Equality, Diversity and Client Care
POSTPONED: NEW DATE TO BE ADVISED
Working in the legal profession offers the opportunity to meet and work with a range of people from all backgrounds and walks of life and requires well developed interpersonal skills. It is also essential to understand the importance of treating people with respect and dignity, equality and fairness and to understand what reasonable adjustments you might be able to make to offer an open service, accessible to all.
This session is aimed at Trainees and Solicitors and those preparing to enter the legal profession. It may also be of relevance to paralegals who regularly have face to face contact with clients.
CPD 5 hours
DATE Thursday 10th May 2012
TIME 10.00am to 4.00pm (Registration and Coffee 9.30am)
VENUE The Board Room, Legal Services Agency Ltd., 3rd Floor, Fleming House, 134 Renfrew Street, Glasgow
COST £150.00 full price/£120.00 LSA members/£80.00 Trainee Solicitor & Concessionary cost places (LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED)
PEAT outcome: professionalism and professional communication as well as relevant legal knowledge
LEARNING OUTCOME
- General overview of implications of the Equality Act 2010 for Solicitors as service users as well as employers/employees
- Introduction to attitudinal awareness regarding equality and diversity issues
- Introduction to practical, ethnical and professional issues involved in working with interpreters
- Client care guidance on working with people with mental ill health including assessing capacity to instruct a solicitor and making reasonable adjustments as a service provider
PARTICIPANTS This seminar is aimed at Trainees, Solicitors and paralegals.
SPEAKERS
Chris McDowall is a Partner from the Employment Unit, Anderson Strathern LLP, Solicitors, Glasgow. Chris advises on all aspects of employment law including contractual disputes, any discrimination/harassment issues, business transfers, data protection issues, unfair dismissal claims, the status of agency workers, whistle-blowing etc. Chris represents both employer and employee clients in the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. He has been involved in cases both north and south of the border. He regularly delivers training to clients and non-clients on employment issues and tutored at the University of Edinburgh. Chris is also a member of the Scottish Discrimination Law Association and the Employment Lawyers Association.
Doctor Stewart Montgomery PhD, MPhil, MSc, MA(Hons), PG DIp(Equality and Discrimination), FIOH, MIPD, MiMgt of Montgomery Housing Consultancy (MHC), specialises in organisational development in the public housing sector to promote the effective implementation of law and good practice guidance. He has actively worked with over fifty Scottish social landlords (local authorities and housing associations) developing their housing strategies and policies to promote tenant's rights. This work includes the development of equality strategies to mainstream equality matters into practice. In addition to his doctorate in housing law (Glasgow University Law School), Stewart has recently completed major research evaluating how Glasgow housing associations are implementing equality into practice and has developed an innovative theoretical framework to achieve effective mainstreaming of equality matters.
Jamie Spurway is a Training and Events Officer at the Scottish Refugee Council.
Deirdre Hanlon is a solicitor in the Mental Health Legal Representation Project and a Partner of Legal Services Agency. She has many years of experience of working with clients with mental ill health and has previously held an appointment as a Commissioner for the Mental Welfare Commission between 2006 and 2011.
PROGRAMME
9.30-10.00 Registration and Coffee
10.00-11.15 Chris McDowall: Introduction to the Equality Act 2010
11.15-11.30 Tea/Coffee
11.30-1.00 Dr Stewart Montgomery: Equality and Diversity Training: attitudinal awareness
1.00-2.00 Lunch (provided)
2.00-3.00 Jamie Spurway: Working with interpreters
3.00-4.00 Deirdre Hanlon: Introduction to working with clients with mental ill health
BOOKING FORM