Every Conversation Matters: Building Child Safe Organisations in WA Event

Fiona Costello | Child Safe Manager - WA Council of Social Service

Fiona Costello is the Child Safe Manager of the WACOSS Child Safe Project, working with community service organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) across Western Australia to strengthen child safe governance and embed the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. With more than 20 years' experience in the community services sector, her career spans youth mental health, juvenile justice, family and domestic violence, and out-of-home care, providing her with a deep understanding of the systems that influence the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Fiona has led the development of practical implementation frameworks, governance resources, webinars and capacity-building initiatives that help organisations turn child safeguarding principles into meaningful action. She works closely with local government, government agencies, and sector partners to build leadership capability and support sustainable organisational change. Passionate about children's rights, human rights and social justice, Fiona believes that creating child safe organisations requires more than policies and compliance. Her work focuses on helping leaders foster cultures where children and young people are genuinely safe, respected, included, and heard. Through a practical, evidence-informed approach, she supports organisations to strengthen governance, drive continuous improvement and embed child safety into everyday decisions, systems and practice. Outside of her professional role, Fiona is also a mum to twins, an experience that further strengthens her commitment to ensuring every child grows safe, respected, included and heard.

Mark Irwin | Mayor - City of Stirling

Mayor Mark Irwin AM was born and raised in Scarborough and was first elected as a Councillor for the City of Stirling in 2015. He was elected as Mayor by his fellow Councillors in October 2017 and was re-elected as the City’s first popularly elected Mayor in 2019. In March 2026, Mayor Irwin was elected the President of the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), leading the peak body for Western Australia’s local governments. He is proud to play an active role in sector advocacy, advancing policy, governance, and strategic priorities across the state. In June 2026, Mayor Irwin was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his distinguished service to the community through Surf Life Saving and local government. Mayor Irwin holds a degree in Science from University of Western Australia, a Diploma of Management, and has completed the Berkeley Executive Leadership and Changemaker Programs. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. A passionate advocate for health and fitness, he operated a health and fitness business with his wife for 20 years. He has previously served on a range of government and community boards, most notably as President of Surf Life Saving WA, and continues to serve on community boards. Through these positions, he has forged successful relationships with local, state, and national bodies, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to leadership and community service. As Mayor, Mark Irwin provides strategic leadership to Council and is proud to lead Western Australia’s largest local government, which is recognised as an award-winning sector-leader in innovation, responsiveness, approachability and transparency.

Dr Jacqueline McGowan-Jones | Commissioner for Children and Young People WA

Dr Jacqueline McGowan-Jones has an extensive background in education, child protection, Indigenous affairs, and suicide postvention. Her experience includes senior executive roles across state and federal governments, and the non-government sector. As Commissioner, Jacqueline has a statutory responsibility to monitor, protect and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of all Western Australian children and young people. She firmly believes that all young people have a right to be heard, and actively works to foster a heightened level of understanding and engagement in matters that affect our children and young people.

Alison Cameron | Principal Assistant Ombudsman, Child Family Safety - Ombudsman WA

Alison Cameron is the Principal Assistant Ombudsman leading the Child and Family Safety team at Ombudsman WA. Alison is an experienced lawyer and public sector leader with a particular interest in child protection and administrative law and practice. Alison leads the Child and Family Safety team at Ombudsman WA, which includes the work of child death reviews, family and domestic violence fatality reviews, oversight of the reportable conduct scheme and the incoming child safety standards. This work allows her to combine her experience working with families and children at risk with her administrative law practice and focus on systems-wide impact. Alison has recently completed a psychology degree and is deeply committed to innovative and collaborative approaches to achieve the protection and rights of vulnerable children and families throughout Western Australia, including regional and remote areas.

Germaine Larcombe | Executive Director, Regulatory Reform - Ombudsman WA

Germaine Larcombe is the Executive Director, Regulatory Reform at Ombudsman WA, where she is leading the design and implementation of Western Australia's Child Safe Standards Scheme. Germaine is an experienced public sector leader with more than 25 years' experience leading regulatory reform, organisational transformation, governance, risk management and major service delivery initiatives. Germaine leads the Independent Oversight team responsible for establishing the Child Safe Standards Scheme and supporting its implementation across Western Australia. This work brings together her extensive experience in designing and leading regulatory functions, reform programs and statewide service delivery with a focus on achieving practical outcomes and systems-wide impact. Before joining Ombudsman WA, Germaine held executive leadership roles across the Western Australian public sector, including with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. She is committed to collaborative approaches to reform and enjoys working alongside government, organisations and communities to strengthen systems and improve outcomes for children, families and communities.

Dianne Ryder | Welcome to Country

Dianne Ryder is a proud Noongar woman from Western Australia who has made a significant contribution over the years to her family, community and country. Dianne spent 21 years with the Australian Army and was awarded the Army Australia Day Medallion for her dedication. Since leaving the Army, Dianne has worked in various community facing roles as well as sitting on various boards and groups including as the President of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans Association of WA and with the Indigenous Veterans Memorial Service. Dianne has been recognised for her dedication and has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions including National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, Order of Australia Medal OAM in 2023 and she was the first female Veteran to be inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024.

