Legal

A 1 day course for IRO's on legal responsibilities within their role.

A 1 day BIA refresher course

The course is designed for ASYE / newly qualified Children Act Social Workers to assist you in the understanding of the Family Justice System and to prepare you for attending Court in support of your care plan. It contains in-depth descriptions and definitions of the proceedings and individuals involved in the family court alongside their roles and the Public Law Outline. The aim is to explain what is required to produce quality social work evidence based upon SWET’s, to identify appropriate care plans and determine which orders are required and to persuasively present your evidence to the Court.

The role of the Appropriate Adult was created in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984, with the intention of safeguarding the rights and welfare of young people and vulnerable adults in custody. When someone is arrested by the police and taken to a police station they have three basic rights; • The right to free and independent legal advice • The right to have someone informed of their arrest • The right to consult the Codes Of Practice (concerning police powers and procedures) Having identified a young person or a vulnerable adult, the custody officer has a duty to request the attendance of a responsible adult, ( known as an ‘Appropriate Adult’) .This role is different to that of a solicitor. An Appropriate Adult can be a family member, friend or a volunteer or social / health care professional.

The course, aimed at the Expert Witness, explains the English legal system and how courts deal with cases. The course addresses some commonly held myths about the system. Detailed guidance is given as to the writing and presentation of reports and witness statements, together with a step by step explanation of the process of giving evidence in court. There is extensive analysis of cross examination techniques. The course is conducted in an accessible, informal manner with an emphasis upon delegate participation and interaction throughout. Delegates on the 2-day course participate in practical exercises in a courtroom scenario which are designed not to be intimidating or unrealistic roleplay.

The support provided by local authorities under Section 17 & Section 20 of the Children act, 1989, has been recognised by the government & courts as being an essential safety net to protect the most vulnerable children and families who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) from destitution. This course will provide delegates with a clear understanding of the legislation and case law in relation to families with NRPF and UASC (Unaccompanie Asylum Seeking Children). It will examine the complexities involved in the completing of these assessments and the importance of getting the assessments right, not just for the children & families but to prevent a legal challenge for the local authority under the Human Rights Act, 1998 in addition to the arrangements for working jointly with the UK Border Agency

The aim of this course is to introduce the nurse to Health care law, Evidence based practice and re-validation

This is a short, practical skills course that is designed around aligning all employees against sexual harassment in the workplace as well as any form of harassment. To do this the trainer gets employees to explore and understand what is expected of them regarding acceptable conduct under company policy and UK law as well what is expected of an employer as part of their legal duty of care.

This Writing Reports for Court Training course is designed to provide social workers with the skills necessary to create and defend written statements and reports in a tribunal or court.

This course is designed to increase the theoretical knowledge of social care professionals on the up to date legal framework, code of practice and human rights that covers the clients’ capacity to make decisions, protection of their cognitive decision making process, and understanding the principles of proper care towards these vulnerable people.

The aim of this course is to support social worker practitioners in gaining knowledge of the Human Rights Act 1998 and understanding the importance of embedding human rights in their practice

The aim of this course is for the delegates to be able to plan, prepare and conduct an interview with a victim and or witness, complying with the requirements and competences compatible with carrying out an interview and investigation.

The support provided by local authorities under Section 17 & Section 20 of the Children act, 1989, has been recognised by the government & courts as being an essential safety net to protect the most vulnerable children and families who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) from destitution. This NRPF & UASC Training course will provide delegates with a clear understanding of the legislation and case law in relation to families with NRPF and UASC (Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children). It will examine the complexities involved in the completing of these assessments and the importance of getting the assessments right, not just for the children & families but to prevent a legal challenge for the local authority under the Human Rights Act, 1998 in addition to the arrangements for working jointly with the UK Border Agency

This a one-day course designed to provide social workers with a good working knowledge of all the different aspects of family law as well as the legal system of England and Wales

This course takes participants through the key elements of a well-structured report required to be presented to the Agency Decision Maker, Adoption Panel and Court.

