ICMEC Level II Child Protection Workshop: Online Safety: 20 May
ICMEC Level II Child Protection Workshop: Online Safety: 20 May
Speakers
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Debbie Downes
Director of Global School Initiatives, ICMECIn August 2022, Debbie Downes joined The International Centre of Missing and Exploited Children as the Director of Global School Initiatives. In this role, she develops and provides child protection training, support, and resources to schools around the world. She has been supporting ICMEC’s work as a regional trainer since July 2020. Debbie is also an active member of the International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP) and currently co-chairs the committee on Online Harm and Abuse. Debbie has worked in international education for 18 years, first as an elementary teacher, then as school principal, and then as Accreditation and Child Protection Lead for an organization of 36 international schools. She developed and revised handbooks, policies, and resources to support child protection efforts, and she supported schools with on-site and virtual professional development.
Debbie’s background in child protection includes an MSW from the University of California at Berkeley and several years of experience working in the court unit of Children and Family Services in Contra Costa County, California. Debbie’s overseas career began with 3 years as a health education volunteer with the Peace Corps in Kolda, Senegal. She has since lived with her husband, 2 children, and 2 rescue dogs in Thailand, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Slovenia, Belarus, and her current location of Tbilisi, Georgia.
Dan FurnessHead of Safeguarding and Well-beingCouncil of International SchoolsDan’s primary responsibility as Head of Safeguarding and Well-being is to support the CIS membership community as it identifies and addresses child protection and student well-being challenges. This includes designing and delivering professional learning opportunities such as the Foundation and Deep Dive workshops in Child Protection and Safeguarding. Dan is available to support schools to strengthen their culture and systems, developing resources to educate and promote effective practices, and providing thought leadership and partnership across the international education sector.
Prior to joining CIS, Dan worked in international schools in South Africa, South Korea, Germany and the Netherlands leading boarding, student support and safeguarding. Dan has also worked as an independent consultant in safeguarding and has a history of supporting staff professional development over a range of safeguarding related areas including the following: child protection and safeguarding; safer handling and restraint; restorative justice and shared concern; response to intervention (a tiered approach to school support); and inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism. He has also provided supervision for other DSLs and school counsellors.
Dan is a qualified counsellor and social worker, with an undergraduate degree and masters in social work from the University of Bath, and a second masters in educational leadership and management from the University of Buckingham.