Courses and training
Specifically tailored courses are the most popular. Below I offer topics which you may wish to combine, in any permutation, to bespoke your training, but rather than you labour over it, the easiest thing is for you to contact me so I can advise and work with you to design a course which best supports your needs.
‘Pick and mix’ your options
Power of Attorney
This can be any aspect – for example,
information for granters,
information for attorneys,
what powers mean,
making power of attorney powerful
minimising difficulties,
creating an Advance Choice document
what to do if you have concerns about an attorney.
Guardianship
This can be any aspect – for example, what powers to include, hints and tips to getting the application right, obligations of a guardian, what to do if you have concerns about a guardian.
Legal stuff
You may want to hear about the AWI legal principles and what these mean in practice, with real examples.
Perhaps an updating on the Scottish Mental Health Law Review (SMHLR), what changes we can expect and how we can prepare.
What is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)? What is its status in Scottish law, what are we obliged to consider, what if we don’t. How can we support a person to exercise their legal capacity? What does respecting rights, will and preferences mean in practice?
Deprivation of liberty (DoL) – what is this? What do you have to do when you have a DoL situation? What did the SMHLR recommend? How do we prepare for the changes? Can we do anything now?
Managing conflicts
Despite our best efforts things don’t always run smoothly. The situation may present a conflict, for example when a person’s current will conflicts with their past expression of wishes. There may be conflict between people, for example between two attorneys, or between a guardian and an organisation. You may wish a section in your course on how to manage when such conflicts arise.
Capacity
What the law says, what this means in practice, how to assess it, how to know if someone has capacity, or not. What if they do, what if they don’t?
Something else?
If you want me to focus on something not included here, not a problem. Simply ask.
Things to think about when bespoking your training
Audience
Courses can be designed to suit, or be adapted for:
Carers and supporters of persons with mental incapacity
Those thinking of granting power of attorney
Those deciding if they should be an attorney, or guardian
Those acting as attorney or guardian
Charity sector employees
Professional caregivers
Local Authority employees
Financial sector employees
Health and social care professionals
Clinical professionals
Legal professionals
Some courses work with a mixed audience, others are better specifically targeted, please contact me with your requirements and I can offer advice.
Numbers
If you wish an on line interactive course it is better to limit numbers to about 15. This can be increased to around 30 for an in person interactive session. Experience shows that much beyond these numbers in the respective format people are less willing to speak out, so it loses the participation that you may have hoped and thus reduces the impact of shared learning.
If you are accepting of a webinar style ie where the content is delivered without audience interaction necessarily then numbers are unlimited, dependent only on room size for in person events.
Format
As training is tailored to support your needs it can be offered in larger groups, lecture style, smaller seminars or interactive workshops, or on occasions even one to one.
Training can be in person or on line. Hybrid is less viable but is not impossible if you location can support this.
Timings
The amount of topics you wish covered will determine how long a session you will need, or, vice-versa, the amount of time you can give to this will determine the number of topics that can be covered.
The average timing for a session that covers the majority of the options outlined above is 4 hours, usually split by a lunch break (10-12 and 1-3pm).
The level of detail in any given topic can be adjusted—from high level overview to in depth scrutiny—this allows the agenda to be flexed to the available time. As part of bespoking the course, we can agree the level of focus given to each topic.
Dates
As courses are tailored to support your needs, there are no pre-set dates. We can agree dates and times that suit your requirements and accommodate your business demands.
Multiple, repeat, dates can be offered, or, training can be split over several dates.
Locations & venues
Training can be delivered throughout Scotland.
You would normally be responsible for sourcing a suitable venue and managing the joining administration of the course.
Venues will need to have projection facilities. I will bring my own laptop to connect to your device.
If you are using an in house venue, you will be responsible for ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements, e.g. any post course clean down for covid compliance.
Refreshments
You will be responsible for provision of any tea break refreshments and for ensuring availability of lunch provisions for events that extend across lunchtime, albeit that delegates may have to pay for their own lunch purchases.
Speakers
Courses are usually run solely by myself, but I have a range of highly respected speakers with whom I have contact.
Please let me know if there is a particular speaker you wish to hear from.
Cost
I charge a competitive hourly fee, which is fixed irrespective of the number of delegates, this can offer a highly attractive per head delegate fee. I don’t charge for travel or preparation time. There is a 45ppm fee for travel costs. I am Edinburgh based.
Added Value
I invite delegates to contact me later should they feel I may be able to help with a particular operational challenge. A phone call costs nothing. Former delegates often take up this invitation.
Evaluation
I can arrange pre- and post-course evaluation should you wish to assess outcomes of the training.
CPD Accreditation
Accreditation for continuous professional development purposes can be offered on all courses.
On demand videos
Business demands may make it difficult for you to attend an event in real time, be this in person or online. I have worked in conjunction with Policy Hub Scotland to pre-record a range of training videos, which are tailored to specific audiences e.g. lawyers, health and social care staff, advocates, doctors, which cover the topics above from the angle relevant to the audience. You can work through the video in your own time, stopping and returning as necessary, repeating a section if you wish.
I use a range of learning styles including me in one to one conversation, quizzes and chat walls. The flexibility of this on demand video format is proving very popular. You can find out more information, including costs and how to access a video course from Policy Hub Scotland.
Training average rating
97% satisfaction rating
“Very helpful in letting us ask questions about our own caseload. Answers very clear and helpful. Interesting and very beneficial to practice.”
“I liked Sandra’s flexibility with the sessions, supporting further discussions in areas that benefited the group more, and condensing information when appropriate for the group”
“Thank you again for facilitating the advanced AWI training. We continuously hear back how excellent the content and delivery of the training was. Colleagues appreciated how you were able to provide concrete examples and answer their operational questions”
