Join USQ and a variety of industry and government exports for the Vulnerable Persons Conference in May 2021.
In December 2017 the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was presented to the Governor-General. Volume 17 of this report outlines the key priorities as it relates to the implementation of the recommendations emerging from the report. One of the primary themes that appears central to both the recommendations and their implementation is the vulnerability of children to be victims of sexual abuse. Implementing the Royal Commission recommendations requires an active response from all government, non-government, and community stakeholders associated with working with children.
With this in mind, the USQ School of Law & Justice and School of Education will co-host the Vulnerable Persons Conference: Responding to the Vulnerability of Children after the Royal Commission (#VPC2021). The aim of this conference is to draw on the theme of vulnerability with a particular focus on three key areas:
- the vulnerability of children and victimisation
- responding to vulnerability to minimise risk
- preventing the abuse of children with particular vulnerabilities.
In line with these key focus areas, this conference will feature a diverse range of presentations from distinguished guests, criminal justice representatives, legal practitioners, victims’ services, and emergency services.
| Date: | Thursday 13 May - Friday 14 May 2021 |
| Time: | 9.00 am - 4.00 pm |
| Location: | USQ Toowoomba / Steele Rudd College |
| Cost: |
$200 Inc. GST Includes morning tea and lunch each day |
| RSVP: | COB: Friday 7 May 2021 |
Engage with us prior to and during the conference using the following hashtags and handles.
#VPC2021
#USQEDU
@usqedu
A full list of biographies and abstracts for all speakers will be made available closer to the conference date.
A list of confirmed speakers can be found below.
Thursday 13 May
Garth Blake AM SC
Chair of Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission, specifically relating to child protection and professional standard
Adair Donaldson LLM LLB BBus
Adair Donaldson LLM LLB BBus, has worked as a lawyer for over 20 years. He has both built a large regional practice and worked as a partner in a nation legal firm during that time. In 2016 Adair founded Donaldson Law to focus on a non-adversarial approach to achieving holistic legal solutions for his clients following a growing realization that aggressive litigation was not serving his clients best. His work focuses on helping those who have suffered abuse within institutions such as the defence force, religious institutions and schools.
For over 10 years Adair has also worked to develop educational programs and consulted on legal issues affecting young people. He is the creator of the acclaimed preventative law resource, Putting Youth in the Picture addresses the legal consequences of alcohol abuse, sexual assaults, illicit drugs, violence, social media and the illegal use of technology.
He has appeared before Federal and State Parliamentary Committees to provide evidence in regards to addressing youth violence, alcohol related issues, and in relation to abuse in the Australian Defence Force.
He is regularly called on by the media to comment on the legal consequences of issues pertaining to youth culture. Adair has also worked closely with the National Rugby League to develop and implement educational resources for their players and clubs. He has been appointed to the Australian Rugby League Commission's Respectful Relationships Committee, which focuses on ensuring respect for women throughout the code. He has also recently been appointed as an ambassador for the Full Stop Foundation that supports and resources the work of Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia.
In 2002 Adair was nominated by his peers for the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association Civil Justice Award in Queensland, and in 2005 he, along with his business partner Peter Shannon, won this same award.
Professor Tim Moore
Deputy Director (Practice Solutions) - Australian Centre for Child Protection
University of South Australia.
Dr Aaron Darrell
Author of the CoST and advocate for children of sex-workers
Most analyses of our world comes from the top, looking down. Dr Darrell lived for 20 years in mum and dad’s brothels, carried the impacts and stigma of being a child of the sex trade and earned a PhD when males from his background either disappear or spend lifetimes as pimps. Aaron’s work comes from the bottom, looking up.
His unique story has given Aaron a lifetime commitment to understanding inequality and its causes. His PhD came from relentlessly asking ‘why?’. His methodology is informed by a background in European psycho-analysis, the impacts of individual and cultural trauma and the operations of power in every aspect of life. This unique approach and the desire to see that tomorrow is truly better than yesterday, allows him to untangle the often-complex reasons that make too many people destructive towards others, themselves and the world.
Dr Darrell has lectured on theories of self, culture, globalization, media cultures and the intersections between trauma, technology and lived practice.
Learn more at www.AaronDarrell.info
Friday 14 May
Mr Bob Atkinson AO APM
Commissioner for the Royal Commissioner into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Former Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service
Robert Fitzgerald AM
Robert Fitzgerald AM was a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for 5 years. For over ten years he was a Commissioner with the Productivity Commission and was recently appointed as the inaugural NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner.
