From Covid to Crisis; Direction of Advice
The Advice Services Alliance two-day conference for the advice sector took place online (rather in person as original conference in Manchester had to be cancelled to the rail strike) 4-5 October. The event included plenary sessions only. See below programme for the speakers and links to their presentation.
The conference was engaging event for advice services, voluntary organisations, funders and stakeholders with a fair bit of lively debate (or as much as online conference allow) there was a huge passion for the work of advice sector and some annoyance for the challenges the sector and their clients are facing currently. Feedback has been really positive.
Key themes
- Building our future: sustainable services and future advice workforce
- Strengthening community voices: how to work for and support communities
- Doing different: innovative practice and getting advice to where it is needed
- What we know: using data and research for better advice
By the end of the event delegates had:
- heard from a range of speakers with different perspectives on the advice sector
- discussed issues and challenges pertinent to their organisations
- gained new ideas to take back to their own organisations and practice
- felt inspired by the input from other participants and from speakers.
Programme and speakers
Day 1
Session 1 – Opening the conference – Andy Burnham – opening remarks (PDF)
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Session 2 – Building our Future/ State of the Nation: What we know and what we don’t know (which is more) (PPTX)
Lindsey Poole Director, Advice Services Alliance
Session 3 – Short presentation from sponsor (PPTX)
Mathew Adam – CEO and Founder, We-Are-Digital
Session 4 – Changes to Charities Act 2022
Russell Cooke – Senior Associate, Russell-Cooke
Session 5 – Building our Future
Speakers:
- Dame Clare Moriarty – Chief Executive Officer, Citizens Advice
- Julie Bishop – Director, Law Centres Network
- Phanuel Mutumburi – Director, Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality
Session 6 – Working in Partnership (PPTX)
Delivery in Partnership with HMCTS
Salena Worrall Strategic Partner Manager, We-Are-Digital delivering in partnership with HMCTS
Session 7 – Focus on Charity Governance
Gareth Roy – Senior Associate, Russell-Cooke
Session 8 – Working in Partnership
Speakers:
- Jo Woodcock – Financial Inclusion Manager for the North West, the Trussell Trust – Jo’s presentation (PPTX)
- Sabrina Dubash – Welfare Rights Adviser, Child Poverty Action Group – Sabrina’s presentation (PDF)
- Mark Alaszewski Legal Principal, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Session 9- Strengthening Communities; Role of Advice in Levelling Up: Strategies, partnerships and cooperation
Speakers:
- Fran Targett – Chair, Welsh Government National Advice Network
- Elaine Morgan – Strategy Principal – Reform, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- James Banks – Chief Executive Officer, London Funders
- Sinead Campbell – Head of Money, Debt and Quality, Advice Northern Ireland – Sinead’s presentation (PPTX)
Day – 2
Session 1 -Strengthening Communities/Access to Rights Based Justice and Working with
Speakers:
- Sally Causer – Executive Director, Southwark Law Centre
- Kate Bradley – Housing Caseworker and Campaigns Officer, Greater Manchester Law Centre
- James Sandbach – Development Manager, London Citizens Advice
Session 2 – Introduction to the Quality Assurance and the AQS
Dawn Draper – Quality Manager, Advice Services Alliance – AQS overview presentation (PPTX) and Changes to AQSv4 (PTTX)
Session – 3 Doing Different – Advice, Access to Justice and Human Rights
Speakers:
- Lord Bellamy KC – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice; Minister for Early Legal Support
- Fiona Rutherford – Chief Executive, Justice
- Andrea Coomber – Chief Executive, Howard League for Penal Reform
Session 4 – Building our future Attracting Young People into the Advice Sector
Mark Foster – Consultant, Skills Gap Research for London Legal Support Trust
Session 5 – New web-tools for supporting those who can
Mary Marvel – Law for Life
Session 6 – What is the Future of Funding in the Advice Sector – Building our Future
Speakers:
- Craig Simmons – Head of Debt Advice, Policy and Strategy, Money and Pensions Service
- Matthew Smerdon – Chief Executive, Legal Education Foundation
- James Banks – CEO London Funders
- Michael Mogan – Fund Raising Consultant, Mogan and Mogan
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