Simon Hackett
CHAIR
Simon has been a member of NOTA since 1992 and has served the organisation in multiple roles over time, including being Chair of the North West Branch, as well as Convenor of the Member Services and Policy & Practice Committees. He was a previous Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sexual Aggression. Simon was Vice Chair of NOTA between 2010 and 2014, taking over the role of Chair from Gail McGregor in 2014. Simon is Professor of Child Abuse and Neglect and Associate Provost at Durham University, UK. His research relates largely to interpersonal violence and child maltreatment in its various forms. He is well known specifically in relation to his work with children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours.
Sarah Brown
Vice Chair
Sarah Brown has been conducting research related to sexual aggression for over 20 years. She is a Forensic Psychologist, Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Sarah a Fellow of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) and Higher Education Academy (HEA) and an Advisory Board Member of the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse. She is an Associate Editor of Child Abuse and Neglect and a member of the Editorial Board of Sexual Abuse and the Journal of Sexual Aggression having been the Editor of the latter journal from 2008 to 2014.
https://pureportal.coventry.ac.uk/en/persons/sarah-brown
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sarah_Brown20
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Chair-Elect
My vision for NOTA is that it continues to provide support to all who are working together to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation.
INTERESTING FACT:
I am a campanologist.
Malcolm Muskett
GENERAL MANAGER
Having trained as a Social Worker I worked within safeguarding for local authority teams and managing investigation services for the NSPCC. I have worked as NOTA’s General Manager since 2006.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
General Manager:
I believe NOTA has an important role in bringing together professional working in a very challenging area. It offers excellent ground breaking training and has the potential to offer wider support to other professionals working to prevent abuse and exploitation.
INTERESTING FACT:
I have written several articles about playing poker which have had more than 1 million views.
Malcolm Dick
FINANCE DIRECTOR
I am now retired having spent most of my working life with Barnardos, leaving the organisation as an Assistant Director Finance and Admin. for the North East.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Finance Director:
My vision for NOTA is that it is seen as, and operates as, an organisation with the highest standards of governance and is financially sound and sustainable now and in the future.
Dr Stephanie Hill
SECRETARY
I am a Consultant Psychologist practising across the domains of forensic and clinical psychology. I have worked extensively with adult offenders presenting with complex mental health problems alongside their criminal behaviour. This has been across both inpatient and community settings, working with both groups and on an individual basis. I now work independently in the North of England.
My role on the NOTA Board is as secretary. I have a long involvement with NOTA at local branch level and hope it not only retains its position amongst professionals often working in challenging situations but extends its prominence and influence to effect policies at a national level.
Anna Glinski
NOTA NEWS EDITOR
Anna is currently the Deputy Director (knowledge and practice development) at the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse. The CSA Centre was established to help bring about significant and system-wide change in how CSA is responded to locally and nationally in England and Wales. Anna is a qualified social worker and prior to joining the CSA Centre in November 2017, she worked for 16 years within statutory front line child protection and specialist services as a practitioner and manager.
Within the Local Authority, Anna specialised in child sexual abuse work, developing and leading an in-house, multi-disciplinary, specialist team which provided assessments, interventions, supervision, consultation and training. She acted as an expert witness in the family courts on child sexual abuse cases.
Anna sits on the What Works Centre for Social Care Advisory Board and is an Associate Tutor at the University of Sussex.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Anna is the Editor of NOTA News, taking on the role after 4 years working in the editorial team. Having been supported professionally by NOTA since first joining the organisation some years ago, Anna is keen that NOTA continues to provide accessible, varied, relevant and topical knowledge to the membership.
Anna’s hope is that NOTA News provides members with a useful overview of what is going on in the field, in a format that is easy to read and digest. Since joining the editorial team, she has been keen to include articles from the service user perspective, as well as from academics, researchers and practitioners in the field.
Afroditi Pina
JSA EDITOR
Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology and a member of the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP) at the University of Kent. Her primary research interests include sexual violence against women and men, including rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. She has been a data collection manager in research evaluating the mandatory use of the Polygraph as a means for managing offenders in the community for the Ministry of Justice, as well as examine the use of and exposure to pornography of children and young people for the Office of the Childrens Commissioner. Her recent research focuses on online social media use and antisocial behaviours, including cyber-harassment, image based sexual abuse (a.k.a revenge porn) and cybercrime.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
I have joined the NOTA board as the Editor of NOTA’s journal: the Journal of Sexual Aggression. My vision for the Journal (and consequently NOTA) is to strengthen its place as an outlet for cutting edge research on sexual aggression and violence that is methodologically strong and can inform and be informed by current practice.
Kate Walker
Membership Services Committee Chair
Dr. Kate Walker is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Advances in Behavioural Science (CABS) at Coventry University (https://www.coventry.ac.uk/). She works within the Violence Prevention, Resilience and Justice (VPRJ) Theme (https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/areas-of-research/advances-in-behavioural-science/violence-and-interpersonal-aggression/)
Her particular research focus is related to desistance from intimate partner violence and the behavioural changes associated with this process. Her research includes the development and evaluation of primary and tertiary interventions for the prevention of violence and interpersonal aggression in adult and adolescent populations. She has recently been involved in the development, implementation and delivery of a solution focused brief therapy intervention for partner-violent men and women both in prison and the community.
In addition to this her work focuses on the characteristics of perpetrators of sexual and intimate partner-violence, and recently she has been working with the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse and the NSPCC examining this specifically in relation to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). Other research interests include non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit media (image-based sexual abuse). Specifically, this work includes understanding the motivations behind and decision-making processes associated with non-consensual sharing, its impact and establishing the prevention and intervention needs of those who experience or perpetrate this behaviour.
My role on the NOTA Board is as secretary. I have a long involvement with NOTA at local branch level and hope it not only retains its position amongst professionals often working in challenging situations but extends its prominence and influence to effect policies at a national level.
VISION FOR NOTA:
To increase the reach of NOTA, engaging with a diverse range of practitioners, academics, intervention providers and individuals whose work to treat abuse, in order to eliminate the occurrence of abuse and the long-term impact this has on others.
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:
I have played Number 8 in rugby at county level (and captained the team), trialled for England, but actually played for Ireland, when the captain managed to sneak me in as one of the Irish team!
Mitch Waterman
RESEARCH COMMITTEE CHAIR
Mitch is Professor of Forensic Psychological Science in the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds. His research, often with graduate students, has examined the nature of aggression in violent offenders, drug use in prisons, and most recently male sexual thoughts in offending and non-offending populations with Dr Tamara Turner-Moore. The Sexual Thoughts Project is the foundation of a collaboration that he and Dr Turner-Moore are conducting with Professor Elizabeth Letourneau, Director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins University in the USA. Other research focuses on self-harm in prison and adolescent populations, development of peer-led problem solving interventions in prisons, and clinical research, examining trauma, dissociation and psychoses. From 2008 to 2018, Mitch was Pro-Dean for Student Education in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Leeds, responsible for approximately 6000 taught students on approximately 160 programme of study. He remains chair of the University’s Assessment Strategy and Leeds Curriculum Evaluation Groups, is principal chair of the University’s Student Appeals Committee (the Committee on Applications – a Committee of Senate) and co-chair of the University’s Professional Development Steering Group.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Chair of the NOTA Research Committee, with a vision to make research (=evidence) accessible to NOTA members, improve understanding of research findings and methods to provide NOTA members with a sound critical appreciation of evidence. The Research Committee administers the NOTA Research Grant Scheme, accessible to all NOTA members.
INTERESTING FACT:
A lover of classical music, formerly a singer and clarinet player, now with more than 6,000 CDs.
Kieran McCartan
Press, social media and impact
Kieran McCartan is a Professor in Criminology at University of the West of England, Bristol; an Adjunct at Queensland University of Technology; and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield. Professor McCartan is also the International representative on the ATSA executive board.Professor McCartan has a track record of public, academic and professional engagement on criminological issues, including the origins and causes of sex offending, and societal responses to sex offenders. He has developed a wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary network around sex offender management and reintegration.
https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/KieranMccartanhttps://sajrt.blogspot.co.uk/http://www.notaprevention.co.uk/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kieran_Mccartan
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Board Member responsible for press, social media and impact.
Stuart Allardyce
POLICY / PRACTICE CHAIR
The Policy and Practice Sub-Committee helps develop policy and good practice within the organisation and in the wider professional community.
Terms of Reference This committee: 1.) assists in the development of NOTA policy, including drafting policy documents relating to key aspects of sex offender work;
2.) promotes ‘good practice’ both within the organisation and externally.
