Sian Burgess

Ms Sian Burgess

Lecturer

Australian Centre of Child Protection

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences


Sian is a highly experienced clinical psychologist, with extensive expertise across practice, leadership, workforce development, teaching, and consultancy. Her primary areas of focus include child protection, out-of-home care, trauma-informed practice, and service system improvement, underpinned by more than 17 years of experience working across government, non-government, and private sectors.
Sian brings deep clinical expertise to her work, having provided assessment, treatment, and consultancy to children, young people, adults, and families impacted by complex trauma, family separation, child abuse, and out-of-home care. She has held senior management roles within both government and not-for-profit organisations, including nine years coordinating two specialist Child Sexual Abuse Therapy Services. This has given her hands-on leadership experience in managing multidisciplinary teams, embedding evidence-informed practice, and driving service improvements in highly sensitive practice areas.
Since joining the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP) at UniSA in 2021, Sian has played a senior role within the Practice team, contributing to the strategic delivery of national and state-based industry projects. She has provider leadership within complex, multi-stakeholder projects, working closely with government and sector partners to translate research into actionable policy and practice guidance. Within her dual role as Lecturer, Sian also contributes to the development and delivery of postgraduate coursework for the Graduate Certificate in Childhood Trauma, serving to enhance workforce capability across Australia’s child facing workforce.

Sian is currently co-leading the development of National Child Safety Training for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. To be rolled out across 2026, the training will become mandatory for staff and volunteers across the ECEC sector and will help to strengthen safeguarding and create environments where children are safe, supported, and able to thrive.

Year Citation
2025 Paton, A., & Burgess, S. (2025). Practice guide: layered therapeutic assessment and treatment mapping approach for harmful sexual behaviours. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Horch, G., Paton, A., Burgess, S., Cox, S., & Bromfield Smith, L. (2024). Harmful sexual behaviour assessment tools for use in Australian out-of-home care contexts: a scoping review. Australia: The Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Burgess, S., Perfect, D., & Paton, A. (2024). Co-design report: specialist service model for young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours: Corporate body:Department of Communities, Government of Western Australia Commissioning body. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Paton, A., Burgess, S., Perfect, D., Thain, E., Winslade, K., & Bromfield, L. (2024). Evidence based review of therapeutic residential care models. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Paton, A., Burgess, S., & Perfect, D. (2024). Practice Manual: Specialist Service Model for young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2023 Paton, A., Parsons, V., Pitts, C., Adamson, K., Bromfield, L., Horch, G., . . . Burgess, S. (2023). Minimum practice standards: specialist and community support services responding to child sexual abuse. Australia: National Office for Child Safety.
2022 Paton, A., Bromfield, L., Moore, T., Ey, L. A., Burgess, S., Cox, S., & Herbert, J. (2022). Framework for understanding and guiding responses to harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people. Australia: Department of Communities.
2022 Burgess, S., Paton, A., Thain, E., Herbert, J., Edgeworth, P., & Russell, E. (2022). Improving practice together: Victorian group supervision model: final recommendations report and jurisdictional scan. Australia: University of South Australia, Australian Centre for Child Protection.
DOI
2021 Burgess, S., & Paton, A. (2021). Integrative treatment of complex trauma for adolescents (ITCT-A): clinical practice review. Australia: Pursuit of Excellence in Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect.
DOI
2021 Burgess, S., & Paton, A. (2021). Neurofeedback and the treatment of developmental trauma: clinical practice review. Australia: Pursuit of Excellence in Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect.
DOI
2021 Burgess, S., & Paton, A. (2021). Eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR): clinical practice review. Australia: Pursuit of Excellence in Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect.
DOI
  • Development of a Child Safety Training Package, QLD Dept of Education, 27/10/2025 - 26/10/2026

  • Co-design implementation support and evaluation for the Specialist Harmful Sexual Behaviours Pilot Program, WA Dept of Communities, 08/01/2024 - 07/07/2026

  • Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission, National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse - Competitive Grant, 23/11/2023 - 30/11/2025

  • Child Safety Training Development, QLD Dept of Education, 01/09/2025 - 24/10/2025

  • Child safety training initial scoping advice, QLD Dept of Education, 12/05/2025 - 31/07/2025

Courses I teach

  • WELF 5114 UO Assessing Childhood Trauma (2025)
  • WELF 5118 UO Therapeutic Responses to Childhood Trauma (2025)
  • SCJUS 90001 Understanding Childhood Trauma SC (2024)
  • WELF 5114 UO Assessing Childhood Trauma (2024)
  • WELF 5116 UO Foundations of Childhood Trauma (2024)
  • WELF 5118 UO Therapeutic Responses to Childhood Trauma (2024)

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