In a context of increasing mobility, uncertainty and change, many children, young people and adults are navigating ongoing transitions -relocation, shifting identities and disrupted relationships. Research consistently shows that a sense of belonging is foundational to wellbeing, engagement and learning, while experiences of disconnection can negatively impact mental health and development. This session explores how organisations can move beyond reactive support to intentionally design environments that foster stability, connection and inclusion. This session is for leaders, educators and practitioners working in diverse or transitional contexts. Participants will gain insight into how change and transition impact identity and wellbeing, alongside practical strategies to strengthen belonging. They will leave with a research-informed framework and actionable ideas to support emotional safety and inclusion within their organisations.

Caring for others can be incredibly meaningful—but it can also take a quiet toll. Even when you’ve done everything right, it’s common to feel like you haven’t done enough. Impostor syndrome, survivor guilt, and the struggle to prioritise your own wellbeing can leave carers carrying a heavy sense of self-doubt. This workshop offers a practical, grounded way to respond to these challenges through self-forgiveness and self-care. Drawing on Contextual Behavioural Science, it helps participants make space for difficult thoughts and emotions rather than fight them. With a focus on values and lived experience, participants will explore how to rebuild a sense of purpose, compassion, and direction from the inside out. This session is designed for those who regularly show up for others—carers, teachers, and community leaders who carry both responsibility and emotional load. It will be especially valuable for people who hold themselves to high standards, often feel they “should be doing more,” or struggle to balance caring for others with caring for themselves.

This session examines the rapidly evolving online risks facing young people, from AI-generated deepfakes and image-based abuse to sextortion, grooming and emerging digital threats. It unpacks key definitions, current trends and the platforms where harm often begins, while demystifying how technologies like AI are being misused. Grounded in evidence and practical insight, the session equips educators and leaders with the knowledge and tools to recognise risks early, respond effectively and strengthen young people’s digital safety and resilience.

The focus of the presentation is about how leadership impacts wellbeing. Through my recent research, I explored whether person-centred & values-based 'Servant Leadership' offers a practical pathway to improving wellbeing, culture, and organisational performance in emergency services. Drawing on international (Swedish Police Authority and various USA first responder agencies) case studies, organisational data, and lived leadership experiences, my report 'To Lead is to Serve' argues that upstream leadership reform may be one of the most powerful levers for change, not only for organisations, but also the communities they serve.

The presentation focuses on Ngarrngga, a nation-building program that weaves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge into every classroom through culturally responsive, relational and research-grounded practice. It matters now because treating Indigenous histories, cultures and perspectives as optional perpetuates incomplete education and undermines reconciliation, social cohesion and national resilience. Ngarrngga outlines a vision and three interrelated nodes developed through iterative design-based research and rigorous vetting, aiming to increase educator confidence, ensure consistent curriculum integration, reduce teacher duplication, strengthen community–school partnerships and generate data to inform policy and professional standards, offering a sustained pathway to honour First Nations knowledges. Educators, school leaders, curriculum developers and policy makers benefit from this session, gaining strategies, research grounded tools and culturally responsive approaches to embed First Nations knowledges across subjects. Participants leave with increased confidence, leadership insight for community school partnerships, curriculum integration models, reduced planning duplication and evaluation measures to inform policy and professional standards. Ngarrngga’s iterative vetted framework equips practitioners to deliver consistent high quality education that prepares students as informed, respectful citizens.

As adults, it is our responsibility to keep children safe and protected from harm. At the same time, we know we can help children protect themselves by teaching them to recognise, respond to, and report unsafe behaviour and situations. This game has been designed to help children develop strategies to identify safe people and safe places, with the goal of reducing harm and strengthening their ability to seek support. In this hands-on session, participants will not only explore the concept but will also experience the game themselves. The session will introduce additional resources that have been designed to help facilitators confidently deliver the activities and create meaningful conversations with children about safety, trust, and seeking help. Participants will leave with practical tools and ideas they can use in their own settings to help equip children with the knowledge and confidence to navigate unsafe situations.

