matters to government Inquiries in the UK and in Australia.
Charles presently occupies the position of Vice Chairman of the Australian National Child Protection Alliance, a body formed and comprised by academics, researchers, lawyers, psychologists, child advocates and protective parents with a view to assisting in the development and improvement of child protection services in Australia in order to promote Australia’s commitment to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the Australian government in 1991 and which is now embodied in the Family Law Act.
Awards
On 4th May 2017, the Chair of the National Child Protection Alliance, Nicolette Norris AM, was awarded as a Member of the Order of Australia. Her investiture took place at NSW Government House and was presented to her by Governor David Hurley.
Niki received this Award for significant service to the community, particularly to the rights, protection and welfare of children.
Awards
On 4th May 2017, the Chair of the National Child Protection Alliance, Nicolette Norris AM, was awarded as a Member of the Order of Australia. Her investiture took place at NSW Government House and was presented to her by Governor David Hurley.
Niki received this Award for significant service to the community, particularly to the rights, protection and welfare of children.
Having won the Heathcote 2015, Local Woman of the Year Award, Niki Norris attended the Women of the Year Awards Luncheon at NSW Parliament House, with other local awardees. With her are the Minister for Families and Community Services, Pru Goward and Niki’s local member for Heathcote, Lee Evans.
Having won the Heathcote 2015, Local Woman of the Year Award, Niki Norris attended the Women of the Year Awards Luncheon at NSW Parliament House, with other local awardees. With her are the Minister for Families and Community Services, Pru Goward and Niki’s local member for Heathcote, Lee Evans.