Category: Meetings and courses

The 15th Annual Conference will be held at the Victory Services Club in London on 14 November 2014

CPD: 6 hours – reference BYE/MHLA – advanced level

The conference will be preceded by the Pre Conference Meal on Thursday, 13 November, at the Portman, a short walk from the Victory Services Club.

Details about how to book for the meal are on the booking form below.

Programme

9.00am Registration and Coffee

9.30am Richard Charlton Chairman’s Address and Welcome

9.45am LAA Policy Team & Mental Health Unit Contract Issues
Q & A Session, Chaired by Karen Wolton

10.45am Dr Jonathan Cripps Role of the Medical Member & changes in procedures

11.40am Coffee

12.10pm Judge Mark Hinchliffe The Operation of the First Tier Tribunal

1.00pm Buffet Lunch

2.00pm Annual General Meeting Voting of Officers and Committee Members,
Presentation of Accounts

2.30pm Mr Justice Charles The View from the Upper Tribunal

3.10pm Alastair Pitblado Developments in Mental Health Practice – The Official Solicitor’s View

3.50pm Coffee

4.05pm Sophy Miles & Tam Gill Legal Update & the new MHA Code of Practice

5.00pm Richard Charlton Closing Address

5.10pm Informal Reception

Booking

You can use the booking form, or pay online using the Paypal form below. Please click here for the booking form.

Pay online via Paypal/card

There is a discount for sending more than two delegates. Please use the booking form (not Paypal) for this purpose.

Options:

1 member (no meal) £160.00 GBP2 members (no meal) £320.00 GBP1 member + meal £200.00 GBP2 members + meals £400.00 GBP1 non-member (no meal) £230.00 GBP2 non-members (no meals) £460.00 GBP1 non-member + meal £270.00 GBP2 non-members + meals £540.00 GBP

Names of all delegates

Dietary or other requirements

MHLA COURSE

Mental Health Tribunals – cross-examining medical witnesses at tribunal – key skills for the legal representative

A one-day course on key skills and techniques for cross-examination of the RC at tribunal

Date: 24th November 2014

Time: 9.30am-5.00pm

Venue: City Temple, London

Presenters: Dr Duncan Anderson, Tam Gill, Dr Richard Noon

This course is run by 2 consultant forensic psychiatrists, one of whom is also a medical member, and an experienced mental health solicitor and will offer guidance and pointers on the following areas:

Understanding mental disorder, nature and degree

Commonly used psychiatric medications and consent to treatment provisions

Understanding and addressing the “risks” and eliciting, collating and challenging this evidence at tribunal

Instructing independent psychiatrists appropriately and using their evidence at tribunal.

There will be a practical skills-based element to this course, as well as the opportunity to discuss and ask questions of the facilitators and peers.

Refreshments, but not lunch, will be provided on the day.

Cost: Members £120.00

Non-members £175.00

CPD: 6 SRA-accredited hours

Booking

You can use the booking form, or pay online using the Paypal form below. Please click here for the booking form.

Pay online via Paypal/card

Numbers:

1 MHLA member £120.00 GBP2 MHLA members £240.00 GBP1 non-member £175.00 GBP2 non-members £350.00 GBP

Names of all delegates:

Firm name and email address:

Cancellation

All cancellations must be made in writing. If your booking is cancelled up to two weeks before the course, the full fee, less £25 administration charge, will be refunded. We regret that no refund is possible if notice of the cancellation is received less than two weeks before the date of the course. Places may also be transferred, at no extra cost, to another delegate if the original delegate is unable to attend.

Queries

If you have any queries then please contact our administrator Peter Lyle on admin@mhla.co.uk

This course is aimed at new MH practitioners and those about to go on the Panel course on 12-13 November 2014 or intending to do the Panel course in the near future.

The course

Our presenters include Tribunal judges, Law Society assessors, LAA peer reviewers and costs assessors, and other experienced solicitors with a wealth of practical experience of representing patients at Mental Health Tribunals.

Cost

• MHLA members: £120
• Non-members: £175

Time

9.30am-5.00pm

CPD

6 SRA-accredited hours

Refreshments, but not lunch, will be provided.

