Aims This three hour webinar provides an opportunity to understand the concept of Unconscious Bias and its theoretical and research basis.   Through ongoing research,  it has become apparent that sometimes we make choices which subtly discriminate in favour of or against certain characteristics in a person or group. These choices are based at an unconscious level, known as Unconscious (Implicit) bias or hidden assumptions. The session will explore the concept of unconscious bias at an individual and organisational level with a focus on health and social care practice.  It also enables participants to identify positive examples in practice and measures to overcome unconscious bias. This course will be especially useful for social workers, BIAs, AMHPS, s12 doctors, GPs, nurses, care home managers, DoLS MH Assessors, doctors and other staff working in health and social care settings. Programme The session  will include the following key topics:

• Introduction and aims for the day
• What is meant by unconscious biases and how it is manifested
• Impact of unconscious bias on the receiver
• Science, research and statistics
• How our mind focuses + case studies
• Types of biases
• Measure for overcoming bias
• Managing situations professionals encounter – examples
• Action plans

Learning outcomes   By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Understand how individual and group bias impacts on behaviours, attitudes, relationships and decisions
• Understand the risks and implications of negative outcomes from unchecked unconscious bias
• Identify areas of personal bias and implications on decision making processes in the health and social care setting.
• Apply the concept of unconscious bias to health and social care practice and identify methods for managing unconscious bias

The course will be delivered by Sneha Kilhay Sneha Khilay has an MSC in Human Resources and is an NLP practitioner and accredited executive coach.  She has lectured at Hertfordshire University and Bournemouth University ASW/AMHP programme and is a regular contributor to the London School of Economics Diversity Section.   She has published various articles and writes a monthly newsletter on equality.  Sneha has advised the NHS and local authorities on equality and unconscious bias as well as the private and corporate sectors.   Her projects include work with the United Nations and the Home Office.  She has recently been interviewed on the BBC Inside Out programme on the impact of bias in recruitment processes. Includes all course materials and certificate. Webinar access details will be emailed to you upon once booking is completed. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email assistant@edgetraining.org.uk  or call 07341 277487.

The whole course provides the annual statutory requirement of 18 hours. Aims The course is to help staff confirm they meet the competences required to practise as an AMHP. It revisits the 5 main areas of competence required by the Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval) (England) Regulations 2008: application of values; knowledge of law and policy; knowledge of mental disorder; skills of working in partnership; and, skills of making and communicating informed decisions. It is recommended that staff complete this course as they approach their formal five year re-approval stage. It should contribute to the provision of evidence of the required competences. It is also designed to meet the needs of those returning to AMHP work after a few years out of practice. In each of the years between re-approval staff are required to undertake at least 18 hours of relevant training. The course is delivered by: Rob Brown, independent trainer and social worker. He provides consultation and supervision for AMHPs in Cornwall & for AMHP Leads in Hampshire, Portsmouth, West Berkshire and Lambeth. He was a founding Director of Edge Training and Consultancy Ltd. Rob teaches AMHPs, s12 approved doctors and approved clinicians. He is Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University. Rob has published a number of books in the fields of mental health and mental capacity law. His most recent publication is “The Approved Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Mental Health Law” (5^th edition, Sage, 2019). From 1993-2010 he was a Mental Health Act Commissioner and Director of ASW/AMHP courses over the same period. Christine Hutchison is a Director of Edge Training and Consultancy Ltd. She has worked in the NHS and several local authorities for over 30 years and worked as an ASW and then AMHP from 1995 to 2013. Christine was a Mental Health Act Commissioner with the CQC from 2009-2013. She lectured for Bournemouth University AMHP/BIA programmes for over 10 years and currently sits as a Specialist Lay Member of the Mental Health Tribunal Service. She is co-author of Focus on Social Work Law- Mental Health 2016 (Palgrave MacMillan). Structure of the course Day One:    10.30 – 12.30 Home based preparation 13.30 - 17.30 webinar. Day Two:    10.30 – 12.30 Home based preparation 13.30 - 17.30 webinar. Day Three: 10.30 – 12.30 Home based preparation 13.30 – 17.30 webinar. Resources You will need access to a copy of the Mental Health Act 1983 either on-line at: www.legislation.gov.uk or within a copy of Jones’ Manual or “Mental Health Law in England and Wales” by Barber, Brown and Martin (2019). A discounted copy of this can be purchased by using the attached flyer. On the same flyer Rob Brown’s 2019 edition of “The AMHP’s Guide to Mental Health Law” will be very useful. Webinar Sessions, Contents and Homework Topics Day One: Rob Brown Morning preparation exercises (use reference books - results in the afternoon):

• Reminder of risk criteria in the MHA. MC Quiz. (30 minutes)
• European Convention on Human Rights (30 minutes)
• Nearest Relative vignettes (60 minutes)

 13.30 – 15.15

• Introduction to the course.
• The Coronavirus Act 2020: Implications for AMHPs.
• Bed shortages and the impact on AMHP work. Exercise.