Helen Mc Shane | Director, Child Safeguarding Implementation - Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport

Helen Mc Shane is a child safeguarding specialist, focussed on facilitating and supporting safe environments for children and young people, in the pursuit of every child having the opportunity to not only feel safe, but to be safe. Her 20-year international career spans both government and the not-for-profit sector working across strategic policy, legislation review and implementation, for the advance of child safety and wellbeing. Helen has held roles with the Department of Communities; SportWest; the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries; Sport Integrity Australia; and is currently the Director, Child Safeguarding Implementation Unit, at the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport. Helen also holds a Master of Business (Sport Management), has been a Board Director and is trained as a mediator. Perhaps her most important role is being the mother of three children.

Kylie Wallace | CEO - Youth Affairs Council of WA

Kylie has a social work background and has worked in the out of home care, youth homelessness and community services sector for 30 years in WA. Creating safety and safe environments for children and young people has been central to her work, with the practices of safeguarding being a key focus more recently. She is excited to be with us today to continue to learn from and contribute to these discussions.

Ava Brock | Childsafe and Compliance Coordinator - Shooting Stars

Ava Brock is a proud Gunditjmara woman from north-east Victoria and currently the Childsafe and Compliance Coordinator at Shooting Stars. Passionate about culture, community and child safety, she works to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls are supported in safe, culturally responsive environments. For Ava, witnessing young Aboriginal girls grow in confidence and thrive through the program is at the heart of why this work matters.

Hannah Nancarrow | Child Safe Manager - Council of Aboriginal Services WA

Hannah Nancarrow is the Child Safe Manager for the CASWA Child Safe Project, and is a Yamitji Noongar woman living on Noongar land, with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and a Master of Public Health. Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience growing up in remote Western Australia, she is deeply committed to Aboriginal health and social justice. Hannah brings extensive experience in child protection, public health, and community leadership, alongside seven years of governance as a board member of an Aboriginal corporation that supports culturally appropriate housing, employment, and services. As a foster carer, Hannah applies trauma-informed and attachment-based approaches to support children’s development and access to care.

Danielle James | Executive Director, Practice and Impact - Child Australia

Danielle James is a highly experienced leader spanning government, education and the not-for-profit sector. With a strong background in large-scale reform, organisational development and operational leadership, Danielle is recognised for her ability to lead complex initiatives, build high-performing teams and deliver measurable outcomes that improve the lives of children, families and communities. Danielle’s professional journey reflects a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on operational roles. She has extensive experience in policy development, business improvement, talent management, stakeholder negotiation, and governance. Known for her collaborative and values-led approach, Danielle fosters cultures of accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement. She is particularly passionate about equity in early childhood education and ensuring systems are designed to support those who need them most. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Health Science, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Project Management. Danielle combines commercial acumen with a deep commitment to social impact, bringing both analytical rigour and empathy to her leadership practice. Beyond her professional achievements, Danielle is a proud mother of two, and family life is full and energetic. She treasures time spent at the beach with her family and is deeply motivated by creating a world where all children have the opportunity to thrive.

Connie Borg | Sector Specialist Team Leader, Child Australia

Connie has over 25 years’ experience in a variety of community and education and care services, holding positions that have given her a wealth of experience in service operations, family and community support and training, assessing and mentoring. Connie is passionate about the care and education of all children but specialises in the areas of infants and toddlers, recently completing her masters in Infant Mental Health. Along with strong community involvement, Connie believes support and guidance to build educator capacity is the best way to drive quality improvement and sustainable service. Connie has spent some time working with children, families and community in the remote in Willowra community, located in Australia’s e Central Desert region. During her time in Willowra Connie worked with the local Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) Reference group to develop community specific early childhood programs and staff, Early Childhood Training programs for the community.

Angel Renjith | Safeguarding Lead - Anglicare WA

As Safeguarding Lead at Anglicare WA, I am responsible for identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns, providing oversight of safeguarding governance and compliance, and supporting services across the organisation to effectively manage safeguarding risks. I bring more than 20 years of leadership experience across the mental health, residential care, and NDIS sectors, with extensive expertise in accreditation, compliance, operations, and change management. Working alongside Jo Page, I play a key role in leading Anglicare WA through the child safe accreditation processes and other regulatory and compliance requirements. I am passionate about fostering safe, inclusive environments where children and young people feel heard, respected, valued, and protected. My focus is on strengthening organisational practices that promote safety, accountability, and positive outcomes for all Anglicare WA clients and the wider community.

Jo Page | Quality and Risk Manager - Anglicare WA

Jo is an experienced Quality and Risk Management professional with over 27 years of expertise in governance, risk, compliance, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. For the past 13 years, she has worked within the community services sector, supporting organisations to strengthen service quality, safeguard vulnerable people, meet regulatory requirements, and drive organisational improvement. Jo brings extensive experience in policy and procedure development, accreditation and audit readiness, complaints management, safeguarding, and enterprise risk management. She is passionate about building strong governance frameworks, fostering a culture of accountability and learning, and ensuring Anglicare WA services deliver safe, high-quality outcomes for the communities we serve.

Child Safe Project | WACOSS and CASWA

Ombudsman WA | Independent Oversight and Reportable Conduct Scheme

Working with Children Check Screening Unit | WA Department of Communities

Royal Commission Implementation Team | WA Department of Communities

Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (CITS)

TrueSport

Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS)