As a School Guidance Counsellor you make complex legal decisions every day and often in situations where care, ethics and the law intersect. Learn from the expertise of experienced legal practitioners to confidently apply a raft of legislation to your everyday decision making including education law, family law, the new Privacy reforms, legally supporting LGBTQIA+ students and the legal requirements of Pastoral Care. You will leave ready to respond clearly, lawfully and confidently in day‑to‑day school counselling practice. Through real‑world scenarios, the experts will break down for you what you must, may and must not do, helping you support students, manage risk and document decisions with confidence.
Friday, 26 June 2026
9.00am to 10.00am Bridging the Gap: Navigating Law and Practice in School Counselling
School guidance counsellors sit at the intersection of care, ethics and the law, but how do these pieces actually fit together in practice?
- Explore the “bridge” between legal obligations and professional codes, helping you confidently navigate both
- Unpack key legal ages and stages, where rangatahi can make their own decisions and where responsibilities shift
- Break down what legislation really means in practice, from what you must, must not, and may do, and how this aligns (or potentially clashes) with your code of ethics
- Through real-world scenarios, explore the counsellor’s role as an advocate: supporting young people to understand their rights, make informed choices, and find the best possible outcomes.
- Grounded in the principles of UNCROC, examine how different laws interact including the Education and Training Act, Privacy Act, and Harmful Digital Communications Act obligations, and tackle the big question: when laws overlap, which one takes priority?
Expect practical tools, clear explanations, and space to work through the grey areas because this is where the real work happens.
Presented by Sarah Guy, Education and Engagement Manager, Youth Law
12.15pm to 1.15pm Understanding the Legal Requirements of Pastoral Care
- Student Discipline
- Board of Trustees and the Education and Training Act 2020
- The School Principal and the Education and Training Act 2020
- Child Protection Policy and the Children’s Act 2014
- Official Information Act 1982
Presented by Jack Stone, Senior Solicitor, Harrison Stone
10.00am to 11.00am Families in Transition: Working with Families During and After Separation
A substantial minority of school aged children are representing a public health issue in the face of impossible family transitions. What are the signs and significance of this in today's schools, and what steps can be taken?
- One in four children caught up in complex family separation go on to develop a formal mental health condition. It is arguable that the statistic is far higher.
- Why adversarial parental conflict at separation is so dangerous for children and how the family justice system currently manages this.
- Including children in out of court mediation (child inclusive mediation) and how this supports attachment and mental health.
- Case studies to demonstrate this argument for child inclusion and the significance for education professionals in understanding what is available for families outside the court setting.
Presented by Jill Goldson, Director and Consultant, The Family Matters Centre
11.15am to 12.15pm Supporting LGBTQIA+ Students
Presented by RainbowYOUTH
Learning Objectives
- Confidently apply the new Information Privacy Principle 3A and related privacy obligations to confidently manage indirect information collection, sharing decisions, escalation points, and record‑keeping in school counselling contexts
- Be able to identify privacy and data protection risks arising from AI use in schools and implement practical strategies to mitigate these risks in guidance counselling and wider school systems
Description
Attend and earn 7 CPD Hours
11.00am to 11.15am Morning Break
2.00pm to 3.00pm Navigating AI and Data Protection – a Practical Guide to Addressing the Risks in Schools
- How AI is already embedded in school life – in student tools, teaching practice and school systems
- Privacy and data protection risks posed by AI tools in the school context
- Practical steps guidance counsellors and schools can take to respond to and mitigate these risks.
Presented by Anchali Anandanayagam, Partner, Hudson Gavin Martin
3.00pm to 4.00pm Practical Privacy Law: The New Privacy Principle and More
The new Information Privacy Principle 3A (IPP 3A), effective 1 May 2026, will directly affect school counsellors when you collect student or parent information from third parties (indirectly).
- Examine these reforms plus more so that when privacy questions arise you know what you can record, what you can share, when you must escalate and how to respond when whānau or a school asks for information.
- Focus on practical real-life decision points so you can protect students, meet your legal obligations and document your reasoning with confidence
Presented by Leo Donnell, ONZM, Barrister, Education Law NZ
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Break
4.15pm to 5.15pm Working with the Police and the Criminal Law
Learning Objectives:
- Be able to apply relevant youth‑specific legislation alongside professional ethical codes to confidently navigate legal obligations, decision‑making thresholds and advocacy roles in school counselling practice
- Recognise the impacts of high‑conflict family separation on children and identify child-inclusive, non‑court pathways that promote wellbeing, attachment and positive educational outcomes
- Understand how to create safer, more inclusive counselling responses by understanding the specific wellbeing needs, protections and support pathways relevant to LGBTQIA+ students
- Interpret and apply key legislative requirements governing pastoral care, discipline, governance, information sharing, and child protection to ensure legally compliant and ethical school counselling practice.
