Peer Advocacy Training Programme 2014
COURSE CONTENT
Week 1
03/10/2014
Course Topic
Trainers
Overview of Training Programme:
History of Mental Health (Law,
Psychiatry and the National
Framework)
Martin Walsh
Martin is a retired Forensic
Social Worker and former
Approved Mental Health
Professional (AMHP)/ Best
Interest Assessor(BIA). He
holds a Higher Specialist Social
Worker qualification in Mental
Health, along with CQSW,
PQSW and Masters in the
Medical Sciences.
He has worked in Forensic
services for 20 years, with
previous social work
experience in learning
disability and a children's
observation and assessment
centre. His past work history
includes the development of
CMHT, Home Treatment
Service, Low Secure Service
and Residential/ Nursing
homes.
He is the Director of two web
based services covering
independent social work and
learning disabilities.
Since retirement he continues
to teach in the subjects of
Mental Health Law, Forensic
Services, Mental Capacity Act,
Learning Disabilities & Autism.
He is am an Independent
Forensic Social Worker and
Associate Hospital Manager
for Specialised Services based
in Birmingham.
Week 2
10/10/2014
Week 3
17/10/2014
Models of Advocacy:
 The Advocacy Project
 Black (BME) Advocacy
 Legal Advocacy
 IMHA
 IMCA
 Citizens Advocacy
 Formal Advocacy
 Self Advocacy
 Peer Advocacy
Introduction to Mental Health Law:
 Mental Health Act 1983
 Detention Orders Part 1 & 2
 Code of Practice
 Mental Disorder
 First Tier Tribunals
Simon Torkington - Advocacy
Development Officer, Mary
Seacole House
Simon has been at the
Advocacy Project, and now
Mary Seacole House, for over
seven years. In that time he
has provided advocacy in the
community and in psychiatric
units in Liverpool, prior and
since the introduction of the
IMHA service under the
Mental Health Act 2007.
During his time in post Simon
has completed his LLB Honours
Degree in Law and Post
Graduate Legal Practice Course
at Liverpool John Moores
University, as well as a number
of other training courses,
including the IMHA training.
Since joining the Advocacy
Project as Development
Officer, Simon has had
responsibility for the coordination of the Peer
Advocacy Training Programme.
He is committed to raising
awareness of issues faced by
people suffering mental ill
health from a Black Minority
Ethnic (BME) background and
challenging inequalities in the
services provided to them.
PETER EDWARDS - Solicitor
and Director
Peter is a Director of Peter
Edwards Law and the Head of
Civil Litigation and Private
Client department. Peter has
spent his professional life
fighting for the rights of the
vulnerable and those with
mental health problems. In
2007 Peter was nominated as
Mental Health Lawyer of the
Year 2007. With Dave
Sheppard, Peter runs a training
company called IMHL. He is
the President of the Mental
Health Lawyers Association.
Peter provides training in
universities, hospitals, local
authorities, indeed, for anyone
who feels the need to know
more about all aspects of
mental health and incapacity
law. Peter is the President of
mental health charity; Imagine
and broadcasts on radio and
television. One of the high
spots for Peter was being
grilled by Jeremy Paxman on
Newsnight over the
Bournewood case.
Peter has held the following
appointments in the past:
Consultant to Solicitors
Regulation Authority, Legal
Consultant World Health
Organisation, Law Society
Chief Assessor Mental Health
Review Tribunal Panel,
Member of Central Policy
Committee of Mental Health
Act Commission, Vice Chair
Law Society Mental Health and
Disability Committee, Member
NACRO Advisory Committee
and Member of MIND Council
of Management. When not at
work, Peter loves travelling
and getting lost in the high
mountains.
Week 4
24/10/2014
Week 5
07/11/2014
Week 6
14/11/2014
Developments in Mental Health Law
 Mental Health Law Legal
Update
 Mental Health Act 1983 &
Relationship with Human
Rights Act
 Court of Protection
 Deprivation of Liberty
 Mental Capacity Act
Classification of & medication used in
Psychiatry
 Trans Cultural Psychiatry
 Psychology of Central Nervous
System
 Alternative/Complimentary
Treatments
 Substance Misuse
Community Care Law
 S47 NHS & Community Care
Act 1990
 Care Planning Process
Complaints Procedures
Peter Edwards
As above
Dr Suneetha Vuvorri –
Consultant Psychiatrist
Stephen Beard – Solicitor at
Peter Edwards Law
Stephen been at Peter
Edwards Law since April 2008,
when he joined as a paralegal.
Prior to this he worked for
about 6 months in the Criminal
Records Bureau.
He went to school locally in
Wirral and got his legal
qualifications from Sheffield
University and Chester College
of Law, where he did the
'Public Legal Services' route on
the Legal Practice Course, as
he knew that he wanted to
work in a field of law that was
more publicly-orientated,
instead of going down the
usual corporate / business
route.
Stephen became a trainee
solicitor in 2009 and qualified
in 2011.
A lot of his time at Peter
Edwards Law has been in the
Mental Health Tribunal
department, representing
clients in hospitals, where of
course he met with Simon
Torkington a few times to
represent some of Liverpool's
more eccentric characters!
Stephen has since moved into
Peter Edwards Law civil
litigation department and now
deals with community care
matters and matters where,
perhaps because of a learning
disability or brain injury, a
person does not have the
capacity to make certain
decisions for themselves.
Week 7
21/11/2014
Week 8
28/11/2014
The Clinical Team
 Role of Responsible Clinician
(RC)
 Role of Approved Mental
Health Act Practitioner (AMHP)
 Role of Care Co-ordinator
 Role of Nurse
 Role of Community Psychiatric
Nurse

Mental Health & Criminal Justice
System
 Diversion from Custody
 Criminal Court Procedures
 Section 135 & 136 (Place of
Safety)
 Role of Appropriate Adult
Martin Walsh
as above
Rebecca Jones - Mental
Health Practitioner at The
Criminal Justice Liaison Team