Child Matters champions a future where every child in Aotearoa grows up safe, valued, and free from harm
We are New Zealand’s only national charitable trust dedicated to the prevention of child abuse.
Our mission is to educate, empower, and support communities to protect children and young people from harm
Our unique role
Unlike other countries, New Zealand does not require mandatory child protection training for professionals and volunteers who work with children. Child Matters fills that gap. We enable teachers, coaches, social workers, and any adult who works with children to develop the skills that will allow them to recognise vulnerabilities and signs of abuse. We then arm them with the knowledge and confidence to take action.
Our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins all our services and relationships with iwi, hapū, and Whānau. We recognise our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and we are committed to providing culturally appropriate and supportive services that benefit all our communities.
Child protection training
NZ Diploma in Child Protection, study programmes, workshops, and webinars. Delivered both in-person and online.
Consultancy and policy advice
Supporting organisations with policy development, audits, and practical tools for child protection.
Community engagement
Working alongside schools, NGOs, government agencies, and the public to build protective environments for our tamariki.
Advocacy
Driving systemic change and best practice in child protection across Aotearoa.
Our Team
About
Jane started her career as a barrister and solicitor, before joining the New Zealand Police. After qualifying as a detective, Jane worked on child abuse teams for several years.
Jane has also worked as a counter fraud specialist in the United Kingdom, where she led a team responsible for fraud detection and investigation in the National Health Service.
After returning to New Zealand, Jane worked as a trainer and investigator for local government, financial institutions, insurance companies and the health sector, before joining Child Matters in 2015.
About
Megan is a qualified and registered social worker. Prior to coming to Child Matters in 2019, Megan worked at Oranga Tamariki for a number of years where she held the roles of social worker and then Specialist Child Witness Interviewer, which included progressing to a National Assessor and co-trainer for Child Witness Interviewing. More recently she worked as a social work supervisor for Oranga Tamariki.
Megan also has experience working as a social worker on the paediatric ward at Waikato Hospital. As the National Services Manager, Megan is responsible for leading a team of Child Protection Consultants and for the delivery of the child protection trainings, consultancy and policy advisory services. She is also a member of the Waikato Child, Youth Mortality Review Group. Megan is also the Chair of the Hamilton Oranga Tamariki Care and Protection Resource Panel.
About
Richard is a former senior police detective, starting his career in the Metropolitan Police (London) before transferring to the New Zealand Police.
He has led Multi-Agency Child Protection, Adult Sexual Assault and Sex Offender Management teams. Working closely with Oranga Tamariki and a specialised team of health professionals, he embedded the Child Protection Protocols.
In collaboration with Oranga Tamariki, he developed and implemented the investigation practices for mass victim allegations in educational facilities.
Richard is a skilled and empathetic investigator with vast experience in the field of child abuse prevention and detection.
About
Prior to emigrating to New Zealand, Alan worked in the United Kingdom Prison Service. In New Zealand, Alan has 25 years’ experience with the New Zealand Police.
After he qualified as a detective, Alan specialised in serious child abuse investigation.
Additionally, Alan spent five years as the domestic violence mentor to Vanuatu, spending time both in-country and remotely driving improvements in legislation, policy and best practice.
About
Helen has 18 years’ experience working with perpetrators of abuse, their victims, and their children.
She spent 10 years working with victims and children experiencing or surviving the effects of domestic violence with Te Whakaruruhau Maori Women’s Refuge and Hamilton Refuge and Support Services as an advocate for change, as well as finance and funding manager for both refuges.
Helen worked for six years with Family Works Waikato as the family/whānau victim’s advocate on the NZ Police Family Safety Team. She also spent two years with the Department of Corrections as a Reintegration Co-ordinator for Tai Aroha Intensive Treatment Unit for high risk violent offenders, and as a Waikato Probation Officers specialising in PAC (Providing Advice to the Courts) report writing.
Helen’s passion is working with families/whānau experiencing domestic violence issues and abuse, with a focus on education and tailored holistic interventions, programme design, and programme evaluation.
Helen joined Child Matters in January 2018 and draws on her immense experience working with both perpetrators and victims of abuse when developing and delivering her training.
About
Karen joined Child Matters in 2020. Karen began her foray into social services in the 90’s working in a community agency where she facilitated family violence groups prior to returning to tertiary education in 1996.