Session 1: Law and Practice, Families in Transition, LGBTQIA+ Students and Pastoral Care
Chair: Dr Alison Burke, Head of Counselling, Westlake Girls High School
Session 2: Privacy Law, AI and Data Protection
Chair: Victoria Marsden, Head of Student Services and Counsellor, Hobsonville Point Secondary School
Presenters
Dr Alison Burke, Head of Counselling, Westlake Girls High SchoolAlison completed her training at Auckland University, graduating with a Master’s in Education (Counselling specialisation) with First class Honours. She then went on to complete a PhD at Auckland University, researching the lived experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence in heterosexual relationships. Alison has had articles published in academic peer reviewed journals both in New Zealand and overseas. Alison has worked with young people firstly as a secondary school teacher and then as a counsellor and facilitator both in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty. She is currently Head of Counselling with a counselling role at a large secondary school on Auckland’s North Shore. Alison was involved in a research project with two other counsellors and counsellor educators from Waikato University that focused on counselling as a site of learning with particular reference to key competency use and development within the counselling space. Conference joint keynote presentation, workshops and published journal articles resulted from this research. Alison has also had personal articles published and been a reviewer for articles submitted for publication in peer reviewed academic journals both within New Zealand and overseas. Alison has been a fully accredited member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) since 2007. She adheres to the principles of the NZAC Code of Ethics and is committed to on-going professional development, reading and supervision to ensure best practice.
Sarah Guy, Education and Engagement Manager, Youth Law
Sarah is the Education and Engagement Manager at Youth Law. Having worked in the community sector for many years, Sarah has an extensive knowledge and experience in the education field. She is passionate about sharing knowledge and empowering the youth she works with to fulfil their individual potential. With a friendly approach, Sarah is keen to make the law and youth’s rights known and accessible across the board. Sarah’s love for art and laughter filters through every aspect of her life, and is always equipped with a bad joke or two.
Victoria Marsden, Head of Student Services and Counsellor, Hobsonville Point Secondary School
Victoria has completed both a Masters in Counselling (2008) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Supervision (Counselling) at Waikato University (2017). Victoria is the Head of Te Ara Manaaki Student Services at Hobsonville Point Secondary School, with a counselling role. She leads a team of counsellors and the school nursing staff. Victoria is a fully accredited member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) and adheres to the principles of the NZAC Code of Ethics. Victoria works within a restorative, narrative and social constructionist framework and has published and been a reviewer for articles submitted for publication in peer reviewed academic journals both within New Zealand and overseas. Victoria has presented at conferences and delivered numerous workshops on both disordered eating and creating safe environments for our Rainbow rangatahi in schools.
Jill Goldson, Director and Consultant, The Family Matters Centre
Jill Goldson is an awarded family therapist and mediator, with over 30 years experience. She specialises in working with parents and children at the time of crisis and separation, and has expertise and training in parental alienation. She is the Director of The Family Matters Centre in Auckland www.thefamilymatterscentre.co.nz . Jill gives seminars in Aotearoa and in overseas jurisdictions, and contributes to academic journals and media discussions. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, and has published the only research to date on child inclusion in NZ. In 2019 she sat on the Expert Reference Group 2019 (Te Korowai Ture-ā Whānau) Family Law Review
Leo Donnelly, ONZM, Barrister, Education Law NZ
Leo Donnelly ONZM is a former Ombudsman of New Zealand and is one of New Zealand’s leading experts in official information and privacy law. As an Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman and a senior investigator at the Office of the Ombudsman, Leo spent 3 decades investigating and reviewing complaints about the administrative actions and procedures of state sector organisations and recommending resolutions to promote fair, just and transparent delivery of services to the public. This involved assessing individual actions and omissions in the context of an organisations systems and culture and statutory responsibilities. Leo brings governance and strategy expertise and wide experience in complaint handling and dispute resolution.
Anchali Anandanayagam, Partner, Hudson Gavin Martin
Anchali Anandanayagam is a partner at Hudson Gavin Martin, a corporate, commercial and dispute resolution law firm boasting the largest and most experienced legal team in the country focused on technology, media and IP. With extensive expertise in AI, emerging technologies, and data privacy, Anchali has spent the last two decades advising both public and private sector customers and their suppliers on corporate and commercial transactions where technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) assets are at the core. In the context of AI, Anchali often advises on the development, procurement and commercialisation of assets that leverage AI, the regulatory requirements in New Zealand, and the data privacy implications. Anchali has received global recognition for her work and expertise from internationally acclaimed legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, and Media Law International. Anchali sits on the board of Women in Film and Television New Zealand and is a member of the executive committee of Digital Identity NZ.
Jack Stone, Senior Solicitor, Harrison Stone
Jack regularly provides legal advice and representation to school principals and boards on a broad range of education and employment law matters, including teacher competence and disciplinary processes, student discipline, parent complaints, Teaching Council processes, name suppression, historic abuse claims, and Privacy Act and Official Information Act requests. He also supports principals and boards in disciplinary meetings, employment investigations, and mediations, and has appeared in the District Court, the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal, and the Employment Relations Authority.Jack has presented at conferences for a range of education sector groups, including secondary and primary school principals, Māori principals, and aspiring principal development programmes.
