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Karen Abrams
was originally a qualified social worker working primarily with older people and people with learning difficulties, and subsequently worked as a general adviser with a Citizens Advice Bureau. Karen is now a trained solicitor with specialist experience of welfare benefits and community care law in private legal practice. Welfare benefits work included casework, representation at Tribunals, appeals to the Social Security Commissioners and Judicial Review. Karen is an experienced trainer, delivering training to lawyers, advice centre staff, voluntary organisations and community groups.
Luke Clements
is a leading community care solicitor and Professor at Cardiff Law School. His books include Community Care & the Law (2007, Legal Action Group), Disabled Children & the Law (2006, Jessica Kingsley) and Disabled People & European Human Rights (2003, Policy Press).
Jean Gould
is an experienced solicitor specialising in community care, human rights and public law, and also a qualified teacher. Formerly project solicitor at the Public Law Project, Jean then practised in Birmingham where she was a founding partner of Public Law Solicitors. She has advised and represented both individuals and organisations in a wide range of community care cases. Jean has been a trainer with Carers UK since 1998. She is currently also an associate tutor at Sussex University and freelance legal consultant. She co-authors the Community Care Legal Updates for Legal Action and is a member of the editorial board of Community Care Law Reports.
Sam Lloyd
is our specialist Social Care Consultant and non-legal course trainer. Sam’s background is in Local Government with over 13 years experience including as a Senior Manager (Assistant Director level) and the lead on services to Adults. Sam managed one of the first Carers Support Units and worked with carers to train both Social Care and Health staff and implementing the National Service Framework for Older People. She was also involved in the Valuing People initiative and had responsibility for Direct Payments. She instigated the use of the Carers Grant as a Direct Payment, implemented Fairer Charging, and integrated Intermediate Care Team with a joint Health and Social Care budget. She also worked with Heath to implement the Single Assessment Process. She has three years experience of delivering consultancy to Statutory and Third Sector clients.
Jonathan Nash
is an Adult Services solicitor with Newcastle City Council, having formerly practised in Community Care Law at Ben Hoare Bell in Sunderland. Jonathan taught English abroad for 6 years before returning to the UK, where in 2003/04 he project-managed a Legal Services Commission funded project to increase education and awareness of Community Care Law in the North East in conjunction with the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the University of Northumbria. He has also co-authored research for the Legal Services commission on the barriers to accessing Community Care legal advice. He lectures on Community Care Law for the University of Sunderland and the University of Northumbria, as well as various local advice and information groups. He has also completed a Masters in Mental Health Law, with his thesis focusing on the inequities of the continuing care system.
Janet Read
is a Reader at the School of Health and Social Studies at the University of Warwick, and a qualified social worker. Her publications include Disability, the Family and Society: Listening to Mothers and with Luke Clements, Disabled Children & the Law and Disabled People & European Human Rights. She teaches on qualifying and post qualifying programmes for social work practitioners and has extensive experience of practice, management, training and consultancy in the public and voluntary sectors. Janet has recently completed research and publications on carers’ use of Information Technology and is currently researching the quality of data sources on disabled children and their households. Janet has just completed another book (also with Luke Clements) Disabled People and the Right to Life to be published by Routledge later in 2007.
Deborah E. M. Smith
is a consultant within the Mental Health Unit at Scott-Moncrieff, Harbour & Sinclair, solicitors. She is a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health Review Tribunal Panel. Deborah has previously worked as Legal Adviser to “Release”, for the National Union of Teachers as Principal Officer in its Legal and Professional Services Department and in legal aid practice for a number of firms of solicitors. Deborah has a particular interest in training and has devised and implemented programmes for a number of Local Authorities and Universities. Deborah wrote the “Lex Legis” column for “Business Education Today” for some years and has written more widely for a number of publications. Her experience on the management committees of various voluntary organisations has developed her commitment to diversity issues.
Steve Turner
is the proprietor of Fast Forward, providing advocacy-related training and consultancy across the UK. He spent several years as an advocacy development officer in West Sussex, managing a county-wide advocacy scheme and providing development services for other schemes. For the past nine years he has organised the National Advocacy Conference for the National Advocacy Network. Previously he has been a lecturer in Communication Studies.
