Our advisory groups
The Social Services Regulator is committed to engaging with duty holders, service users and stakeholders to support the safe delivery of social services. We have established three groups to provide targeted advice and perspectives to the Regulator to support the regulatory scheme that started on 1 July 2024:
- The Social Services Regulator Consultative Committee
- The Service Provider Reference Group
- The First Nations Reference Group
The groups meet regularly and are vital for informing our work.
A fourth group – Lived Experience Reference Group – is currently being established.
Social Services Regulator Consultative Committee
The Consultative Committee met for the first time on 13 September 2024 and will continue to meet quarterly until 30 June 2026. The Committee brings together representatives from peak bodies to contribute to discussions at a systems level and is a key consultation mechanism with the social services sector. It will support and advise the Regulator on the implementation and operation of the new regulatory scheme.
The Committee is independently chaired by Adjunct Professor Susan Pascoe.
Ms Pascoe has an extensive background in government and non-government sectors. She represents many boards including the Board of Mercy Health. Ms Pascoe was the first Commissioner for the charities regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Ms Pascoe is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia.
The members are:
- Susan Pascoe AM, Independent Chair
- Tania Farha, CEO, Safe and Equal
- Kathleen Maltzahn, CEO, of Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic)
- Sarah Fordyce, Victorian State Manager of National Disability Services
- Deborah Di Natale, CEO, Council to Homeless Persons
- Deb Tsorbaris, CEO, Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
- Daniel Leighton, Acting Public Advocate, Office of the Public Advocate
- Juanita Pope, CEO, Victorian Council of Social Service
- Jen Hargrave, Victorian Disability Advisory Council member
- Allison Will, Executive Director, Regulation and Reform, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Service Provider Reference Group
The Group met for the first time on 27 February 2025. It includes members from small, large, regional and metro providers of social services. It represents the perspectives of service providers (also known as ‘duty holders’) representing all service types and offers feedback to the Regulator.
The group is co-chaired by Richard Marks, Director Social Services Regulation and David Tennant, former CEO FamilyCare and Social Services Regulation Taskforce member.
The members are:
- Caroline Smith, Executive General Manager Corporate Services, Mallee District Aboriginal Services
- Angela Papoutsoglou, Executive Director, North East Melbourne, Department of Families Fairness and Housing
- Carla Collins, Manager Gatehouse Sexual Assault Service, The Royal Children's Hospital
- Chelsea Sofra, Manager Trauma Informed Services (Goulburn Valley Centre Against Sexual Assault), Goulburn Valley Health
- Jan Noblett, Director of Quality and Outcomes, Anglicare Victoria
- Dr Trishima Mitra-Kahn, Director Centre of Excellence, Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre
- Jenny McNaughton, Deputy CEO and Executive Director Quality and Risk, Berry Street Yooralla
- Jill Lane, Manager Quality, Risk and Compliance, Relationship Matters Counselling and Mediation
- Liz Cairns, Chief Strategy and Risk Officer, Scope Australia
- Liz Ely, General Manager Quality Improvement and Reporting, The Salvation Army
- Rachna Muddagouni, Chief Executive Officer, Migrant Information Centre (Eastern Melbourne) Ltd
- Tracey Jessup, Chief Executive Officer, Morcare Services
- Wayne Fowler, Proprietor, Brooklyn House
- Mika Akune, Executive Manager, Child Safeguarding and Quality, VACCA.
First Nations Reference Group
The Reference Group met for the first time in February 2025 and gathers quarterly to discuss the regulation of Aboriginal cultural safety to support service providers to deliver culturally safe social services. This group is building its membership and currently includes Aboriginal service providers and First Nations people with experience of the social services sector. It is co-chaired by Alice Cashen, Director Child Safeguarding and Aboriginal Cultural Safety and Engagement, and a soon-to-be-confirmed external Aboriginal stakeholder.
The group will support the creation of guidance for duty holders to assist them to provide social services and a regulatory framework that are culturally safe.
Lived Experience Reference Group
Expressions of interest for this group will open soon.
For more information about these groups email engage@ssr.vic.gov.au.
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