Catherine Lamb

Lead a multidisciplinary team of over 50 staff to manage statewide detention centre prioritisation processes and frontline service delivery to support the safety and wellbeing of young people in watchhouses

•Collaborated with external stakeholders, including the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health, the Department of Education, the Public Guardian, and various community stakeholders to drive outcomes, notably in operationalising the Caboolture Watchhouse Hub

• Effectively manage budgetary, strategic and operational performance and resources of the directorate during period of intense public scrutiny and rapid change

• Represent the department at a senior level including at interdepartmental and intergovernmental meetings and associated management committees

• Provide high quality authoritative and strategic advice in response to oversight inquiries, information requests and complaints, and make high level contributions to internal policies and procedures

• Create and implement comprehensive and contemporary workplace management practices, policies and procedures.

Key Achievement

• Successfully operationalised the Caboolture Watchhouse Hub. This included establishing and implementing whole new operating procedures and policies, and onboarding over 40 new staff while also leading an second departmental division.

Lead the Royal Commission’s national private sessions investigations program and enquires line, triaging and investigating allegations of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability

• Lead a multidisciplinary team of 30 staff in 3 locations (Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney) to facilitate a confidential, national private sessions program

• Analyse briefs of evidence and collate information gathered in private sessions to identify emerging trends and make recommendations for systemic change

• Delivery of expert legal, ethical and operational advice to Commissioners and Commission executive – including advice on terms of reference, conflicts of interest and strategic direction

• Provide advice to Commission staff in response to information requests and complaints regarding the private sessions process

• Oversee the national enquires line, managing stakeholder engagement in a trauma informed manner, ensuring appropriate risk management strategies are in place and implemented- including referrals to law enforcement as required

• Utilise information from sessions to draft complex reports, papers and publications to inform the Commission, including for use in the interim, progress and final report

• Represent the Commission at formal proceedings, external stakeholder meetings and engagement events

Key Achievements:

• Held almost 2000 private sessions across Australia, including managing a 300% increase in registration numbers. The information gathered in private sessions has been critical to the findings of the Royal Commission • Created and implemented the Royal Commission’s Closed Institutions program, capturing the experiences of people in prisons, watchhouses, youth detention centres and forensic mental health facilities in every state and territory in Australia

• Managed the publication of over 2500 organisational submissions and narratives, ensuring principles of procedural fairness, defamation and consent were appropriately managed

Managed the private sessions national intake team. Conducted private sessions across Australia, providing operational and legal advice to Commissioners throughout the private sessions process

• Led the private sessions coordination team of 6 staff– overseeing all private session requests, logistics and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to facilitate sessions

• Provision of legal and ethical advice in response to inquiries, information requests and complaints regarding the private sessions process

• Analyse private sessions briefs, assessing risk and make appropriate referrals, including referrals to law enforcement

• Strategic oversight of team priorities and output ensuring work conducted in a timely manner which informs the Commission’s relevant lines of inquiry

• Conduct virtual and in-person private sessions, in a trauma informed and accessible manner. Report on private sessions content and themes to inform the Director and senior Commission staff, including Commissioners

Key Achievements:

• Collaborated with key stakeholders National Legal Aid, funded advocacy and support services to examine and report on allegations of violence, neglect, exploitation and abuse in disability group homes across Australia

• Drove team response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting work priorities, safeguarding staff well-being and fostering connectivity, all while seamlessly pivoting to a virtual work environment

Managed the corporate partnerships and engagement portfolio of a national not for profit organisation, providing financial and operational support to frontline domestic and family violence support services

• Negotiated and managed corporate and frontline partnerships, developing goals and action plans for all partnership stakeholders, resulting in a 250% increase in partnership outcomes

• Represented the organisation at public forums, external meetings (including with senior government staff and members of parliament) and at engagement events

• Provision of strategic organisational advice, ensuring compliance with board and budget reporting obligations

Key Achievements:

• Partnered with large mining company to create and implement a Men’s Behaviour Change program in Regional Queensland – requiring a $500,000 corporate investment

• Established the organisation’s first partnership with a women’s refuge in a First Nations Community. The partnership provided funding for building upgrades, staff resourcing and operational costs

Solicitor appearing on behalf of the Queensland Police Service in criminal and domestic and family violence matters

• Delivery of professional prosecution services, including appearing on civil and criminal hearings and applications • Provision of legal advice to members of the Service on matters before the Courts.

• Analyse briefs of evidence by police for use in criminal and civil matters to ensure sufficient evidence to meet evidentiary standard of proof

• Communicate, negotiate and mediate with members of the Queensland Police Service, the legal profession and members of the public to resolve criminal and civil matters in a timely manner in best interests of prosecution case

• Provide advocacy service and referrals to persons who have experienced domestic and family violence

Key Achievements:

• Facilitated mock court training to First Year Constables, providing advice and guidance on court processes, brief preparation and meeting required evidentiary standard of proof

• Facilitated prosecutorial training in legal and judicial processes within a police environment for police officers undertaking police prosecution certification

• Established and implemented new system of communication between local prosecutions office and operational staff to improve efficiency and output

Represent clients in criminal matters at the Magistrates, District and Supreme Court level

• Advocate for clients before the court on matters in all Queensland criminal jurisdictions

• Analyse prosecution briefs of evidence and provide comprehensive legal advice and defence strategies to clients

• Negotiate with opposing counsel to resolve matters in a timely manner in best interests of defence case

Key Achievements:

• Made a successful no case submission in a criminal law trial

• Instructed Counsel in a complex murder trial with 3 co-accused and over 150 prosecution witnesses