Protective Behaviours Toolkit

Meet The Founder

Kristen English is a Child Protection and Behaviour Management Specialist, qualified with a BSc(Psychology) and a BA(Honours). She worked extensively as both a Child Protection Caseworker in rural and urban Australia across generalist and specialist units, and as a Child Psychologist providing treatment and implementing positive behaviour management strategies, over the course of her career. Kristen has developed and trained residential carers, foster carers, and parents in positive behaviour management strategies and in identifying and acting on risks of abuse.  Upon bringing her own bundle of joy into the world, Kristen realised how little information was available to parents with regard to matters of child protection - valuable information that could go a long way in preventing abuse in childhood, adolescence, and even into adulthood. Kristen saw the value in the treatment and intervention that was being provided to children and families once the worst had already occurred, but knew there was an important gap in information that needed to be available to families to help prevent attachment issues, communication breakdowns, abuse, mental health issues, and trauma.  Prevention and risk management starts at birth and involves everyone involved in a child's life, from parents, to extended family, to the broader community. It is a well-known adage that it "takes a village", and Kristen's hope is to help parents create a village for their families that is as safe as possible in order to nurture strong, confident, resilient children and to help keep them safe from harm.