North-West based charity, Advocacy Focus, has launched a brand new conference for health and social care professionals.
The award winning advocacy provider, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, will host ‘Breaking Barriers’ at Preston Grasshoppers RUFC on 14th March 2018.
Justine Hodgkinson, CEO, says: “We wanted to do something really special for our anniversary year, so we came up with Breaking Barriers, which aims to provide an informative, interesting and interactive day for health and social care professionals, with a real focus on working in partnership.”
Advocacy Focus supports individuals and helps them to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their lives when dealing with health and social care services and local authorities.
Justine says: “The nature of our work means that we work alongside health and social care professionals, putting people at the centre of their care and treatment. However advocacy as a service can be very difficult to understand, and as a result we often face many barriers.
“One of the aims of the day is to help professionals understand, not just advocacy, but the case law and legislation that guides how we work together on a daily basis.”
Advocacy Focus was founded in East Lancashire in 1998, originally East Lancashire Advocacy Services. Today, the charity has doubled in size and holds contracts with Lancashire County Council, Bradford Council and Trafford Council, as well as private contracts across the UK.
Justine continues: “Breaking Barriers will shine a light on the parts of our services that are difficult to understand, helping to bridge the gaps between services and provide better outcomes for the people who access them.”
Speakers at the event include Jake Mills, Comedian and Founder of mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, Kate Mercer, a well-established advocacy trainer and owner of Kate Mercer Training and Mark Neary, author of ‘Getting Steven Home’ – a book about Mark’s plight in getting his autistic son out of care.
Workshops will be hosted by the British Institute of Human Rights, Francesca P Gardner, Barrister at Kings Chambers, Neil Allen, Barrister at 39 Essex Chambers and many more sector experts.
Tickets cost £25 and include refreshments and lunch. To find out more and book your tickets, visit advocacyfocus.org.uk/breaking-barriers.
Breaking Barriers 2018 is sponsored by Napthens, Codel Software (Active Absence), Sharp, Odonnells Solicitors, VS Group, Mayes Accountants, Building Blocks Computer Services (Cygnet) and Stonehouse IT.
