Your Safeguarding Partners
The founders of BeChildSafe bring decades of experience across safeguarding, regulation, policy and reform.
Our work has been at the centre of Australia’s child safe transformation — including the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse — and across senior roles in safeguarding, child protection and regulatory systems.
We share a deep commitment to creating environments where children thrive, organisations are confident and capable, and regulators are responsive and trusted.
We helped design the system. Now we help make it work.
Vanessa Viaggio
LLB, BSocSc (Criminology), GDLP, Dip Govt Inv.
Vanessa is a policy, regulatory and safeguarding expert with over 20 years’ experience leading major reform and implementation initiatives across New South Wales and Commonwealth government.
She has played a central role in implementing recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, including the design of the NSW Child Safe Scheme and development of practical tools for organisations. Vanessa has held senior roles across the Office of the Children’s Guardian, the Royal Commission, the Australian Law Reform Commission, NSW Parliament and the NSW Ombudsman.
She is known for translating regulatory intent into clear, workable systems that strengthen culture, capability and accountability.
Vanessa is a lawyer, qualified investigator and child safeguarding consultant, and currently holds a statutory appointment with the National Redress Scheme.
Tarina Mather
BSocSC (Human Services), GradDip Strat Intel, CertIV Govt Inv.
Tarina is a problem solver and collaborator with over 25 years’ experience across the State and Commonwealth public service.
She has led complex investigations, inquiries and system reforms relating to child protection, safeguarding and public administration. As a senior leader at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, she worked closely with Commissioners to shape national reform and recommendations that have had a lasting impact on the safeguarding landscape in Australia.
Tarina was a senior executive in online safety and National Child Safety Manager for the Commonwealth Government and now holds a statutory appointment to the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
Her work focuses on solving complex problems, strengthening systems and supporting leaders to deliver better outcomes for organisations and children.
Nick Wilkinson
LLB (Hons); BA
Nick is a policy and safeguarding specialist with over a decade of experience at the intersection of regulation, human rights and organisational practice.
He has played a central role in the implementation of child safe reforms in New South Wales, including the design of the NSW Child Safe Scheme and Child Safe Self-Assessment. He also led program implementation at the Office of the Children’s Guardian, including education, training and engagement to support organisations in applying child safe requirements in practice.
He brings expertise in regulatory design and system-level reform, alongside hands-on experience working with organisations in complex environments.
His work focuses on translating regulatory frameworks into clear, practical approaches that build capability, confidence and safer environments for children.