Creating Safer Independent Schools

Rebecca Delaney is an Inclusive Consultant for AISWA. Her expertise in Special and Inclusive Education has spanned over twenty five years both in the United Kingdom and Australia. Working in a variety of roles such as a specialist support assistant, teacher, tutor and Head of Department she has gained valuable training and knowledge, working alongside other professionals in Special Education. She has also experience in the field of Gifted Education and Early Childhood and has utilised this in a variety of different contexts in her career.

Maggie Balfe joined the Inclusive Education team at AISWA in January 2015. She has worked in the field of education for many years; starting her career in special education teaching in the 1980s with the Department of Education in Western Australia as a teacher in special schools. During the early 1990’s she worked in the United Kingdom as part of an early intervention team supporting families of children with disabilities. On her return to Western Australia she worked for Catholic Education WA taking on a variety of roles (Consultant for Students with Disabilities, followed by Coordinator of a High Support Needs Centre and finally teaching students with disabilities at secondary level) before joining AISWA. As an Inclusive Education Consultant Maggie supports schools promoting positive inclusive practices for students with disabilities in schools. Maggie has a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Special Education.

Dr. Paul Russell is the Senior Consultant Wellbeing and Engagement for the AISWA School Psychology Service. He is an endorsed Educational & Developmental Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist Regsitrar, an AHPRA approved supervisor, and has worked as a psychologist in Catholic, Independent and Government schools, in clinical practice, as a consultant and for Dyslexia-Speld Foundation, as well as having worked as a secondary teacher and in the tertiary sector. He has also worked in Defence and has been awarded the Australian Service Medal and Defence Long Service Medal. Paul has completed post-graduate study at Charles Sturt University, the University of Newcastle and the Australian Catholic University, as well as recently having completed study in Positive Education at Melbourne University and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at California Southern University. He has published a number of journal articles ranging in topics from values education to the false consensus effect.