Term 3, 2026

Guest speaker:  Shehan Peiris

Executive Assistants are often the quiet force behind school leadership - trusted, observant, and deeply embedded in the pulse of the school environment. This webinar is designed to empower EAs in education with the knowledge and confidence to recognise when the psychosocial safety climate begins to shift, and to act early to prevent harm.

With the introduction of the Government’s Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards, every individual in a school setting now has a clear responsibility to identify risks, assess their potential for harm, and intervene early. This includes protecting not only themselves, but also their leaders, who may be unaware of the impact their stress or behaviour is having on others.

For too long, EAs have felt powerless in this space. But your proximity to leadership and your unique perspective position you as a vital early-warning system. This session will explore how to recognise the signs of psychosocial strain, how to respond safely and constructively, and how to contribute to a culture of care and accountability.

This session will be facilitated by Shehan Peiris, a psychologist and the Chief Mental Health Officer of the National Psychosocial Safety Network (NPSN). Shehan has supported the education sector for over 20 years by treating professional and academic staff who have experience burnout. He has created extensive programs for schools, universities and workplaces around Australia that supports people intervene early and create a psychologically safe healthy and thriving workplace. Shehan currently leads psychosocial risk management interventions for Howden Insurance, supporting a diversity of clients at a national level.