Steve Myers is a registered Social Worker with a background in child protection and youth justice. He has worked as a Senior Social Worker in both statutory and voluntary organisations. Steve worked in the university sector for 25 years educating social workers and other professionals and had senior leadership roles within Higher Education. He has researched and written about strengths-based and solution focused practice, working with violent behaviour including sexual violence and assessment in social work practice.

Dr Ciaran Murphy is currently employed as Reader in Social Work and Child Protection in Edge Hill University's Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine. Ciaran continues to lead on specialist children and families; research; and safeguarding modules. Before working in academia, Ciaran practised for 10 years in the areas of child protection, substance misuse and education welfare. Ciaran remains a qualified and registered social worker, specialising in child protection and risk assessment. Moreover, he is an active researcher with a particular interest in elucidating the lived experiences of practicing child protection social workers and how we can better promote child-centred child protection and social work practice.

Dr Ron Dodzro is a UK-based Clinical Psychologist specialising in trauma, PTSD, and the psychological impact of community/gang violence. He is a member of the UK Trauma Council and sits on the steering group of the Male Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society. He is Co-Founder and Director of Psychologists The Streets Deserve (PTSD CIC), an organisation dedicated to delivering trauma-informed, culturally responsive support in communities affected by violence and inequality.
Dr Ron’s work spans clinical practice, consultancy, research, and public engagement. He supports young people, families, and professionals across education, youth justice, community organisations, and legal contexts, and is particularly known for applying ecological and systemic frameworks to understand how trauma operates beyond the individual.

Adrian is a Trustee of the AoCPP and Chair of the Practice Learning SIG Chair. Adrian qualified as a Registered General Nurse (1987), Cardiothoracic Nurse (1989) and Registered Health Visitor (1992) and has worked both in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) and East Warwickshire. Has worked in the Safeguarding arena, initially as a Child Protection Nurse Specialist /Named Nurse for Child Protection and from 2004 -2020 as a Consultant/Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children (incorporating Adult Safeguarding into role from 2011). Adrian managed the Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Hosted Safeguarding Team (working across LLR). As part of role worked with local safeguarding and has chaired a number of inter-agency subgroups, contributed and authored Serious Case Reviews, Adult Learning Reviews and a Domestic Homicide Review Co-Chaired the LLR Channel Panel for 6 years and worked with partners as a CCG prevent lead. Honorary Principal Lecturer at De Montfort University (1999- 2015) School of Nursing and Midwifery. In April 2020 took on a new role and is currently Safeguarding Professional Lead for NHS England. The Midlands NHSE/I safeguarding team covers both East and West Midlands. Adrian is also a Parent Governor of a local school in Leicester.

Dr Rob Ewin is a Police Officer and has served in areas of Public Protection, Safeguarding, Criminal Investigation and Response Policing. He has worked on several major and complex cases, including cases where children have been the victim of homicide. Additionally, he has acted as the Police representative in several complex child protection and safeguarding conferences, meetings, and hearings. Dr Ewin’s main research is around the issue of measures for witnesses in criminal and family proceedings, and he has designed approaches for improving the approach to evidence-led prosecutions and disclosure in criminal proceedings. Dr Ewin is a reviewer for the Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice and is a author of several peer reviewed academic publications.

Dr Sarah Steele is an Independent Child Safeguarding Consultant and an AoCPP Board Member and Policy Lead and is a member of the National Multi-agency Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy Working Group. Formerly Head of Child Safeguarding service at a large university hospital NHS foundation Trust; she has over twenty-three years experience as a strategic leader, manager, lecturer and practitioner specialising in all aspects of safeguarding and child protection across the community and acute health sectors and the former LSCBs. She has contributed to national policy documents including ‘Safeguarding Children in whom illness is fabricated and/or induced’ and to several previous editions of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ statutory guidance.

Clare Allely is a Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Salford in England and is an affiliate member of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre at Gothenburg University, Sweden. Clare is an Honorary Research Fellow in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences affiliated to the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow. She is also an Associate of The Children's and Young People's Centre for Justice (CYCJ) at the University of Strathclyde. Clare is a Chartered Member of British Psychological Society (CPsychol since 2013) and Associate Fellow of British Psychological Society (AFBPsS since 2013).

Clare acts as an expert witness in criminal cases involving defendants with autism spectrum disorder and contributes to the evidence base used in the courts on psychology and legal issues through her published work. She is author of the book “The Psychology of Extreme Violence: A Case Study Approach to Serial Homicide, Mass Shooting, School Shooting and Lone-actor Terrorism” published by Routledge in 2020 and author of the book “Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Criminal Justice System: A Guide to Understanding Suspects, Defendants and Offenders with Autism” published by Routledge in 2022.

I am the Director of Safeguarding in an independent boarding school where I oversee more than 800 children and young people from age 4 to 18. I have worked in education for nearly 30 years, in the last 17 years within boarding leadership and safeguarding.
Recognising the particular difficulties of the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead, I founded a Cluster Group to support local DSLs in similar schools.

I am experienced in group facilitating; a skill which has been developed over my teaching career and also in my role as co-Chair of the Special Interest Group on Safeguarding Children in Education and as former Chair of a Special Interest Group on Safeguarding Children with Gender Dysphoria for the Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCPP). I have also chaired Working Groups for the International Safeguarding Conference. I am an associate trainer for Safeguarding and Child Protection Association (SACPA). I have NSPCC accreditation as a Safeguarding Trainer and am an accredited trainer for the Safer Recruitment Consortium. I am also a Lay Member of the Diocese of Westminster Trustee’s Safeguarding Committee.

Position: Operations Manager

I am the Operations Manager for AoCPP, responsible for leading the team and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Association. With extensive experience across both the commercial and charitable sectors, I am passionate about helping organisations achieve their potential by supporting people, improving processes, and driving positive, sustainable change. I bring a wealth of expertise in operational leadership, team development, and organisational effectiveness, and I am dedicated to ensuring AoCPP continues to provide high-quality support and value to its members. 

Outside of work I enjoy gardening, my current obsession is knitting.

Position: Events Lead

I joined the AoCPP in October 2025, following several years working with Research Students in Higher Education. My background is in business travel, arranging bespoke itineraries for business travellers nationwide.

As the Events Leads within the Association, this role brings together my love of event organising, working with academics and other professional experts within the child protection and adult safeguarding sector.

Outside of work I enjoy baking, visiting galleries and long walks with family and friends. As long as there’s a café involved!

Position: Membership and Administration Coordinator

I started working at AoCPP in February 2025, with a focus on assisting our valued members with queries. I am grateful to have the opportunity to bring my experience working in specialist organisations and the 3rd sector to a new area. Working for the AoCPP brings so many opportunities for learning, and I am eager to discover more about the work that we, and our members do.

My past experience incorporates working with and helping vulnerable individuals and members of the public in various settings, including not-for-profit, transport, healthcare and utilities. I have also, more recently, brought my writing skills to work in communications and engagement. In addition, I am honoured to represent my community in local politics.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, watching (and discussing) football. On evenings out, I am usually found in a gig venue – often scribbling notes for a review.