Quality and Safeguarding
Virtual Conference

Catherine Kearney has worked as the Quality and Compliance Manager at Sunnyfield for three years. Catherine has a history working in regulatory and human services for the last 20 years and is passionate about quality service delivery and a commitment to ensuring participants achieve the best possible outcomes.

Michele is a Clinial Governance Advisor and Registered Nurse. She has a Masters Degreee in Health Service Management and specialises in incident and complaint management, including cases involving Complaints Commission, Police, Coroner and Workplace Safety regulators. Michele teaches Defensible Documentation to show staff how to simplify documentation and ensure it can defend staff and organisations when care is questioned.

John Carrigan is National Manager, Quality & Safeguarding for National Disability Services, the peak body for non-government disability service providers. John has been working for the last several years on a project targeting capacity-building and -readiness supports to providers transitioning into the NDIS across NSW, VIC, QLD and the NT. Prior to working on this project, John spent several years working in local government and non-government community services across Western Sydney, especially the Hills and Blacktown.

Sharon is a Company Director for Engels, Floyd and Associates. EFA was formed in 2012, and are national ‘experts’ in the area of quality improvement for the disability sector, and the ‘go to’ consultants to support NDIS providers. EFA is the only consulting group trusted by the NDIS Commission to train the hundreds of auditors required to audit NDIS providers. Jen Engels has the lived experience of disability, which provides a critical lens over the importance of quality supports for NDIS participants. Sharon's previous work with the Commonwealth government involved developing the first ever certification system for disability services.

Luana Atger, Policy and Practice Lead: A teacher by trade, Luana Atger has worked in disability and mental health both in Australia and New Zealand for close to 20 years. Adrian Marshall, Policy Architect: Adrian has worked in the disability sector for over 15 years and is passionate about providing workers with useful information that supports their vital work.

Jenny has had over thirty years working in the aged, disability and community sectors. She has also held positions in local, state and federal governments in regulatory environments, including the NSW Community Services Commission (which merged into the NSW Ombudsmans Office) and the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance. Jenny has previously been a judicial member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Guardianship Division for 13 years. Jenny has also over the past twelve years been a Board member and is now Chairperson of a NSW specialist disability legal advocacy service.

Edwina Pickering is a Sector Support Consultant in the NDS NSW office; providing support to organisations that are transitioning across to the NDIS framework. Edwina has more than 30 years’ experience in the health and community sectors, including managing government and non-government disability services, managing programs for the NSW Community Services Commission and NSW Ombudsman, and as a consultant assisting organisations improve the quality of services.

Fiona has worked in the disability sector with children and young adults throughout her career. Fiona was employed by RFW 5 years ago to develop their disability specific program and innovative ways of delivering it to children who live in rural and remote NSW

Karen is the NSW State Manager for National Disability Services. Karen has been active in supporting the disability sector understand the implications of and adapt to the new operating environment bought about by the NDIS and the new quality and safeguarding framework.

Karen has a Master’s of Business Leadership and over 20 years in senior management roles in the community sector, and was the CEO of a disability service prior to joining NDS in 2013.

Peter is the Manager of Independent Specialists on the FACS Central Restrictive Practices Team. He has over 25 years’ experience as a manager and behaviour support practitioner with government and non-government disability services.

John Carrigan is National Manager, Quality & Safeguarding for National Disability Services, the peak body for non-government disability service providers. John has been working for the last several years on a project targeting capacity-building and -readiness supports to providers transitioning into the NDIS across NSW, VIC, QLD and the NT. Prior to working on this project, John spent several years working in local government and non-government community services across Western Sydney, especially the Hills and Blacktown.