The team at the CSA Centre

Cassi is the Director of the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse. She has held a range of strategy, policy and public affairs positions during her career, with a focus for the last six years on children and young people, working closely on issues such as safeguarding and looked after children. Her roles have included leading children’s social care policy for the Local Government Association and child sexual exploitation policy and strategy for Barnardo’s. More recently, she led the Barnardo’s policy, research, campaigns and public affairs functions, covering diverse subjects including early years, welfare reform and harmful sexual behaviour.

Sophie has extensive experience as a research/evaluation manager and practitioner at Barnardo’s, Coram, Save the Children, in the NHS and as a consultant. She has in-depth knowledge of issues that matter for vulnerable children and young people. Child sexual exploitation was a key priority area during her three years at Barnardo’s. Author of Research for Development: a practical guide (Sage, second edition 2013), described by Oxfam as ‘undoubtedly the best guide to its subject we have’. She has led both Barnardo’s and Coram’s Research Ethics Committees, and wrote a guide to children’s ethical and meaningful participation in research for the UN Study on Violence against Children.

Prior to taking this position Tim was attached to the College of Policing as the National Co-ordinator for the National Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Action Plan, working directly to Chief Constable Simon Bailey (Norfolk) in his capacity as the National Portfolio Lead for Child Protection, Abuse & Investigation (CPAI). Tim was responsible for delivery of the National CSE Action Plan to all 43 England & Wales police forces, and to the London Metropolitan, City of London and British Transport Police. Tim remains an Associate with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
With 30 year’s experience with Lancashire Constabulary, Tim has expertise as a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) with the Force Major Investigation Team, as a Regional Senior Identification Manager (SIM), and was responsible for leading the de-brief of the survivors of the Morecambe Bay Cockle Picker Disaster in 2004. As Operations Manager for the Force Serious and Organised Crime Unit and as Head of Crime at both Blackpool and Preston Divisions, Tim has gained an extensive background in neighbourhood policing, serious and organised crime, partnerships, safeguarding, protective services, reviews and inspections.
In addition Tim has worked as a Detective Superintendent with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary where he was part of a team assessing and inspecting the 43 England & Wales police forces, reporting findings publicly, providing advice to police forces and police and crime commissioners and has influenced the development of policing by disseminating good practice.

Anna is a qualified social worker and has worked within statutory front line child protection and specialist services as a practitioner and manager throughout her career. She specialised in child sexual abuse work, acting as an expert witness in the family courts on CSA cases. She was previously the CSA Centre's Practice Improvement Advisor for Social Work and, before that, the practice development lead for CSA within the local authority and contributed to local and regional service and policy development. Anna developed and led a multi-disciplinary specialist sexual abuse team, which provided assessments, interventions, supervision, consultation and training. Anna is an Associate Tutor at the University of Sussex and is currently the Editor of NOTA News, the quarterly magazine for members of the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers.

Viki looks after the smooth running of the operations of the CSA Centre, ensuring activities run properly and to plan, and there is good stewardship over its resources. She has previously worked in back office roles in a legal services regulator, local government authorities, and the police service.

Lisa is an experienced public policy manager, researcher and evaluator with over 15 years’ experience working in public policy across the children and young people’s agenda. Lisa’s roles have focused on the issues affecting, and the provision of services and support to women, families, children and young people with a particular focus on those from vulnerable groups.  Prior to joining the CSA Centre Lisa was the policy manager at the NSPCC leading the development of the policy agenda and strategy, campaign development and public affairs influencing across the remit of child abuse and neglect. 

Our experienced researchers manage and coordinate our varied programme of work on the scale and nature of CSA, effectiveness, responses and perpetration.

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This multi-disciplinary team links our research efforts to advisors grounded in practice experience and service improvement.

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Our support team manages our external affairs, communications, publications, contracts, projects, events and more.

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