• Introduction, terminology, learning outcomes & benchmarking • An overview of the Mental Capacity Act with a focus on: 1. Mental Capacity assessments 2. Best Interest decisions • Identification of when a BIM needs to be convened • Identification of the ‘decision maker’ • Consideration of who needs to attend a BIM • Identification of the information required to make a BID • Consider how information needs to be analysed to arrive at a defensible BID • The BIM process • Case law which supports various elements of BID making (including wishes and feelings, rights vs risk, disagreements, etc) • When the Court of Protection needs to be engaged • Evidencing BID’s • Consider core BID chairing and making skills (defensible practice, section 5 defences, etc)

This Human Rights Training course will provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the Human Rights legislation in the UK. Attendees will explore the background and current position of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights. Attendees will explore the difference between limited, qualified, and absolute rights. Attendees will also look at how Human Rights should be considered within social care practice, and, how issues with competing rights are addressed.

This course is designed to show and help team leaders understand their responsibilities to ensure that the workplace is one where all risks are minimised from cases of sexual harassment occurring. To do this, the trainer will get team leaders to explore and understand what is expected of them under company policy and UK law as well what is expected of them as part of their legal duty of care towards their teams. The session will help them understand what actions to take where they see inappropriate conduct taking place or if they receive a complaint directly. The session will also seek to dispel notions that there is a difference between banter and sexual harassment in the workplace as well as look at how our own psychological biases can influence and inadvertently support a culture where harassment can happen.

This course will assist practitioners with child protection responsibilities to reflect on the process of probing and reflective questioning and analysis to form a view about risk and harm and the parent’s capacity to meet their child’s needs. At the end of the course, participants will have developed their ability to critically evaluate practice actions and decision making to enable practitioners to be confident and persuasive when recommending a course of action to parents, to colleagues and to courts to protect a child.

This course is designed to provide professionals working with children and families a good understanding of the terms, effects and principles of Special Guardianship Orders. Delegates are introduced to the legislation and regulations and are provided with a detailed analysis as to how that legislation impacts upon decision making and best practice in the real world. The course also includes in depth consideration of the role of the Local Authority, an analysis of the construction of the “SGO report” in the context of the court decision making process and an examination of the often controversial requirements of the “support package”. There is an update of recent relevant case law, regulations and policy

The main purpose of the training is for delegates to understand the process of the PLO

This half day session is taken from a full day practical skills course that is primarily designed around equipping line managers who are actively involved in recruiting and selecting employees with the knowledge and skills to hire employees in line with UK employment law. In addition, the full day course takes a deeper dive into issues of conscious and unconscious bias in hiring managers that can impact the selection process and put a business at risk from claims of direct and indirect discrimination under the equality act.

Replacing the current Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 is expected to come into force from April 2023. The new system (expected to be referred to as the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS)) will cover care in a wider range of settings. NHS bodies, Local Authorities and Care Providers will all need to understand their new responsibilities and start preparing to implement the new system.

This course has been designed to increase the theoretical knowledge of health and social care professionals on the up to date legal framework, code of practice and human rights that covers the patients’ capacity to make decisions, protection of their cognitive decision making process, and understanding the principles of proper care towards these vulnerable patients and clients.

Sweeping changes to the law and practice of the Court of Protection in 2007 radically overhauled this growing topic. Aside from looking at the law and procedure of powers of attorney you will also consider the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 more broadly. The course will look at the role of the Court of Protection and an overview of the forms required to appoint a deputy

This interactive course will consider healthcare related ethics; the law and the grey issues of patient/client confidentiality, young people, end of life ethics and with illnesses such as HIV.

The aim of this course is for the participants to be able to plan, prepare and conduct an interview with a victim and or witness, complying with the requirements and competences compatible with carrying out an interview and investigation.

Significant case law has developed practice in the deprivation of liberty safeguards and their application to children and young people under 18. The law commission has reviewed the legislation relating to mental capacity act 2005 and deprivation of liberty safeguards(DoLs), the recommendation is for a replacement of DoLs with Liberty Protection Safeguards and these be applied to 16/17 years old and extended beyond hospitals and care homes. This will have a significant impact on children’s Social Care and the workforce need to be prepared for the changes in practice. This course will consider the developments in case law and how DoLs has become relevant to Children’s Services’ practitioners. It analyses the ‘Cheshire West’ Case and associated case law developing the scope of parental responsibility’ and its application for children and young people.