Previously Robert was the NSW Community and Disability Services Commissioner and Deputy Ombudsman and practised as a commercial Solicitor for over 20 years. Robert has conducted over 18 government commissioned national inquiries into regulatory, economic and social policy areas. He has served on numerous NGO boards including previously as President Australian Council of Social Service, and currently a Board Member of Social Ventures Australia. Robert was the inaugural Chair of the Advisory Board, Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission.
Robert holds degrees in commerce and law from the University of NSW and an honorary doctorate from the Australian Catholic University and is currently an Adjunct Professor with the University of Western Australia. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1994. Robert is patron of Justice Connect and SAMSN (Survivors and Mates Support Network).
Detective Sergeant Cameron Woodall
Detective Sergeant Cameron Woodall has been an operational police officer with the Queensland Police Service for the past 19 years. Cameron’s work service has predominantly involved working in the Criminal Investigation and Child Protection areas. In April 2006, Cameron moved to the Indooroopilly Child Protection and Investigation Unit where he worked in both Child Abuse and Youth Justice teams. In 2009, Cameron moved to Argos at Police Headquarters. Since that time he has conducted predominantly online but also Peer-To-Peer file sharing investigations. Cameron is currently a Team Leader of a number of Law Enforcement Participants purporting to be either child victims or adult offenders on the internet.
Task Force Argos
Argos was established as a multi-disciplinary task force in February 1997. The Unit is principally responsible for the investigation of organised paedophilia, child exploitation and computer facilitated child exploitation. In particular the unit is involved in the investigation of serial or organised paedophilia crossing state or jurisdictional boundaries, Proactive investigation of child sex offenders utilising the internet, Reactive response to possession/production and distribution of child exploitation material and Victim Identification coordination with state, national and international jurisdictions.
Professor Daryl Higgins
Director - Institute of Child Protections Studies
Australian Catholic University
Professor Kerryann Walsh
School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education
Queensland University of Technology
Conference Location
The Vulnerable Persons Conference will take place in the Steele Rudd College Dining Presinct. Steele Rudd College is located at USQ's Toowoomba Campus. Entrance to the college is via Baker Street.
Download the campus map and look for Steele Rudd College along Baker street.
If travelling by car, search Steele Rudd College in your map app.
Parking
There are unrestricted parking areas and metered bays available for students and visitors.
The best place for conference delegates to park is in car park 10, our solar car park, located opposite the college on Baker Street.
Unrestricted parking is free and can be located in parking areas 2, 3A, 5, 10, and 13. There are also a number of metered bays located at carparks:
- 3 - adjacent to Y Block
- 3a - adjacent to S Block
- 9 - W Block
- 12 - Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre.
Parking tickets can be purchased at the ticket dispensing machine located within the respective car park area and must be displayed on vehicles parked in a metered car parking area.
What to do whilst you're in Toowoomba
The city has a rich heritage and culture - the various facilities throughout the city and surrounds provide the creature comforts of urban life with the charm of a regional city. Find out what you can do in the Toowoomba region whilst you are here.
Flights
Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport (Toowoomba) provides daily flights to and from Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville and Darwin.By road
Toowoomba is approximately a 90-minute drive west of Brisbane. Options include:
On Campus
USQ Residential Colleges (McGregor, Steel Rudd, Concannon)
Costs: $92 p/n (Single occupancy private rooms, including breakfast, dinner, internet and all linen)
Room details: Private ensuite rooms (limited) | Shared ensuite rooms (unlimited). Rooms include a king single bed, desk and built in cupboards.
Bookings: via online portal
Off Campus
Burke & Wills Hotel
Room details: Corporate Queen Room (20 rooms available) | Superior Queen Room (20 rooms available)
Tel: +61 7 4632 2433
Central Plaza Apartment Hotel
Terms & conditions: All rooms are open to the general public and not on hold for conference delegates. Please ensure you get in early to secure bookings.
Tel: +61 7 4688 3333
Potters Boutique Hotel
Room details: Deluxe King Room (40 rooms available)
Tel: +61 4670 9688
Email: stay@potterstoowoomba.com.au
Book: Online via website, via phone or email
Quest Apartment Hotel
Room details: Studios, One Bedroom Apartments, Two Bedroom Apartments, Three Bedroom Apartments (limited numbers)
Tel: +61 7 4690 2222
Email: questtoowoomba@questapartments.com.au
Book: via website, phone or email
The 2nd Vulnerable Conference Convener's invite you to consider the opportunity to sponsor this year's conference.
Sponsorship is a fantastic way to advertise your services and expertise to the community. Ideally, we are seeking sponsorship support by way of merchandise to be included in the registration packs in return for advertising space in the VPC2021 program, on the in-house screen, and a table in the expo area (dependent on space availability).
Download the #VPC2021 Sponsorship Document to find out more.
For further information please contact the USQ Outreach & Events team.