15.15 – 15.30        Break and consolidation. 15.30 – 17.30

• Recent statistics on the use of the Mental Health Act.
• CQC Report on MHA 2018-19.
• The Human Rights Act and its impact on AMHP work.
• Feedback  on quiz.
• How to identify the Nearest Relative. Results of vignettes exercise.

Day Two: Christine Hutchison Morning exercises (30 minutes each - use reference books - results in the afternoon):

• How well do you know DoLS? exercise
• s117 case vignette
• s135 exercise (completing an application)
• s136 MCQ

 13.30 – 15.15

• The Policing and Crime Act 2017. Changes to s135 and s136 MHA 1983.
• The Mental Capacity Act: an overview of its impact on AMHP practice.
• Recording assessments of capacity to consent to admission

15.15 – 15.30          Break and consolidation. 15.30 – 17.30

• Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS). The eligibility assessment. AM v SLAM.
• Liberty Protection Safeguards
• S117 After-care

Day Three: Rob Brown Morning exercises (use reference books - results in the afternoon):

• Part 3 exercise (30 minutes)
• CTO quiz. (60 minutes)
• AMHP competence exercise (30 minutes)

13.30 – 14.45

• Part 3 MHA, s37/41 conditional discharge.
• Answers and discussion on Part 3 exercise.
• s7 guardianship, s17 leave, s17A (CTOs).
• Feedback on CTO exercise

14.45 – 15.00          Drinks break and consolidation. 15.00 – 17.00

• Recent case law on children & mental health law (Re D).
• MM (conditional discharge), & PJ (CTOs and dol).
• Code of Practice issues. What is mental disorder?
• The return of the voluntary patient?
• Producing a portfolio of evidence for approval. Feedback on morning exercise.
• Summary and evaluation. Any final questions.

Includes all course materials and certificate. Webinar access details will be emailed to you upon once booking is completed. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email assistant@edgetraining.org.uk  or call 07341 277487.

Aims The Transforming Care initiative in learning disability services means community services need to consider the most appropriate legal frameworks for individuals. This one day course (split over 2 webinar sessions) aims to enable health and social services staff understand the different legal options for people with a learning disability and/or autism. It includes the latest applicable case law in particular around CTOs and Conditional discharge. In particular, it considers the options available under the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and inherent jurisdiction looking at the criteria, powers and limitations of each. Learning outcomes   On completion of this course participants will be able to:

• Understand the key legal routes for discharge into the community
• Explain how clients with different presentations and risks can be legally protected
• Demonstrate how different legal routes will affect their clients / service users
• Illustrate how they could use the various legal options available to them

Programme The day will include the following key topics:

• Community legal options overview
• Community Treatment Orders – criteria + powers + limitations
• Guardianship – criteria + powers + limitations
• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) – criteria + powers + limitations
• Community DoL via Court of Protection – criteria + powers + limitations
• Forensic Mental Health Act – conditional discharge + powers + limitations
• Inherent jurisdiction? If all else fails
• The ‘informal’ voluntary client – consent and the Mental Capacity Act
• Restraint – definition and criteria for use
• Identifying community care plans that are a deprivation of liberty
• Case studies – will look at different client profiles to identify the legal options available
• The future - Liberty Protection Safeguards and their role

The course will be delivered by Steven Richards Steven Richards is a Director of Edge training and consultancy and has worked in the mental health field for over 20 years, both for the NHS and voluntary sector. He has been an in-patient advocate for Mind and as an advocate Steven represented directly before the Court of Protection. Steven is a Mental Health Act Reviewer with the Care Quality Commission, reviewing the care and treatment of people detained under the Act. He has also worked with the CQC as a specialist advisor on the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS. Steven delivers training on the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act across England and Wales to health and social care professionals. He has experience of training a wide variety of services on the MCA including local authorities, CCGs, NHS Trusts, the police, hospices and prison health services. Steven has spoken at a series of Health Education England conferences on the MCA at the end of life and most recently has delivered training on the proposed Liberty Protection Safeguards to members of the House of Lords. Steven is co-author of three books:

• Working with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 – 3^rdedition (ISBN: 978-0-9552349-5-8) 
• Working with the Mental Health Act – 3^rdedition (ISBN: 978-0-9552349-4-1) 
• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Handbook – 1^stedition (ISBN: 978-0-9931324-0-7) 

He also co-authors several wall charts on the Acts and an App on the Mental Capacity Act. Includes all course materials and a certificate. Webinar access details will be emailed direct to delegate upon completion of your booking.  If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email assistant@edgetraining.org.uk  or call 07341 277487.