A 1 day course on community deprivation of liberty safeguards

This Court of Protection Training course provides an overview of the workings and approach of the Court of Protection to family disputes, capacity issues, best interests and safeguarding.

A 1 day BIA Legal update course

The course will provided participants with a comprehensive guide to recent developments in legislation and prospective changes to government policies affecting family law. The course will look at recent and pending legislation, case law, developments in the family courts and the implications of this upon present practice and policy within local authorities together with key changes needed in practice and service delivery

This course will provide participants with a complete understanding surrounding the Duty Care including how duty of care contributes to safe practice

This programme aims to give practitioners the opportunity to examine and explore the nature of the exploitation of adults at risk of harm. It will consider the nature of that exploitation and how it can manifest in our communities and care settings in order to help practitioners to intervene in order to minimise either the risk, or experience of, abuse.

The role of the Appropriate Adult was created in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 (updated 2019), with the intention of safeguarding the rights and welfare of young people and vulnerable adults in custody. When someone is arrested by the police and taken to a police station they have three basic rights; • The right to free and independent legal advice • The right to have someone informed of their arrest • The right to consult the Codes Of Practice (concerning police powers and procedures) Having identified a young person or a vulnerable adult, the custody officer has a duty to request the attendance of a responsible adult, ( known as an ‘Appropriate Adult’) .This role is different to that of a solicitor. An Appropriate Adult can be a family member, friend or a volunteer or social / health care professional. The training will provide the knowledge base required to fulfil the above role in an appropriate manner. It will instruct and update professionally qualified staff from health and social services (who work with adults with mental health problems or learning disabilities that make them vulnerable), on the subject of PACE and Appropriate Adult work

A course to demonstrate how analytical writing requires an assessment of the weight given to information gathered, drawing on knowledge from research, experience and practice, combined with the service users’ needs within the family or the context in which they live. The course aims to improve delegates’ confidence in understanding what is relevant and meaningful, and how to write it down in an effective way

Our Advanced Statement Writing and Court Skills aims to deliver a good working knowledge about the inner-workings of a courtroom setting and prepare you to appear in a courtroom environment. You will identify issues (and include facts which support these issues), the source and weight of evidence while insulating written evidence against cross-examination. The course will explore the layout and formalities which take place within court as well as the use of exhibits/appendices/photos/plans/maps and using contemporaneous notes as the basis for statements/reports. You’ll learn how to deliver your statements clearly, getting your message across to your peers. The course will give you an opportunity to develop an objective, critical eye in relation to written evidence and the procedures and process of giving evidence, as well as preparing you to give your own evidence. It will inform you about the roles of the various people in court/tribunal and instill you with the confidence to take the oath or affirmation with certainty. In non-intimidating, realistic role-play, you will gain experience in being cross-examined: learning valuable skills about the techniques lawyers use in cross-examination and how to handle them; how to give clear, honest, impartial testimonies – receiving detailed feedback in order to properly prepare you for the real thing.

This a two-day Court Familiarization and Evidence Giving Training course designed to provide social workers with insight into the legal system together with the skills and confidence to give effective and compelling evidence in court.

The Writing Section 7 and 37 Reports Training course provides a detailed guide as to the construction of these important court reports. The legal basis of the reports (and the differences between them) is explained and participants introduced to the basic formats and shown many of the common pifalls in drafting reports to the court. Particular regard is had to analysing how the writer of the report can provide the court with accurate, fair and trustworthy evidence, insulated from cross examination. Participants are given guidance as to the rules regarding information gathering and how to discern the relevant from the irrelevant as well as the opportunity to analyse good (and bad) examples of report writing. Additional guidance is given as to the lead up to a court appearance, courtroom etiquette and the realities of cross examination.

This a one-day course designed to provide social workers with a good working knowledge of all the different aspects of family law as well as the legal system of England and Wales The course is conducted in a dynamic, informal and accessible way. Delegates are encouraged to participate in group discussions, share experiences and ask questions at any time The course adheres to the requirements set out in the Department for Education’s “Post-qualifying standard: knowledge and skills statement for child and family practitioners” (KSS) and within the Professional Capabilities Framework of the British Association of Social Workers

The handling of conflict, incidents of workplace bullying, complaints and serious incidents is of real concern within the workplace. It is essential that any investigation carried out is conducted in the correct manner using a professional approach. The purpose of this course is to equip staff with the skills and knowledge to set up and run and report investigations, by adhering to professional protocols.

