Mental Health Law in England and Wales

Robert Brown is a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University and was a Founding Director of Edge Training and Consultancy Limited. He was a Mental Health Act Commissioner from 1992 until 2010. He provides refresher training for Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) and Best Interest Assessors (BIAs) and contributes to the training of section 12 approved doctors and Approved Clinicians in South West England and Wales. He provides consultation and supervision for the AMHPs/BIAs in the Deprivation of Liberty Team in Cornwall. Rob also provides consultation to Lead AMHPs in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Lambeth, Portsmouth and West Berkshire. He has published widely in the field of mental health and mental capacity law. Debbie Martin is a guest lecturer for the Swansea University Approved Mental Health Professional programme. She is also involved in the training of section 12 Approval and Approved Clinician courses, and provides training to various NHS Trusts, Health Authorities, Health Boards and Local Authorities. She has published in the field of mental health and mental capacity law. She is a registered social worker, and has practised as a social worker, a mental health manager and an Approved Mental Health Professional. Neil Hickmanis a specialist mental health solicitor and a member of the Law Society Mental Health Panel. He also holds a Diploma and Masters in Social Work and previously worked as a mental health social worker (ASW and AMHP) and mental health team manager. He is a visiting lecturer in law at the University of Hertfordshire and also provides post-qualifying legal training to mental health professionals. Paul Barber qualified in 1976. Until December 2003 he was a partner at Bevan Ashford Solicitors (now Bevan Brittan) where for many years he led the firm’s NHS Litigation Department, increasingly specialising in the field of Mental Health and Human Rights law. He is now a Consultant to the firm and a freelance trainer and lecturer. He is extensively involved in training Approved Social Workers and lecturing on Section 12 Approval courses for doctors. He also provides training for the Mental Health Act Commission and numerous NHS Trusts and Health Authorities.