Karen then joined Oranga Tamariki and has built up 20 years’ experience as a frontline worker at Oranga Tamariki. Karen has worked in a number of roles at Oranga Tamariki and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the area of child protection.
Karen has is committed to improving outcomes for all tamariki throughout Aotearoa.
Our Board
Our Board of Trustees brings a wealth of professional skills, experience, and diversity, providing strategic guidance and oversight to ensure Child Matters remains sustainable and impactful. The dedication of our team and Board is central to our success.
Edgar Wilson
Chair
About
Edgar Wilson serves as a Justice of the Peace and a Marriage Celebrant. With over 40 years of experience in teaching and educational leadership, Edgar has significantly contributed to secondary education both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He is presently contracted to Wintec as Community Advisor through the process of Wintec being reestablished as a stand-alone Institute of Technology.
His leadership skills are demonstrated through his recent tenure as Chair of trust Waikato, and Chair of K’aute Pasifika, a community organisation dedicated to supporting Pacific peoples in New Zealand. Currently, Edgar holds several key positions: he is the Chair of Child Matters, an organisation focused on child protection studies, and a Trustee of the Waikato Housing Initiative (WHI), contributing to the development of housing solutions in the Waikato region.
His extensive experience and dedication to various sectors underscore his commitment to community service and leadership.
Andrea Twaddle
Co-Deputy Chair
About
Andrea Twaddle is a director at DTI Lawyers, a specialist employment lawyer and workplace investigator. Andrea has extensive experience advising and representing clients on people and culture matters, including privacy and health and safety. Andrea has a special interest in the education and mental health sectors, and acts in Coronial Inquiries. She is a Deputy Chair of New Zealand’s Sports Tribunal.
Andrea is an educator on legal issues and a member of the New Zealand Law Society Employment Law Committee, which monitors and makes submissions on proposed changes to employment legislation and maintains a close relationship with the judiciary and relevant government departments.
Brendon Mclean
Co-Deputy Chair
About
Brendon McLean is the Head of Procurement and Sales Operations Planning at Prolife Foods. Brendon has extensive experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry in New Zealand, Australia, and Asia, bringing with him strategic and commercial knowledge.
Brendon has a Bachelor of Commerce in marketing and management. He was also a member of the Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation programme in 2016, whose mission is to build future leaders who can reimagine a stronger Waikato from asocial, environmental, cultural, and economic perspective.
Andrew Clements
Trustee
About
Andrew Clements is the Director and Lawyer and Notary Public at Grayson Clements Lawyers. Andrew regularly advises businesses, business families, private wealth clients (domestically and internationally), and charitable entities. He specialises in structural design, family governance, trusts and succession.
He is a past New Zealand editorial advisor to the British Trusts and Trustees Law Journal and a full member of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners (TEP). Andrew has managed national and local training providers and consulted at the board level in the STEM, educational and philanthropic sectors.
Anthea Simcock
Trustee
About
Anthea Simcock has a background in both education and child therapy and was the founding chief executive officer of Child Matters, a role she held for 23 years. In 2012 she was awarded an ONZM for services to children.
She has held many local and national roles, memberships and appointments in the social services and NFP sectors and now brings her knowledge and experience to a governance role on the Child Matters board.
Siaki Tokolahi
Trustee
About
Siaki Tokolahi is a Registered Social Worker and a member of the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) for the Social Workers Registration Board of New Zealand. He currently serves as the Practice Manager for the Te Haumirimiri Ngākau Mokopuna program, a partnership initiative between Kirikiriroa Family Services Trust, K’aute Pasifika, Tuu Oho Mai, and Oranga Tamariki. This program responds to Reports of Concern in central Hamilton and works alongside whānau to develop strategies that enhance child safety and wellbeing.
Siaki has previously held several leadership positions within District Health Boards (DHBs), often pioneering innovative roles that were the first of their kind.
Siaki is of Tongan descent and he brings both a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to strengthening the wellbeing of children and communities across the region.
Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai
Trustee
About
Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai (Te Rarawa, Waikato) is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Maori at the University of Waikato. Sarah-Jane’s PhD was in Maori Studies with a focus on Maori success in education.
She has over 20 years’ experience in the tertiary sector as a lecturer, researcher and executive leader working in university and wananga as well as 7 years as inaugural academic director of the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development, an iwi-led academic and research institution.
She is passionate about working in spaces that connect and enable her to contribute to advancing the needs of Māori and indigenous communities in Aotearoa and worldwide.
