SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - 24 August 2018 – CompliSpace Pty Ltd, a technology-enabled consulting company specialising in simplifying governance, risk, compliance and policy management for non-government schools in Australia today announced the appointment of Deborah de Fina as its new Head of Child Protection.

Deborah recently completed five years working with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse where she assisted the Royal Commission to establish the Private Session process and subsequently managed its legal aspects. Through Private Sessions, the Royal Commission spoke with more than 8000 survivors of child sexual abuse.  Deborah managed and championed the process by which Private Sessions information was embedded throughout the Royal Commission’s work in determining and shaping public hearings, in informing the policies and recommendations of the Interim and Final Reports, and in providing examples and narratives for the Final Report.

Prior to working with the Royal Commission, Deborah had her own successful consulting practice where she specialised in the statutory child protection system, legal issues facing children and vulnerable people, and legal aid. She also spent more than nine years at Legal Aid NSW, as a child protection solicitor, Senior Solicitor and then Solicitor in Charge, Child Protection.

Deborah holds a Juris Doctorate from the Columbia University School of Law, a Master of International Affairs from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a Diploma in Law from Sydney University.

“Developing a child safe culture is at the heart of the Royal Commission Recommendations. In order to do that child services organisations need, not only documented policies and procedures that are compliant with a multitude of ever-changing laws, but also the tools to bring these policies to life on a daily basis.  Having developed cultural-based child protection programs for schools and education authorities around Australia, we are currently working to update our child protection programs to the Royal Commission Child Safe Standards as well as the draft Catholic Professional Standards. Deborah’s expertise will be an invaluable part of that work and the conversation we have with our clients across Australia,” said James Field, CEO of CompliSpace.

Deborah adds, “I am excited to bring my experience and expertise to a company that is committed to helping schools and other child services organisations keep children safe.  The opportunity to immediately work with over 600 schools across Australia, that service over half a million students, is enticing given the harrowing stories I heard during my Royal Commission work.  Child protection programs can’t operate in a vacuum and I strongly believe that high standards of governance and effective risk management practices are key to building a robust child safe culture so that school leaders, parents and children sleep better at night.”