- ) assists NOTA in positively influencing the wider policy response to sex offenders. This includes the formulation of formal responses to proposed government legislation, guidance and consultation papers, etc
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
As an associate member of the Board, Amanda brings a voluntary sector view that focusses on the rights of children to quality support and intervention and the impact of this intervention to ensure safeguarding and positive outcomes for all children across the life course.
INTERESTING FACT:
Plays guitar in a Captain Beefheart Tribute Band (https://www.orangeclawhammer.net/)
Gail McGregor
CONFERENCE CHAIR
Roger Kennington
TRAINING COMMITTEE CHAIR
Roger worked for the probation service for 40 years, since 1991 specialising in work with adults who sexually abuse. This included coordinating the Sexual Behaviour Unit in Newcastle for 17 years. He developed and co authored the Northumbria Accredited Treatment Programme and a practice guide for the NSPCC. He has co authored 2 books and several book chapters.
Within NOTA Roger has been a board member for over 20 years serving as Chair and Conference Chair, as well as in his current role.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Training Committee Chair. Current work includes coordinating, evaluating and developing NOTA’s Training. The vision is for NOTA to be the organisation that all professionals feel the need to be involved in. Training should be of high quality, moving the filed forward and complementing that which i available through established agencies.
INTERESTING FACT:
Roger is a morris dancer of international repute
Tammy Banks
YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE CHAIR
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Prevention Committee and Y&H.
For my vision for Nota in general and y&h Committee to support others prevent sexual harm in a safe and effective way and connect those already doing so
Marguerite L Donathy
Midlands branch Chair
Dr Donathy is a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS and is awaiting Registration with HCPC. She has a Diploma in psychological studies from the University of Birmingham (UoB), a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the Open University, an MSc in Criminological Psychology and a Doctorate in Forensic Psychology Practice from UoB.
Dr Donathy is a member of the BPS and the Division of Forensic Psychology. She has a number of publications in relation to offender assessment and treatment and has worked in forensic settings for over sixteen years. She has experience of working with a range of clients, children and adults, in community and inpatient settings. She currently provides consultancy services to Wilcox Psychological Associates Limited.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Rita has been involved with NOTA in various roles since 2006. She took over the role of Chair in November 2016. Rita would like to see more active membership within the Midlands region and would welcome contact from local members with regard to any input they can provide in relation to local training events and networking opportunities.
INTERESTING FACT:
Having been born and raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Rita is a keen Magpies fan.
Peter Clarke
ANGLIA BRANCH Chair
Adrian Norman
LONDON BRANCH CHAIR
Jenny Hay
Chair of the South-East Branch
Josie Phillips
Chair of North East branch
Josie has been a member of NOTA for approximately 15 years. She practiced as a social worker from 1986, eventually specialising in work with children and families affected by child maltreatment and sexual abuse and violence.
As a practitioner with the NSPCC she completed comprehensive risk assessments with children/young people with harmful or problematic sexual behaviours. She left the NSPCC to work on a research project with Simon Hackett: “Recidivism, desistance and life-course trajectories of young sexual abusers: An in-depth follow up study, 10 years on.”
Josie’s PhD research was a qualitative study of therapeutic relationships between children affected by sexual abuse and their therapists, as part of an evaluation of the NSPCC intervention Letting the Future In. Josie teaches on the MSW Programme at Durham University and volunteers with Circles of Support and Accountability.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Josie has been a member of NOTA for approximately 15 years. She practiced as a social worker from 1986, eventually specialising in work with children and families affected by child maltreatment and sexual abuse and violence.
As a practitioner with the NSPCC she completed comprehensive risk assessments with children/young people with harmful or problematic sexual behaviours. She left the NSPCC to work on a research project with Simon Hackett: “Recidivism, desistance and life-course trajectories of young sexual abusers: An in-depth follow up study, 10 years on.”
Josie’s PhD research was a qualitative study of therapeutic relationships between children affected by sexual abuse and their therapists, as part of an evaluation of the NSPCC intervention Letting the Future In. Josie teaches on the MSW Programme at Durham University and volunteers with Circles of Support and Accountability.
Lynn Saunders
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Amanda Naylor
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Amanda has over 20 years of experience within the social care, international development and voluntary sector supporting and children impacted by serious crime, disabled children, looked after children, and those in youth justice system.
She heads up the delivery of Barnardo’s 10 year strategy on child sexual abuse, incorporating child sexual exploitation, trafficking and harmful sexual behaviours.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
As an associate member of the Board, Amanda brings a voluntary sector view that focusses on the rights of children to quality support and intervention and the impact of this intervention to ensure safeguarding and positive outcomes for all children across the life course.
