Under Part 5A of the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993, the NSW Ombudsman convenes and supports the NSW Child Death Review Team (CDRT).
The NSW Child Death Review team (CDRT) is established under Part 5A of the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993. The CDRT reviews and maintains a register of the deaths of all children aged from birth to 17 years and analyses this data to identify trends and make recommendations to reduce the risk of preventable deaths of children in the future. The CDRT includes experts in healthcare, child development, child protection and research, as well as representatives of key government agencies (see below). The NSW Ombudsman is the Convenor of the CDRT and NSW Ombudsman staff provide support to the CDRT, including by coordinating and undertaking research and completing all reviews.
Read the CDRT’s Strategic Priorities Plan 2022-25.
Read the Biennial report of the deaths of children in New South Wales: 2020 and 2021.
Read the CDRT Annual Report 2022-2023.
Role of the CDRT
The CDRT:
- maintains a register of child deaths in NSW
- classifies deaths in the register according to cause, demographic criteria and other factors
- analyses the register to identify patterns and trends
- undertakes research to prevent or reduce the likelihood of child deaths, guided by the CDRT Research Framework
- makes recommendations to government and community organisations about legislation, policies, practices and services
- reports to the NSW Parliament on its work and activities.
Read the CDRT Charter and Code of Conduct.
CDRT members
Ex officio members
Mr Paul Miller PSM, (Convenor), NSW Ombudsman
Ms Monica Wolf - Community Services Commissioner / Chief Deputy Ombudsman
Ms Zoe Robinson - NSW Advocate for Children and Young People
Agency representatives
Alison Sweep - Director Engagement and Family Support, Department of Communities and Justice
Anne Reddie- Director, Child Wellbeing and Mental Health Services, Student Support and Specialist Programs, Department of Education
Danny Doherty APM, Detective Superintendent- Commander, Homicide Squad, State Crime Command, NSW Police Force
Dr Matthew O’Meara - Senior Staff Specialist Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick
Sarah Bramwell - Director, Practice Learning, Office of the Senior Practitioner, Department of Communities and Justice
Vanessa Chan - Director, Criminal Law Specialist, Department of Communities and Justice
Independent members
Dr Bronwyn Gould AM - General Practitioner
Professor Ilan Katz - Professor Social Policy Research Centre, University of NSW
Kathleen Clapham AM, Professor - Professor (Indigenous Health), School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences; Director, Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Wollongong
Dr Lorraine Du Toit-Prinsloo - Chief Forensic Pathologist and Clinical Director, Forensic Medicine Newcastle, Forensic & Analytical Science Service, NSW Health Pathology
Dr Luciano Dalla-Pozza - Head of Department (Cancer Centre for Children), Senior Staff Specialist (Paediatric Oncology), The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
Ngiare Brown, Professor - Chancellor, James Cook University; Chair, National Mental Health Commission Advisory Board; Director and Program Manager, Ngaoara Child and Adolescent Wellbeing; Executive Manager Research and Senior Public Health Medical Officer, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation; Professor of Indigenous Health and Education, University of Wollongong
Dr Susan Adams - Senior Staff Specialist, General Paediatric Surgeon and Head of Vascular Birthmarks Service, Sydney Children’s Hospital; Associate Professor, School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales
Dr Susan Arbuckle - Paediatric/Perinatal pathologist, The Children's Hospital at Westmead
