Willow talks to Fiona Bryan, current board member and former CEO of Empowerment Trust about the work that they do to keep children safe. Empowerment Trust creates safe learning experiences for adults and young people to take positive effective action to avoid or stop bullying, abuse and violence.

Fiona discusses the primary prevention programmes they run which focus on positive learning experiences. Their vision is a New Zealand-Aotearoa where all people are empowered to live, play, learn and work in safe communities free from harm and violence by empowering communities to foster healthy relationships through skills-based learning.

Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

Willow talks to Jaydene Buckley, the Managing Director of the OSACO Group. OSACO are a global team of extensively experienced investigative consultants and specialists in compliance, governance, safeguarding and anti-corruption. Willow and Jaydene discuss the issues of lack of training, policies and understanding around child protection for those in governance in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

Most of us would struggle to comprehend that providing support and psychological treatment for people who are sexually attracted to children is a key way of preventing child sexual abuse; however, evidence shows that support and treatment work.

In this podcast, Willow (Safeguarding Children CEO) talks to Anton Ashton, a forensic psychologist that works with adults with child sexual ideation. With Anton’s expertise, she explores how providing support for people who have a sexual attraction toward children has been shown to be one of the key strategies for preventing child sexual abuse.

Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

Willow talks to Dr Claire Achmad the Deputy Chief Children's Commissioner at Mana Mokopuna. Dr Achmad is a recognised advocate for children in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has worked in a wide range of areas relating to children's rights, including from legal, policy and practice perspectives.

They discuss the rights of the child in Aotearoa New Zealand and the big problem of equality and poverty we have. Dr Achmad talks about how important it is to understand the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) and how we can implement this in Aotearoa New Zealand. Claire also talks about her visit to Geneva part of a civil society delegation, to talk to the UN Committee about what's going for children here in New Zealand and how we are upholding the rights of the child.

Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

Tim Houston is the Manager of the Digital Child Exploitation Team at the Department of Internal Affairs. Launched in 2019, Tim and his team led an international operation investigating offences relating to online child sexual exploitation and abuse. It identified over 90,000 online accounts possessing or trading child sexual abuse material. In New Zealand alone, 71 suspects were identified, 46 arrested with further investigations ongoing. In this podcast, Willow (Safeguarding Children CEO) talks to Tim about his work protecting children in New Zealand and overseas.

Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

CEO, Willow introduces herself, Safeguarding Children and talks about her passion in preventing child abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand. Willow talks in depth about her experience of child abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand and how this led to the creation of Safeguarding Children.

Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

Welcome back to Season 2 of Together - a podcast dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and the promotion of child-safe organisations.

In this introductory episode, Willow Duffy, CEO of Safeguarding Children in New Zealand, outlines the grassroots inception of Safeguarding Children in 2011 and its evolution into a sustainable organization that has trained over 60,000 professionals in keeping children safe on and offline.

Topics include:

• Willow's Professional Journey: How she transitioned from being a nurse and midwife in the UK to becoming a leading advocate for child safety in New Zealand
• Victoria's Tragic Story: Willow shares the harrowing story of Victoria, a young girl in the UK whose abuse and murder highlighted the failure of multiple professionals and organizations
• The Journey of Safeguarding Children: Starting with voluntary training sessions in 2011, the organization grew out of a community response to a critical need for child protection education

And more!

Enjoy the show!

To learn more about how you can help safeguard children, visit our website ⁠https://www.safeguardingchildren.org.nz

Feel free to reach out via the website, or connect with Willow and Safeguarding Children on LinkedIn⁠.

Join the Conversation:

We are all stakeholders in the safety and well-being of children. Whether you are a professional working with children, a parent, or a concerned citizen, your voice matters. Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions with us. Together, we can make a difference in creating a safer world for children.

Contact Us:

• Website: Safeguarding Children
• Email: info@safeguardingchildren.nz
• Social Media: Join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates and discussions.

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Thank you for tuning in to "Together." Remember, every child deserves a safe childhood, and together, we can make that a reality.