Mental Health Act Course Overview The main aim of this course is to develop and enhance knowledge and understanding of non specialist practitioners in relation to Mental Health Act powers and responsibilities. Understanding the main legislation relevant to Mental Health Law, together with the functions and powers contained in key sections of the Mental Health Act are key components. The course also helps participants to understand the role of the Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP).

The key principle of Making Safeguarding Personal is to support and empower each adult to make choices and have control about how they want to live their own life. It is about responding to safeguarding situations in a way that enhances their involvement, choice and control, as well as improving their quality of life, wellbeing and safety. This course highlights ‘Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP)’ and what this means for practitioners and vulnerable adults alike. The course looks at how adults are involved at the very beginning, the middle and the end of their involvement with the services they are working with. The 6 principles are explored and how they fit within MSP. Also, in this very interactive course legislation under the Care Act, Human Rights Act and other relevant laws are covered and explored within MSP. Including sharing information with other authorities. The course ends with interview skills focused on how to interview to obtain the views, opinions, needs and wants of the adult, and not focused on the agency’s needs.

This one day course on legal literacy will cover all the major legislations such as Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, Care Act including dual sensory loss and Human Rights Act.

This course has been designed to increase the theoretical knowledge of health and social care professionals on the up to date legal framework, code of practice and human rights that covers the patients’ capacity to make decisions, protection of their cognitive decision making process, and understanding the principles of proper care towards these vulnerable patients and clients.

Delegates attending this Court Skills for Adult Social Workers Training course are called upon to prepare statements and reports for use in court proceedings involving vulnerable adults and to, potentially, attend court to give oral evidence based upon those reports. The course will provide the necessary skills to enable delegates to produce concise, accurate and compelling written evidence and give guidance as to how to present that evidence to best effect in the courtroom. The second day of the course enables delegates to practise giving oral evidence in a formal setting and to be cross examined by our experienced barrister-trainer.

This course demonstrates how analytical writing requires an assessment of the weight given to information gathered, drawing on knowledge from research, experience and practice, combined with the service users’ needs within the family or the context in which they live. The course aims to improve delegates’ confidence in understanding what is relevant and meaningful, and how to write it down in an effective way

Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) is the national protocol for interviewing children and vulnerable adults as part of a criminal investigation. This Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) Training course equips practitioners with the necessary skills to develop strategies for planning and executing interviews in a format suited towards the criminal justice system. The course consists of 3 days of theory and 2 days of interview practice using actors who play the roles of children/vulnerable adults The delegates are assessed in their interviewing skills during the practical day sessions and delegates are scored with a pass or a fail and the assessor completed a feedback form on their interviews. This course has been updated in line with new Ministry of Justice ABE Guidance 2022

This Age Assessments training course is designed for social workers faced with the difficult and controversial task of conducting age assessments of children and young adults. The course is intended to provide clear, comprehensive “user-friendly” guidance to practitioners working in the area. The assessment process is broken down into several strategic but logical stages, each stage being accompanied by a helpful “checklist” of considerations and options. The course utilises guidance given by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services with input from the Age Assessment Strategic Oversight Group. Within the course, consideration is also given to the Hillingdon and Croydon guidelines as well as an update as to recent legal decisions and policy developments.

Updated in line with the new Ministry of Justice ABE Guidance 2022 Designed for those social work practitioners who have completed the full Achieving Best Evidence course but have not conducted an interview in the last year or more and need updating both in the law and on court case directions, also to revisit and renew their skills learnt at the initial course. Additionally, for those who would like to practise the ABE interview in a safe setting, if they feel a refresher course would be beneficial. The candidates will be assessed on one interview and be given feedback by both the tutor and their peers on the 2-day course

Delegates attending this course are called upon to prepare statements and reports for use in court proceedings involving children and to, potentially, attend court to give oral evidence based upon those reports. The Court Skills for Children's Social Workers Training course will provide the necessary skills to enable delegates to produce concise, accurate and compelling written evidence and give guidance as to how to present that evidence to best effect in the courtroom. The second day of the course enables delegates to practise giving oral evidence in a formal setting and to be cross examined by our experienced barrister-trainer