Family Court

The approval panel is an independent statutory body appointed by the Chief Executive.  The Regulations set out its role and operation.

The approval panel is responsible for approving programme providers and programmes in accordance with the Regulations.

The approval panel is made up of a maximum of ten members.  This includes the chairperson who is an employee or representative of the Ministry of Justice.  In addition, other people may be co-opted to the approval panel.

The collective ethnic composition of the approval panel reflects, as far as practicable, the anticipated ethnic composition of the people and groups who participate in programmes.  The approval panel must have:

• at least two members who have skills or experience in working with children
•  at least two members who have skills or experience in relation to adult victims of domestic violence, and
• at least two members who have skills or experience in relation to people who use domestic violence against others.

The approval panel will assess the application against all the requirements set down in the Regulations, and will either:

• approve the application, and inform you and the domestic violence advisor in writing
• ask for more information, and inform you and the domestic violence advisor in writing of the information required, or
• decline the application, and inform you and the domestic violence advisor in writing of the reasons for their decision.

Approval Panel Members

Sue Little - Panel Chairpeson

B Ed, Dip Tchg, B Bus Studies

Sue Little’s involvement with the approval panel began in 2001 when she chaired the selection panel for the first national approval panel.  Sue was the Deputy Chairperson between 2001 and 2008, aside from a period of approximately six months as acting Chairperson in 2004.  In 2008 she was appointed as Chairperson of the 2008-11 approval panel.

Sue has been with the Ministry of Justice for 14 years and is the Central Regional Manager, responsible for the operation of 28 courts located between Thames and Levin.  She has a good working knowledge of Court/registry processes as they relate to domestic violence cases, programme contracting and the work of Domestic Violence Advisors.  Sue completed an extensive literature review into the effectiveness of respondent programmed for the Ministry in 2009.  Sue is married with four adult children.

Alana Bowman

JD (Juris Doctor, Washington University), BA (Philosophy, Southern Illinois University)

Alana began working with legal issues of domestic violence in 1971 while in law school in St Louis.  In Los Angeles, she headed the City’s Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit and during the Clinton administration was appointed to the US Department of Justice National Council on Violence Against Women.  In 1988, as Chair of the Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Council she initiated the Domestic Violence Death Review project and the first review of perpetrator programmes in Los Angeles.  The findings from the two review projects became the basis for California legislation she co-authored which mandated content standards and monitoring procedures for all court referred perpetrator programmes.  Alana has advised US National Institute of Justice research projects, developed training courses for prosecutors and judges, and managed a national training programme for police in the US.  She was a policy manager at the New Zealand National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuge and was appointed to the Panel in 2006.

Cinnamon Boreham

Ko Aoraki te maunga tipuna
Ko Pükaki rātou ko Ohau ko Tekapo ngä puna roimata
Ko Waitaki te awa
Ko Uruao rātou ko Arai Te Uru Ko Takitimu nga waka
Ko Waitaha, ko Ngāti Mamoe Ko Ngai tahu nga iwi

Cinnamon lives in Dunedin.  She is currently working for Stopping Violence Dunedin Inc, rewriting male and female respondent programmes, facilitating groups and providing community education.  Her connection with Stopping Violence Dunedin began in 1994 when the organisation was called the Men’s Action Collective. 

Cinnamon co-authored four Tikanga Māori stopping violence programmes for respondents for Te Wai Matua Trust in 2008.

Cinnamon has been fully trained in ‘Mauri Ora – Transforming Whanau Violence’.  This training package is a conceptual Māori framework training package to address family violence.  The package is delivered by Te Korowai Aroha o Aotearoa Inc.

She is currently working on a project called ‘Moving Forward’ which is aimed at raising awareness of the effects of domestic violence utilising the Dunedin Playback Theatre Company of which she is a member.

Cinnamon became an approval panel member in June 2010.

David Kenkel

David lives in West Auckland.  He’s worked extensively alongside children and families struggling with difficulties and hardship and in particular with children who witness violence in the home.  His working background includes social work, counselling, family therapy, group facilitation, men’s stopping violence programmes, policy work and child advocacy for both UNICEF and the Office of the Children's Commissioner.  He’s passionate about us New Zealander’s getting it right for our kids and thinks the children and families he has worked with are his best teachers.  When he’s not working as a lecturer in social work he frequently presents on advocacy with children who have witnessed violence.

Ken McMaster

B.S.W., M.S.W. (Hons.), M.A.N.Z.A.S.W.

Ken has a thirty year history working in intervention work with men who are violent and who sexually abuse.  He has held positions as a member and Chair of the Family Violence Advisory Committee/ Te Rangai Whiriwhiri Tukinotanga a-Whanau.  He was also a founding member of the National Network of Stopping Violence Services/Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Putanga and is a past chair.  Ken was responsible for the writing of the Respondent Programme Regulation for the Domestic Violence Act (1995).  In addition, he has worked as a part-time lecturer in Social Work at Canterbury University and is now involved full-time with HMA as manager, writer of materials and principal trainer.  He is currently a member of the Domestic Violence Act Programme Approvals Committee for the Ministry of Justice.

Ken McMaster has published two books on Domestic Violence (A Private Affair, 1989, GP Books, Wellington and Feeling Angry, Playing Fair, Reed, 1998, Auckland).  He has co-edited two additional books, one with Arthur Wells titled Innovative Approaches to Stopping Family Violence, (2003) Steele Roberts: Wellington, and with Leon Bakker titled Will they do it again: Assessing and managing risk, (2006), HMA Books: Christchurch.