In this session, Associate Professor Tom Brunzell (University of Melbourne) draws on his original research to support school leaders in strengthening behavioural support frameworks and aligning strategic planning with trauma‑informed school development. Drawing from more than a decade of research and applied work across varied school contexts, the session will explore how leaders can intentionally activate whole‑school structures that respond to the full continuum of student need—from universal Tier 1 foundations through to targeted and intensive Tier 3 responses for complex behaviour. Participants will engage with three interrelated strategic priorities that underpin sustainable wellbeing and academic growth across schools. First, leaders will consider how to shift staff thinking from reactive, crisis‑driven responses toward proactive practices grounded in relational safety and shared responsibility, building authentic staff buy‑in. Second, the session will examine the design of consistent, schoolwide systems that minimise decision fatigue, clarify expectations, and support fair, restorative approaches to behaviour. Third, leaders will explore ways to build students’ capacity to meet higher expectations through strengths‑based, trauma‑informed routines and explicit self‑regulation strategies. By the conclusion of the session, leaders will be equipped with practical tools to strengthen staff commitment, reduce burnout, maintain academic rigour, and cultivate learning environments where both students and staff are supported to thrive.

Children and young people thrive when they can live safely with their families. The Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR) Response is an evidence-based initiative that works with families where children are in out-of-home care or at risk of entering it. This presentation will focus on a recent participatory evaluation by Uniting Vic.Tas of our FPR program, which was completed in partnership with parents with lived experience of family services. This presentation, co-delivered with a consumer partner, will share insights on embedding lived experience in evaluation and highlight what works to strengthen child safety and family wellbeing in complex and evolving service systems. This presentation is for community service leaders, practitioners, evaluators, researchers, and policymakers working in child and family services. Participants will not only gain understanding in what works to keep children safely at home, but also practical strategies for embedding lived experience in evaluation. They will leave with a greater understanding of how participatory approaches that centre both professional and lived experience perspectives produce more relevant, credible, and actionable evaluation findings that strengthen child safety and family wellbeing. Using the Family Preservation and Reunification evaluation as a case study, this presentation shows how evidence, best practice, and lived experience can be drawn together through collaborative sense making to produce more relevant, credible, and actionable evaluation findings that strengthen child safety and family wellbeing, practitioner practice and system responsiveness in complex child and family service contexts.

At a time when children’s wellbeing and school engagement are declining, educators are seeking practical approaches that strengthen relationships, belonging, and emotional wellbeing. The study found that regular nature play supported students’ social connections, autonomy in learning, and engagement, alongside improvements in mathematics achievement compared with a control group. Qualitative insights from children, teachers, and parents highlight how outdoor learning environments foster collaboration, confidence, and intrinsic motivation. The presentation explores how nature play can provide a practical pathway to improving wellbeing and learning outcomes. This presentation shares findings from a mixed-methods study investigating a 10-week bush school nature play program for Year One students in an Australian primary school.

The presentation focuses on how student-led, peer-facilitated approaches can strengthen safety, wellbeing, and relationships in school communities by shifting young people from passive bystanders to active Upstanders. It examines why adult-led behaviour models often fail to change peer dynamics and how empowering students to model and maintain prosocial behaviour leads to more sustainable outcomes. This matters now as schools face increasing levels of peer conflict, discrimination, and disengagement, alongside growing pressure on staff. Building collective responsibility and emotional intelligence in students is critical to creating safer, more resilient communities., This presentation is for educators, school leaders, wellbeing practitioners, and policymakers working to improve student safety, relationships, and culture. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how peer dynamics shape behaviour, alongside practical, school-ready strategies for developing student leadership, interrupting harmful behaviour, and embedding shared responsibility for wellbeing. Attendees will leave with clear insights into what works in practice, common pitfalls, and how to translate student voice into meaningful, sustainable change.

This session will discuss key trends observed in relation to the alternative education sector, including growth, characteristics of students, and key differences across jurisdictions. It will explore some of the tensions faced by government-run systems, including distinguishing between genuine inclusion in mainstream settings and equitable access to specialised provision. It will also discuss the imperative for stronger system connection; across alternative settings, between mainstream and specialist schools, and with broader service systems. It will conclude with key opportunities to strengthen connection and impact, including professional collaboration and networks, more flexible pathways, and the effective use of technology.