Outline Programme –
MHLA Foundation Course Representing Detained Patients

Speakers (subject to change) : Sarah Burke, Neil Cronin, Tam Gill, Jonathan Wilson

1. Introduction to mental health legislation – the historical perspective

2. What does it mean to be “sectioned” – basic sections: definitions, statute and procedure relating to s.1, s.2, s.3, s.37/41, s.17, s.17A, s.72. s.73; Consent to Treatment provisions; Nearest Relatives

3. Legal Aid – how to complete CW1/2 forms; CLR

4. Running a mental health file – including the day to day life of a mental health lawyer, best practice in conducting a case file from start to finish including taking instructions, giving advice, case preparation and representation

5. What is a MHT – why could the patient need representation? – including ethical considerations, capacity, MHT procedure

6. What is a HMH – why could the patient need representation? – including renewal, applications, “powers”, merits of a HMH

7. What is a CPA – why could the patient need representation? – including LAA considerations etc, purpose of CPA, role of the legal representative

8. Q&A / Plenary session

Booking

To book a place, please send an email to our administrator Peter Lyle on admin@mhla.co.uk

Alternatively, you can use the Paypal form below:

Numbers:

1 MHLA member £120.00 GBP2 MHLA members £240.00 GBP1 non-member £175.00 GBP2 non-members £350.00 GBP

Names of all delegates:

Firm name and email address:

Cancellation

All cancellations must be made in writing. If your booking is cancelled up to two weeks before the course, the full fee, less £25 administration charge, will be refunded. We regret that no refund is possible if notice of the cancellation is received less than two weeks before the date of the course. Places may also be transferred, at no extra cost, to another delegate if the original delegate is unable to attend.

Queries

If you have any queries then please contact our administrator Peter Lyle on admin@mhla.co.uk

This successful one day course has been extended to two days to provide an intensive introduction to this area of work.

It is presented by Sophy Miles and Floyd Porter of Miles and Partners LLP, both experienced Court of Protection lawyers, who have been involved in significant cases in this fast-moving area of law.

The course will be highly practical with a detailed case study. The course materials will include helpful precedents which you can use in your practice.

Programme

Day 1

AM- An overview of the Mental Capacity Act
PM- Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

Day 2

AM- The jurisdiction of the Court: Rules, Procedure and Legal Aid
PM- Practical Case Study

Venue Garden Court Chambers, London

Cost

MHLA members: £300
Group bookings: £250 (for the third and subsequent MHLA members)
Non-members: £390

CPD

12 hours

Booking

Please note that this course is now fully booked.

Cancellation

All cancellations must be made in writing. If your booking is cancelled up to two weeks before the course, the full fee, less £25 administration charge, will be refunded. We regret that no refund is possible if notice of the cancellation is received less than two weeks before the date of the course. Places may also be transferred, at no extra cost, to another delegate if the original delegate is unable to attend.

Queries

If you have any queries then please contact our administrator Peter Lyle on admin@mhla.co.uk

Please contact our administrator on admin@mhla.co.uk to express an interest in attending future courses.

The Mental Health Lawyers Association is an accredited provider of the two-day course which must be attended by prospective members of the Law Society’s accreditation scheme (formerly called the ‘panel’).

New MH practitioners are strongly encouraged also to attend the Foundation course on 31 October 2014 (although this is not compulsory) in order to benefit fully from the two-day panel course.

The Legal Aid contract commencing on 1 August 2014 requires that all advocacy at Mental Health Tribunals be carried out by members of the Law Society’s accreditation scheme.

The course

Our presenters include Tribunal judges, Law Society assessors, LAA peer reviewers and costs assessors, and other experienced solicitors with a wealth of practical experience of representing patients at Mental Health Tribunals.

The course has been held several times, in various cities, since 2011. Feedback from all of these courses has been excellent.

Cost

• MHLA members: £300
• Group bookings: £250 (for the third and subsequent MHLA members)
• Non-members: £390

CPD

12 SRA-accredited hours

Booking

To book a place, please send an email to our administrator Peter Lyle on admin@mhla.co.uk

Alternatively, if you are sending up to two delegates, you can use the form below to pay by card or Paypal.

Numbers:

1 MHLA member £300.00 GBP2 MHLA members £600.00 GBP1 non-member £390.00 GBP2 non-members £780.00 GBP

Names of all delegates:

Firm name and email address:

Cancellation

All cancellations must be made in writing. If your booking is cancelled up to two weeks before the course, the full fee, less £25 administration charge, will be refunded. We regret that no refund is possible if notice of the cancellation is received less than two weeks before the date of the course. Places may also be transferred, at no extra cost, to another delegate if the original delegate is unable to attend.

Queries

If you have any queries then please contact our administrator Peter Lyle on admin@mhla.co.uk

All members are invited to the next meeting of the North West Area MHLA

Date: Wednesday, 19th November

Time: 4.30-6.00pm

Venue: Kenworthy’s Chambers, Arlington House, Bloom Street, Salford, Manchester M3 6AJ

Tel: 0161 832 4036. Please click here for location details.