Mike Cagney

B.S.W., M.Coun., MANZASW

This is Mike's first term sitting on the approval panel.  Mike has training and academic backgrounds in social work and counselling.  He has worked extensively as a senior social worker in child protection services, both in New Zealand and Britain, and regular experience of reporting and giving evidence in Family Court proceedings.  He is a founding member of the Wellington STOP Adult Sex Offender Treatment Programme and previously managed this service.  He has extensive background also with domestic violence services, being a founding member and Coordinator of Porirua Living Without Violence.  Mike is an approved counsellor and domestic violence programme provider with the Family Court.  He has sat on a range of national committees dealing with sexual abuse and until recently chaired the Tauiwi Executive of the National Executive of the National Stopping Violence Services.  He currently works in private practice, in the capacity of which he provides supervision, counselling and social work service in the Wellington area and training services, locally and nationally.  He lives on the Kapiti Coast in Paekakariki with Carmel and their three energetic children, outside of family and work he endeavours to be a Hurricane supporter and long-distance runner.

Olly Taukamo

Olly Taukamo retired from 22 years of Regular Army Service in 1982.  He then became involved in the establishment of Te Kohanga Reo movement in the Aotea District up until his appointment as the Aotea District Computer Administration Manager in 1989.

Olly attended a men’s respondent programme at Whanganui Living without Violence in 1992.  He became involved with the rehabilitation of ex-Vietnam veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.  In 1995 as an Executive Partner of five Aotea Associated Consultants he developed a programme for Whanganui Prison to attempt to reduce recidivism.  Though modified in parts this programme, called Mauranga Tipua, is still being used.

In 1996 Olly served on the Central Districts approval panel through to the formation of the national panel in 2002.  He was appointed on the approval panel in 2005 but resigned because of primary employment overload.  Olly was reappointed to the approval panel in June 2010.

Olly is employed as a Māori Health Promoter for Whanganui District Health Board.  Dealing with family violence makes up 50% if his brief in this role.  Olly is also a trustee of Jigsaw Whanganui.

Oriel Heseltine

Diploma in Violence and Trauma Studies. Papers completed in Not For Profit Management and Bachelor Social Work

Oriel Heseltine has been working in family violence services in the Rodney District for the past 15 years. She is a founding member of Hestia Rodney Women's Refuge where she currently works as Services Manager. Oriel has also worked for Rodney Stopping Violence services and was responsible for the process of programme approval and contracting with the Ministry of Justice for their Adult Protected Persons and Children's Programmes. She continues as a facilitator of their Adult Protected Person's Group Programme. Oriel has been a Panel member since 2005 and brings the experience of working in a small rural agency. Oriel has a commitment to working with safety issues for women and children and has been involved in the development of comprehensive community based services in the Rodney area.

Susan da Silva

Susan da Silva has been involved in the area of domestic violence since she was part of a naïve and enthusiastic collective that set up the Matamata Feminist Women’s Resource Centre and Refuge in the 1970s.  She is currently Programme Manager Social Services at NorthTec, Whangarei.  As well as adult education and training social workers, Susan provides training to education, health and community groups around pakeha responsibility for Treaty issues.  She is a registered social worker and a registered teacher.

Susan was a DVA panel member from the first.  She served two terms on the Northern Panel and one term on the National panel.  Susan was reappointed to the present panel in 2008.

To'alepai Jacqueline Louise Ella (Louella) Thomsen-Inder

To’alepai has a background of 25 years in health and 10 years in social work. A  Registered Social Worker in 2004, and has a professional focus on Alternative Non Violent Parenting and Children Witnessing Family Violence with Pacific families.

She is passionate about child development and effects of environment violence on their developing brain, including inter generational violence.  She delivers frontline family violence services holistically to Pacific families and has created/adapted/developed numerous programs targeting family violence.

To’alepai has been on the Domestic Violence Approvals Panel for 6 years, and provides expertise on Children’s Programs.  Her other roles include:  Advisory Group for Family Violence Clearinghouse, and the National Executive for Social Services Providers Aotearoa.  Member of Canterbury Response to Sexual Violence, Reference Group for Child Advocate for Children Witnessing Family Violence, Steering Group for Canterbury District Health Board Family Violence-Partner Abuse.  She is involved and presented to numerous national and international conferences on Pacific family violence.

She was born in Samoa and educated in Samoa and New Zealand. She is a matai (high chief) from Salavalu, Savaii.

Ngaropi Cameron

Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairoa

NZRN, Registered Whanau/Hapu/Iwi Practitioner – Te Awhi Pa, Member NZAC

Ngaropi has worked in the social service area in a variety of environs for over 25 years.  Throughout this time she has been involved in numerous local and national community development projects including a variety of kaupapa Māori services, trainings and resources.  She is the foundation member, Chief Executive, Senior Domestic Violence Programme Facilitator and Educator of Tu Tama Wahine O Taranaki.  She is currently an Executive Board member of Jigsaw and a member of the Māori Reference Group to the National Taskforce on Family Violence.
Ngaropi was a member of the approval panel between 2002 and 2005.  She was co-opted as a person with tikanga Māori expertise and knowledge and understanding of domestic violence in April 2009.  Ngaropi has been co-opted for the term of the current panel.