In this forum, we seek to explore child safeguarding frameworks and legislation with a lens of supporting culturally appropriate international student support.

We will focus on impacts of child safeguarding requirements on international education provision and support, taking into account the additional vulnerabilities of international students and students under 18 years of age.

The 2-hour forum will offer insights into appropriate protections for students under 18 and consent education programs with culturally appropriate information.   The session will include a key-note speaker and a panel of professionals with a broad range of expertise across both international education and child safe-guarding sectors.

This event offers a unique opportunity to delve into the intricacies of this complex space and consider the resources and preparations that can be utilized to protect international students.

Who should attend?

• professional and support staff working with Under 18 international students
• providers and professionals working child safety, consent education and curriculum and program development
• new and experienced international education professionals

Cost

• ISANA and IEAA Members: $75
• ISANA Non-Member Organisational PD: $100
• Non-Members: $150

Recording & session handouts:

• ISANA Member Resources (IEAA Members please visit https://www.ieaa.org.au/)

Draft Program

Guest Speakers

Chanel Contos is an award winning activist who founded Teach Us Consent, a campaign that mandated consent education in Australia and criminalised stealthing in multiple states. Chanel has a Masters in Education, Gender and International Development from University College London and was recently appointed by Julia Gillard to chair the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Youth Advisory Committee. In 2022, Chanel was named by the BBC as one of 100 Inspiring and Influential women worldwide.

Patrice Fitzgerald is the Principal Lawyer and Director of Safe Space Legal. Patrice has over 18 years of experience working in the legal sector, predominantly in safeguarding and child protection. Patrice has extensive expertise working with clients both big and small and supports clients to comply with their safeguarding obligations through a range of services including child safety training, conducting audits and drafting legally compliant child safety policies and procedures, and trauma informed investigations. Patrice’s clients include schools, early education providers, family services, public housing, children’s services, councils and disability service providers.

Having worked with many survivors of institutional abuse, Patrice is passionate about keeping children and young people safe. Patrice has extensive experience supporting organisations to respond appropriately to complaints of misconduct, which are often highly sensitive in nature and involve individuals who have experienced complex trauma. Patrice is committed to her vision of making organisations safer for children and vulnerable people across Australia.

Ms Eve Ollerenshaw is Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive General Manager Group Quality, Accreditation and Compliance at NextEd Group Limited, which included higher education provider Academy of Interactive Technology (AIT).

Eve has over 35 years of education industry leadership and management experience peppered with commercial, government and consulting roles. She has worked in leadership roles at a number of exclusive Sydney independent schools, Stratco QLD, Australian Technical College, Carrick Education, Think Colleges, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Australian government funded Workforce Futures program, and Scentia. Eve has owned and operated large retail outlets, a global consultancy business, and a sports management and coaching business. She has held a number of board appointments including Athletics NSW, LugeAustralia, the Queensland Studies Authority, along with several not-for-profits.

Eve was integrally involved in the NSW International Student Arrivals Program seeing the return of international students to Australia in 2021-22 and has continued her engagement in this space working closely with StudyNSW on its International Student Welfare working group. Over the past 2 years Eve has been integrally involved with the Department of Education and Department of Home Affairs on a number of consultation panels, expert reference groups, and advisory groups on behalf of the higher education sector. These have been in relation to genuine Student requirements, EIELTS levels, Support for Students Policy and the proposed national Code for the Prevention of Gender-based Violence in Higher Education.

Eve is a board member of IHEAs as well as convenor of its International Provider Network, and its Community of Practice for Student Safety and Wellbeing.

In 2017, Eve joined the technology and design division of RedHill Education (now known as NextEd Group) and was promoted in 2018. In her current role she is responsible for managing organisational compliance with domestic and overseas legislation, education industry registrations and accreditations, compliance with various regulatory bodies, governmental reporting, and new course accreditations. Eve is also NextEd’s Privacy Officer.

Eve has post-graduate qualifications in education and is qualified in governance and risk.

Leisl began her teaching career in the East End of London whilst working and travelling overseas. Upon her return to Australia, she completed a Master of Education (Applied Linguistics and has extensive teaching and leadership experience in the EAL field across primary, secondary, and adult sectors in both the state and private systems. Leisl has also worked on language proficiency in the corporate arena as well as many years of experience teaching VCE EAL onshore and offshore and IB Language B.

In Leisl’s current position as Dean of International Students at Ivanhoe Grammar School she is the Academic Manager of the School’s ELICOS Program and is also responsible for the pastoral care of all international students across the school at any one time.  Leisl believes the care and wellbeing of international school students is vital, especially given their vulnerability, and for them to fully enjoy their experience and achieve their very best outcomes they must feel safe, comfortable, and well supported.

Leisl is the current Vice President of Vision International.

Dr Giang Tran is a Research, Advocacy and Policy Officer at the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health. She completed a PhD Degree in Sociology. She is passionate about migrant and refugee women’s health and works to increase migrant and refugee women’s opportunities for health and well-being. Giang has a range of experience in qualitative research, evidence synthesis and knowledge translation. She has worked on multiple research projects including migration and gender, migrant families, migrant and refugee women’s mental health, sexual and reproductive health and violence against women. Her recent work and publication are on international student experiences of sexual and intimate partner violence and access to support services.

Harry is a dedicated Consent Labs program facilitator and advocate for consent and respectful relationships education. His passion for creating inclusive spaces where young people can openly explore topics of consent, healthy relationships, masculinity, and sexuality drives his work at Consent Labs. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NIDA, Harry’s background in acting enables him to connect deeply with young people, fostering open dialogue and creating engaging learning experiences. Harry’s work has empowered countless young people to navigate relationships with confidence and respect.

Sponsors

The Department for Education, Children and Young People is a Tasmanian Government department. The rights of children and young people are upheld in all that we do, particularly the right to an education, to influence decisions that affect them, and to be safe from harm. The department is committed to embedding a child safe culture that empowers and puts children and young people at the centre of decisions that affect them, while educating people of all ages without child abuse.

Safe Space Legal is the first law firm in Australia to practice exclusively in child safety and safeguarding. 

Safe Space Legal provides professional advice and services to organisations across Australia in all aspects of safeguarding including policy development, risk management, compliance with relevant state and commonwealth legislation, investigations including under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, audits and gap analyses with the Child Safe Standards and child safety training. 

Safe Space Legal has significant expertise in safeguarding and supports organisations to become best practice leaders in child safety.