CPD Points: 1.5

CPD Ref: 2647/MHTA

Speaker Neil Allen, Barrister, Thirty Nine Essex Street Chambers

Topic: The impact of Cheshire West on the MHA and the interaction between the MCA/DOL and the MHA in terms of admission, detention and discharge

Neil has invited members to raise any specific issues or questions that they may have in advance of the meeting so that he may prepare answers in readiness. If members would like to do this, please email Kathryn Gibson your questions/issues and she will compile a list to send across to him.

There will be light refreshments.

Please can you RSVP as soon as possible to Kathryn Gibson at kathryn@jbs-law.co.uk, so that we have an indication of numbers we are catering for.

The meeting is free and open to all MHLA members.

MHLA COURSE

Legal Aid in Mental Health cases & Peer Review compliance – a one-day masterclass

Dates: 3rd October & 17th October 2014

Time: 9.30am-5.00pm

Venues: Lincoln House Chambers, Manchester (3rd October) & City Temple, London (17th October)

Presenters: Manchester – Tam Gill, Sarah Burke & Neil Cronin

London – Tam Gill, Neil Cronin & Nick Lewis

This course is designed to assist in de-mystifying the provisions for means-tested and non-means tested legal aid in mental health cases, along with guidance and advice form experienced practitioners on Escape Case Fee matters. The course is run by LAA Costs reviewers and assessors, who are all experienced mental health solicitors with supervisor status. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the experts and to discuss optimum practice and procedure as a group. This is similar to purchasing Adderall online in order to boost awareness by taking Adderall.

Peer Review compliance is a contractual requirement. The MHLA is pleased to offer an afternoon session with experienced Peer Reviewers and mental health practitioners including a question and answer session.

Refreshments, but not lunch, will be provided on the day.

Cost: Members £90.00

Non-members £115.00

CPD: 6 SRA-accredited hours

Please note that the London course is now fully booked.

TWO MHLA COURSES

1. Case Law

Date: Tuesday, 5th August, Leicester

Time: 10.00am-1.00pm

Venue: The City Rooms, Leicester

Presenters: Tam Gill & Neil Cronin

The MHLA is pleased to present this course which will be delivered in 2 parts; basic case law for Part II work and case law pertinent to everyday Part III work. The aim of this course is to provide a sound foundation in essential case law that is relevant and pertinent for tribunal work for both restricted and non-restricted patients. This course will also include case studies that will be dicussed in small groups.

Cost: £65.00

CPD: 3 SRA-accredited hours

2. Advocacy

Date: Tuesday, 5th August 2014

Time: 2.30pm-5.30pm

Venue: The City Rooms, Leicester

Presenters: Salaried Tribunal Judge Ian Dumont, Tam Gill & Neil Cronin

The MHLA is pleased to present this practitioners’ guide to preparing cases for advocacy and a Judge’s view, with helpful hints and tips for successful advocacy. There will be case studies that will provide practitioners with practical examples of the application of the materials taught.

Cost: £65.00

CPD: 3 SRA-accredited hours

These courses are open only to MHLA members. If you are not already a member, please complete the membership form on the About Us page of the website.

The cost for booking both courses is £90.00.

Please click here for the booking form.

All members are invited to a meeting in Brighton

Date: Monday, 16th June

Time: 4.00-6.00pm

Venue: Gledhill Solicitors, 1A Powis Square, Brighton BN1 3HH. Tel: 01273 719083.

Parking is limited to on-street ‘pay and display’. The offices are a short walk from Brighton train station.

CPD Points: 2

CPD Ref: 2647/MHTA

Speaker: Tam Gill

Topic: Legal Aid Agency contract for Mental Health

Following the results of the Tender, which were announced in the week of 12 May 2014, the concerns raised and the feedback from the meeting will be collated and sent to the MHLA Committee for consideration at the Committee meeting scheduled for 17 June 2014.

Refreshments will be provided.

Please can you RSVP as soon as possible to Tam Gill at tamgill@gledhillsolicitors.co.uk. Attendance at this meeting is strictly limited and will be applied on a first come first serve basis.

The meeting is free and open to all MHLA members.

MHLA COURSE

Case Law

Date: 23rd June 2014

Time: 1.00pm-5.00pm

Venue: City Temple, London

Presenters: Tam Gill and Sophy Miles

The MHLA is pleased to present this course which will be delivered in 2 parts; basic case law for Part II work and case law pertinent to everyday Part III work. The aim of this course is to provide a sound foundation in essential case law that is relevant and pertinent for tribunal work for both restricted and non-restricted patients.

Cost: £65.00

CPD: 3.5 SRA-accredited hours

This course is open only to MHLA members. If you are not already a member, please complete the membership form on the About Us page of the website.

Please click here for the booking form.