Presenters

Professor Maria Harries, Co-Director, Ferret Consulting; Adjunct Professor Curtin University
Professor Maria Harries AM is a nationally and internationally recognised social work practitioner, researcher, and scholar in the areas of child and family wellbeing, child protection/maltreatment, family violence and mental health over a career spanning fifty years. She has undertaken multiple reviews of services, conducted inquiries into child deaths and incidents of serious malpractice, and has led and been engaged in re-designs of child and youth safety services across Australian jurisdictions. She has often testified as an expert witness and is experienced at preparing reports for civil court matters. Professor Harries has been particularly active in establishing and supporting services for vulnerable populations including survivors of abuse including sexual abuse. She has always pursued an evidence-base that links academic research to teaching, policy development and practice excellence. She is a co-founder of Ferret Consulting.


Professor Bob Lonne, Consultant, Ferret Consulting
Bob Lonne, PhD is a Professor of Social Work with a distinguished 40-year practice, managerial, academic and research career in child protection, being an advocate for systemic reform and prevention strategies for child abuse and neglect. He has consulted for a range of Australian and international agencies about practice, policy and system developments. He is an accomplished author and was a former National President of the Australian Association of Social Workers. Professor Lonne has completed more than 40 high-quality reports as a legal expert witness in civil litigation, Coronial inquiries and judicial inquiries on matters concerning harm to children and adults associated with the child protection and juvenile justice systems, schools and recreational organisations, in Australian jurisdictions. He was cited extensively in the final report of the Queensland Carmody judicial inquiry into the child protection system. His reputation is for combining extensive research of the legal/institutional context with a hands-on understanding of how policies and culture shape practice, and how this can lead to harm and unintended consequences. Professor Lonne is the co-founder of Ferret Consulting.


Hayley Aldrich, Partner, Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers
Hayley is a passionate lawyer with experience in litigation and compensation law. She has developed a practice with significant focus on representing and securing access to justice for members of the Stolen Generations, and others who have suffered as a result of sexual, physical and emotional/mental abuse as children. She is one of the most respected experts in this field, in part due to her dedication in developing and running a trauma informed practice. For Hayley, this work truly makes a difference to people, and goes beyond individual clients receiving compensation. As part of the settlement process, abuse victims receive a personal apology from the defendant institution or department, which means a lot to them. Hayley’s practice also includes acting for people in a range of personal injury matters, general litigation and international torts. She regularly appears in the District Court of NSW, the Supreme Court of NSW and the Personal Injury Commission. She has provided advice to clients in the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) appeals, SafeWork NSW Investigations, Victims Compensation applications for the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme, applications for the National Redress Scheme, Applications in the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), applications in various states Civil and Administrative Tribunals, Coronial proceedings, and to witnesses appearing at the NSW Parliament General Purpose Standing Committee’s Injury into Stolen Generations Reparations, and the witnesses appearing at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses of Child Sexual Abuse.