Dear Colleague

Social welfare – in the sense of the well-being of people – and human rights are inextricably linked. However, people cannot enjoy a sense of well-being if their rights are systematically ignored, or worse, violated by the very representatives from whom they would seek protection. With the introduction of the Human Rights Act in 1998 came high hopes for many people of improved services which would lead to a better quality of life. But have these changes come to pass? Have human rights principles enhanced existing domestic law rights of access to health, social care, education and justice?

This conference will concentrate on how access to services has developed since the introduction of the Human Rights Act. We will then look at ways in which they may develop further as a results of the Act, disability discrimination legislation, the European Union and other international instruments.

With speakers including both academic and human rights lawyers, policy makers, practitioners and service users, this conference will be one of the most important in your calendar in 2006.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Jane Campbell
Chair
Social Care Institute for Excellence

• £280 + VAT
  
  
• £190 + VAT for not-for-profit organisations
  
  
• To encourage the participation of service users and carers, a number of free places have been allocated. For delegates allocated a free place we will also pay a participation fee (a maximum of £100).
  
  
• Doughty Street Chambers is authorised by the Law Society and the Bar Council to provide accredited CPD courses. This conference attracts 5.5 points. The conference is offered in association with the British Insitute of Human Rights, the Disability Rights Commission, Leigh Day & Co and the Social Care Institute for Excellence.

The aims of the conference will be to:

• identify current problems in the provision of health, social care, education and justice services
  

• look at how human rights principles are being implemented both in practice and through litigation and other ‘softer' enforcement mechanisms
  
• dentify how differing approaches to the implementation of human rights can work together to achieve the same ends

• health
• social care
• education
• justice

Each panel will include a specialist lawyer, a policy maker or practitioner and a service user and will look at the existing domestic and human rights legal frameworks for the provision of services. The panels will seek to identify areas of shortfall and possible solutions within a human rights framework. Each parallel session will be presented once in the morning and repeated in the afternoon.

• Academic, human rights, health and social welfare lawyers
  
• Senior staff from central and local government, social services departments, health care trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts, disability rights organisations, non-government organisations and charities
  
• Service users and carers

British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR)
BIHR is a charity which raises awareness and understanding about the importance of human rights. It conducts training with the voluntary and public sectors and feeds this experience into its policy and research programme. BIHR's work focuses on disabled people, older people, people living with mental health problems and and refugees and asylum seekers.
Visit www.bihr.org

Disability Rights Commission (DRC)
The DRC is an independent body, established by an act of parliament to eliminate discrimination against disabled people and promote equality of opportunity. Its goal is ‘a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens'.
Visit www.drc.org.uk

Doughty Street Chambers
Doughty Street Chambers is a team of 90 barristers specialising in the promotion of human and social rights and the protection of civil liberties. Visit www.doughtystreet.co.uk

Leigh Day & Co
Leigh Day & Co is a firm of solicitors specialising in human rights and challenges to public bodies particularly in the field of health policy and ethics, community care and education on behalf of vulnerable and excluded members of society.
Visit www.leighday.co.uk

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
SCIE's aim is to improve the experience of people who use social care by developing and promoting knowledge about good practice in the sector. Using knowledge gathered from diverse sources and a broad range of people and organisations, it develops resources which it shares freely, supporting those working in social care and empowering service users. Visit www.scie.org.uk

administration

The conference administration is being undertaken by:

Professional Briefings
37 Star Street
Ware
Hertfordshire
SG12 7AA

Telephone: +44 (0) 1920 487672

Fax: +44 (0) 1920 462730

Email: london@profbriefings.co.uk