Training courses

I have a range of high quality welfare rights training courses which have been developed over many years and which I can deliver in-house to your organisation. These courses are designed to give participants the appropriate level of confidence and knowledge so that they can become effective advisers within the limits of their role. The courses will ensure that participants can:

The training takes account of adults' learning styles and I encourage participation and discussion but without compromising the technical accuracy and quality of the training. All courses include comprehensive notes, PowerPoint slides and learning case studies/exercises.

Most of the courses are designed for non-specialists such as social work staff, support workers and housing staff and some are suitable for experienced advisers. In addition, I have courses which are specially designed for solicitors and legal executives.

To help make the training even more effective, for a small additional fee I can also offer an after-sales service - advice and help to the course participants.

The following courses can be delivered on an in-house basis and are competitively priced. Please contact me to discuss your training needs or to find out more about a course you are interested in.

Introduction to welfare benefits Over two days, teaches almost everything the non-specialist needs to know. Packed full of practical tips and the correct legal arguments to win cases without having to be an expert and ensures you know how the benefits system fits together and who is entitled to what. This can be tailored to focus on different service user groups - people with a learning disability, those with mental health needs, young people, older people, carers, etc.	Solving Housing Benefit problems Discover the solutions for all those frustrating problems including delays, evidence disputes, overpayments, benefits when moving home and discretionary housing payments. The course will enable you to challenge some of the myths which are used as a reason for non-payment.
Benefits for young people Focuses on the benefit rights of 16 and 17 year olds including: Income Support when "estranged" and in learning, severe hardship payments of Jobseeker's Allowance, disability benefits for young people, Child Benefit extension rules and care leavers' rights.	Benefits for people from abroad Explores the interface between immigration law and social social security and looks at how to deal with problems such as "right to reside", "habitual residence" and the position of people who are subject to immigration control. A short briefing on A8/A2 nationals is also available.
Updates about changes to benefits and tax credits Can be delivered at any time of the year. Specially tailored to cover the changes you need to know about.	Family law and social security Covers the links between social security and family law - for example, the treatment of maintenance, dealing with the child maintenance obligations, help with paying the mortgage or rent after a relationship breakdown, and in-work benefit
Community care law The essentials about people's rights to social care services.	Advocacy skills How non-lawyers can become better advocates for their service users and get even better results when taking up their cause. Underpinned by the ethics of advocacy and by taking a well-structured approach.
Common benefit problems and rent arrears Explores the most common reasons for rent arrears caused by errors and the failures in the benefits system and how to fix them and so save someone's home and prevent homelessness.	Common benefit problems and mortgage arrears If you are a homeowner on Income Support, the chances are that you will have mortgage arrears. Things are made worse by errors by DWP staff and this course looks at how you can resolve common problems.

If you work for a welfare rights service, you can purchase training materials for some of these courses. Please contact me to discuss.

"Highly knowledgeable and approachable...Enlightening, interesting, informative...Interesting and very helpful...This course was the most informative and enjoyable that I've been to...Trainer very knowledgeable and generous in sharing experiences...Thorough, interesting, good notes...Very good trainer. Explained everything in simple terms...Benefits were a dull area to me previously...Trainer communicated everything well...Very expert in the whole range of welfare benefits...Very informative and very helpful...Very professional approach and delivery...Not only the most knowledgeable tutor I have experienced but very skilled in understandable delivery...Very helpful training course...Definitely the best benefits course that I have attended...Excellent delivery...Good notes, presentation and discussions...Very informative...Looking forward to my next course...Neil can deliver a course so well and makes it so interesting...Neil has an excellent understanding of the welfare benefits system and explains the pitfalls, the remedies and what we need to look out for...I really enjoyed the course and would highly recommend it to others".