INTERESTING FACT:
Amanda has recently discovered the joys of horse riding and figure skating and works hard to try not to break any bones whilst enjoying her down time from her demanding professional role.
Cassandra Harrison
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Carlene Firmin
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Dr Carlene Firmin MBE is a Principal Research Fellow at the University of Bedfordshire, where she leads their Contextual Safeguarding and peer-on-peer abuse research programmes. Carlene has spent the past 10 years researching young people’s experiences of community and group-based violence and advocated for comprehensive approaches that keep young people safe in public places, schools and peer groups. Her theory of Contextual Safeguarding has informed policy and research agendas for advancing the protection of adolescents, and she has worked with practitioners across the UK to co-create contextual interventions and develop contextual safeguarding systems within children’s social care.
Carlene has also conducted 20 case reviews for safeguarding children’s boards to identify opportunities for intervening with extra-familial forms of significant harm. Carlene is a board member for NOTA and also sits on a number of national policy advisory panels for issues including gang violence, violence against women and girls and child protection. She has been an invited speaker to a range of international and national conferences and trained over 3,000 professionals since 2015. Carlene has written on the issues of safeguarding and violence in the national newspaper, the Guardian, since 2010, and is widely published in the area of child welfare. In 2011 Carlene became the youngest black woman to receive an MBE for her seminal work on gang-affected young women in the UK.
Recent Publications
Firmin, C and Hancock, D. (2018) Profiling CSE: Building a Contextual Picture of a Local Problem. In: H. Beckett & J. Pearce, eds. Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Exploitation. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 107-120
Firmin, C and Abbott M. (2018) A Route to Safety: Using bus boarding data to identify roles for transport providers within contextual safeguarding systems. Children and Society
Firmin, C (2017) Abuse between Young People: A Contextual Account Abingdon: Routledge
Firmin, C. (2017) From genograms to peer-group mapping: introducing peer relationships into social work assessment and intervention. Families Relationships and Societies DOI: 10.1332/204674317X15088482907590
INTERESTING FACT:
I attend yoga and dance classes regularly – self-care is so important!
Sam Denman
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Currently working as a senior manager in the National Probation Service (NPS) in a national practice development role for public protection. Previously worked in numerous roles in front line probation services.
ROLE ON NOTA BOARD AND VISION FOR NOTA:
Co-opted member to help represent the NPS within NOTA. To ensure strong links between the public service for supervising those who have committed sexual offences and the knowledge and research that NOTA represents and promotes.
INTERESTING FACT:
Banging your head against a wall for one hour burns 150 calories
Jon Brown
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Jon is a qualified Social Worker with a Masters in Social Policy from the LSE. During his career as a Probation Officer and Social Worker he has been responsible for setting up and managing a range of sexual abuse services ranging from therapeutic services for child victims, services for children and young people with sexually harmful behaviour and services for adult sex offenders. Between 2003-07 Jon was Chair of NOTA, the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers (www.nota.co.uk) and remains on the National Executive Committee and is now chair of the Prevention committee. He is a Trustee for Keeping Children Safe (www.keepingchildrensafe.org.uk) which sets tough International Child Safeguarding Standards to ensure all organisations protect children from exploitation and abuse. He is also a Trustee of the Loudoun Trust which exists to promote evidence based research and practice in the field of sexual aggression against children, he was a Board member of eNACSO (European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online www.enacso.eu) and he is a member of the International Working Group for Child Safety Online; he is a peer reviewer for the Economic and Social Research Council (www.esrc.ac.uk) the Journal Of Sexual Aggression and for the Australian Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse (www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au) and with the Children’s Commissioner was co-chair for the Office for the Children’s Commissioner’s Inquiry into to Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment. He is an expert member for NICE (www.nice.org.uk). Jon has authored a number of book chapters and is author of Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Towards a National Strategy for England (NSPCC 2015) and editor of Online Risk to Children: Impact, Protection and Prevention (2017) published by Wiley
Prior to taking up this role with the NSPCC Jon was Operational Director of Children’s Services with Action for Children. From April 2010 he was Head of Strategy and Development with the NSPCC helping to take forward the new organisational strategy in relation to sexual abuse and since October 2015 he has been Head of Development and Impact.
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www.twitter.com/jonbrown46