5 Nations FEBRUARY 2024 Seminar
'Rights, Choices and Decisions'
Hosted by Safeguarding Ireland
FEBRUARY Presentations
Brendan Kelly
VIEW PRESENTATION: Capacity and Choice and the Challenge to Safeguarding Decision-Making
This paper examines (and defends) the concept of decision-making capacity, using the example of Ireland’s Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015, which commenced in 2023. The paper then explores the ideas of ‘non-self’ and ‘dependent arising’ in Buddhist philosophy, and how these might apply in the field of psychiatry and in the context of relevant legislation. Finally, the paper reflects on the implications of these ideas for both the content of legislation and how practitioners operate the law in clinical care and safeguarding practice.
Ellie Atkins
What does research and expert practice tell us about the importance of executive functioning assessments?
Speakers Biogs
Alex Davidson – Chair
Independent Chair, Inverclyde Adult Support and Protection Committee, Argyll and Bute Adult Support and Protection Committee and Orkney Public Protection Committee.
Brendan Kelly
Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, and Consultant Psychiatrist at Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin. In addition to his medical degree (MB BCh BAO), he holds masters degrees in epidemiology (MSc), healthcare management (MA), Buddhist studies (MA), and mindfulness-based interventions (MSc); doctorates in medicine (MD), history (PhD), governance (DGov), and law (PhD); and a higher doctorate in history (DLitt). His recent books include ‘Resilience: Lessons from Sir William Wilde on Life After Covid’ (2023) and ‘Asylum: Inside Grangegorman’ (2023). In 2023, he co-edited, with Professor Mary Donnelly, the first edition of the ‘Routledge Handbook of Mental Health Law’.
Ellie Atkins
A registered social worker, Manager and Safeguarding lead for The Rough Sleeper Social Work Team in Manchester. Ellie is an expert by practice in the field of working with hard-to-reach adults with complex needs for the last 20 years. Ellie is a practitioner academic that has completed the first Adult Social Care Research Internship with NHS Research & Development Northwest.
Ellies passion is to influence, policy, law, and practice. To challenge unconscious bias and advocate for the design, commissioning, and delivery of inclusive services for some of the most traumatised people in our society to elevate and thrive from.
You can sample some of her work and influence here:
- What you need to know, to end rough sleeping – YouTube
- Tracing the significance of executive functioning among people experiencing homelessness | Health & Social Care Workforce – kcl.ac.uk
- A national Peer Network for social workers specialising in homelessness and rough sleeping King’s College London – kcl.ac.uk
Upcoming dates
Archived dates 2024 & 2025
PANELISTS
Patricia Rickard-Clarke: Chair, Safeguarding Ireland
Alex Davidson: Speaker speaker as per above.
Tam Baillie: was the Children and Young People’s Commissioner (Scotland) between May 2009 and May 2017. Prior to that, Tam worked in various roles as a manager and practitioner with children and young people for over 30 years. https://tambaillie.com/
Suzy Braye: Emerita Professor of Social Work and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Her professional background is in social work and in the management of local authority social services. https://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/158869
Any queries, email fivenationseminars@safeguardingireland.org
