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Our Team.
Tracey Hill B.A., Honours. (Contact person for Europe).
U.K
I hold a BA Hons in Social Work and have over twenty years of experience working in Children’s Social Care, from frontline to Assistant Director level. In 2011, I established Tracey Hill Training & Consultancy Ltd, and in 2012, I became one of the first Licensed Signs of Safety Trainers and Consultants in the UK. This opportunity led me to collaborate with my Canadian colleague, Avi Versanov. Since then, I have successfully guided over 15 Local Authorities across the UK and Ireland through the complexities of whole-system change. Every project I undertake is a learning journey, allowing me to continuously apply my extensive experience and expertise to deliver more substantial outcomes with each new endeavour. I had the privilege of collaborating with Professor Eileen Munro on the England Innovation Projects (EIP) from 2014 to 2019, contributing to the influential research "You Can’t Grow Roses in Concrete" (Parts 1 and 2). This experience reinforced my firm belief that sustainable change extends beyond implementing a practice model—it demands long-term cultural transformation across an organization. Avi and I recognized that fostering an environment that nurtures growth and encourages positive shifts is essential to driving lasting improvements within social work systems.
From 2019 to 2022, I served as the UK and Ireland Regional Director for Elia, the home of Signs of Safety. In this role, I oversaw all regional implementations, ensured the quality of licensed Trainers and Consultants, and represented Signs of Safety at key conferences in the UK and internationally. In 2022, I shifted my focus to new ventures. I co-founded Signs of Healing, integrating a trauma-informed approach based on the belief that safety is temporary without healing. I also established ATA Consultancy with Avi Versanov, where we apply a robust change management and organizational development focus, partnering with leaders to cultivate well-being and best practices across their teams.
Avi Versanov M.S.W., M.B.A (Contact person for Canada)
Canada
Avi possesses deep expertise in change management and strategic planning in the child welfare sector. Avi's professional path spans over twenty-five years and merges educational accomplishments from his Bachelor's degree in Psychology with dual Master's degrees in Social Work and Business Administration. Avi's academic background and practical experiences have provided him with key insights on how to best support child welfare organizations and drive sustainable change. Avi maintains that all areas of professional work, including for-profit businesses and public services alongside community organizations and healthcare institutions, need active practitioner involvement to modify organizational structures and enhance service delivery.
Avi has worked with leadership teams and end-users (frontline staff and stakeholders), building capacity to drive meaningful and sustainable change that directly improves the lives of children and their families. Drawing on deep expertise in systems transformation and the Safeguarding Together framework, Avi integrates strategic leadership and project management skills to ease the tension and uncertainty that both practitioners and service recipients often experience during periods of change.
Avi fosters trust, accountability, and shared ownership among all stakeholders by aligning organizational culture with the vision for transformation. Their approach prioritizes psychological safety, cultural responsiveness, and whole-system alignment, ensuring that change is adopted and embedded. This has enabled organizations to implement new practices and also to sustain them, resulting in stronger networks of support for families and more resilient service delivery systems.
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Associates
Fidelis Fukwo., B.A., HONOURS., MSC GOV (Contact person for Sub Sahara Africa).
Languages spoken: Swahili, Arabic, English.
Kenya
Fidelis has more than ten years of experience as a Social Worker directing and assisting programs within humanitarian and development fields mainly in Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and Sudan. Fidelis utilizes his extensive knowledge of project management and results-based strategies along with proposal development and data gathering skills to create successful programs that support women and children along with other vulnerable populations. He holds certification as a Trainer of Trainers in Psychological First Aid and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), alongside Training for the rehabilitation of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAGs). Fidelis demonstrates strong dedication to ethical and effective practice as an associate member of the global Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (ACPHA). He has worked together with NGOs, local organizations and government agencies to implement lasting solutions in Child Protection, HIV prevention for adolescent girls and young women, PSEA and Peace Building along with health and WASH projects. Fidelis obtained a BA Honours in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Governance, Peace, and Security through Africa Nazarene University which provided him with both theoretical understanding and practical skills to support peace and resilience in difficult situations.
Walaa Ababneh (Contact person for the Middle East).
Languages Spoken: Arabic, English
Jordan
With nearly 14 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sectors, Walaa Ababneh is a seasoned project manager and coordinator with a strong background in education, protection, livelihoods, youth and women’s empowerment, and children's rights. She has led and supported diverse programs with international organizations, including Save the Children, UNDP, World Vision, IRC, Care International, Questscope and LWF. Her roles have spanned strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, budget management, partnership coordination, and capacity building. Walaa has a proven track record of working effectively with a broad spectrum of stakeholders—government bodies, community-based organizations, NGOs, and donors—ensuring programs are responsive to contextual needs and aligned with global standards. She has managed and implemented complex, multi-sectoral projects. Complementing her extensive field experience, Walaa has strengthened her technical expertise in data analysis through a competitive fellowship in Advanced Data Analytics, where she gained practical, hands-on experience using Python, SQL, and Tableau. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems and is certified in Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro).
Abdiel Cabrera (Contact Person for South America)
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Guatamala
I am a Safeguarding Specialist and Human Development Professional with over 8 years of experience in the development sectors across Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Africa. My expertise includes strengthening local organizations, capacity building, and developing safeguarding policies and procedures to enhance program quality and reduce safeguarding risks. I am passionate about designing and embedding safeguarding strategies that ensure program participants' safety, dignity, and well-being. I am experienced in project management and implementation. I have supported the planning, executing, and evaluating of project and program operations. My deep knowledge of safeguarding strategies, particularly in preventing sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH), has enabled me to implement robust policies and lead training initiatives that enhance operational effectiveness. I excel in building local capacities, fostering collaboration with key stakeholders, and using data-driven approaches to monitor and evaluate program success. Additionally, I am skilled in adapting safeguarding approaches to local contexts, ensuring that all interventions are tailored to the needs of vulnerable populations. Furthermore, I have led efforts to assess the effectiveness of safeguarding programs, utilizing data to propose improvements and ensure the continuous strengthening of internal protection mechanisms.
Dr. Wraychel Gilmore, Ph.D.
Canada
Dr. Wraychel Gilomre advocates, consults, writes, and teaches based on her 25+ years in children and youth services, focusing on youth political consultation and systemic change. She has worked internationally alongside colleagues from Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean, advocating politically and building strengths in policy development and programming. Her work establishing a legislated child and youth advocate office tasked her with oversight of government services, including sexual and physical assault responses from social services, exposing systemic racism and sexism within education, child protection and family violence issues, death investigations and complex mental health access for tens of thousands of children and youth. Dr. Gilmore co-pioneered the first paid cooperative education program for Indigenous youth in Canada. She served as an expert witness for the Senate of Canada on a National Commissioner, being the only adult to bring youth delegates into the proceedings. Dr. Gilmore is the current Director for Defence for Children International and was appointed the Canadian Observer for the European Region. Her advocacy approaches have been recognized nationally, including features on CBC’s Peter Mansbridge podcast, The Bridge, Global News, and the Elected political podcast. Dr. Gilmore is an internationally requested speaker, appearing in Greece, Sweden, Hawaii, Miami, and at a UNESCO conference at Cornell University. She has requests in Morocco, South Korea, and Spain this year.