GLC seminars in 2011@Orkney Street (listed by date order; all seminars take place at the Orkney Street Enterprise Centre in Glasgow Govan unless otherwise stated).

 

 

Mental Health and Housing, Friday 8 April 2011 from 9.30am to 12.15pm
 

Mental health often precedes homelessness and is often the direct cause of the loss of accommodation. Many advisors, particularly in the field of housing, will come across clients who suffer from mental health problems.

 

This half day seminar is aimed at housing practitioners and lay advisors. This seminar will help solicitors and advisors identify what is expected of landlords in respect of tenants with mental health problems and provide practical steps to maximise their legal position in order to prevent them from becoming homeless.

 

A talk will be provided by Andrew Gibson, Advocate, who has a wealth of experience in both Housing Law and Mental Health Law, having previously been a practitioner in both of these areas.

 

Our seminar, led by GLC’s Sarah-Jane Kissock, is aimed at solicitors and advisors who give advice or signpost clients in relation to clients facing eviction.

 

 

EMPLOYMENT LAW BASICS FOR NQs, TRAINEES, AND LAY ADVISORS, Thursday 14 April 2011, 9.30- 1pm (registration from 9am)

 

Many advisors, particularly in the field of housing, employability or benefits, will come across clients with employment disputes, for example unfair dismissal, refusing to provide wage slips or failing to pay the minimum wage.  Employment law is a complex topic, and it can often be difficult to identify a solution for your client.

 

This half day seminar is aimed at advisors with little or no knowledge of employment law.  The seminar will help solicitor and advisors identify potential breaches of the law, and provide practical tools to allow the advisor or the client to take further action. The seminar will cover:

 

 

The seminar will be led by Lorraine Barrie, Associate Solicitor at Govanhill Law Centre.  She represents a number of clients with employment law disputes including unlawful deductions from wages, unfair dismissal, sex discrimination and redundancy issues.  She has assisted migrant workers to report breaches of the law to the relevant enforcement agencies.

 

This event is aimed at newly qualified and trainee solicitors, social workers, benefits advisors, housing association staff, employability advisors and anyone giving advice or signposting clients in employment.  Delegates will have the opportunity to email their particular questions in advance, so the seminar can be tailored to meet everyone’s needs.

 

Cost: £65 (concessionary rate for voluntary organizations £55).

To book please click here

 

 

The Role of the Private Rented Housing Panel
Friday 10 June 2011, 9.30 am to 1pm (registration from 9.00am)

 

Scotland’s growing private rented sector is playing an increasingly important role in the housing market; the sector itself grew from representing 5.1% of all Scottish households to 8.2% of households from 1999 to 2007. But what happens when tenants and landlords fall out over repairs?

 

Since September 2007, Scottish tenants have been able to apply to the Private Rented Housing Panel (PRHP), as established by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. If a tenant feels their home fails to meet the new “repairing standard” they can apply to the PRHP to obtain a range of legal remedies as an alternative to the sheriff court. The Panel also deals with “fair rent” in certain tenancies, and its role may be set to be extended further.

 

Ms Aileen Devanny, President of the PRHP, will be speaking on the operation of the PRHP and its committees, including how the application process works and the powers and duties of the PRHP. GLC’s seminar will give delegates the opportunity to practice their advisory skills, with the aid of case studies based on real life scenarios.

 

Our seminar, led by GLC’s Laura Simpson and Christine McKellar, is aimed at solicitors and advisors who give advice or signpost clients in relation to housing disrepair. Cost: £65 (concessionary rate for voluntary organizations £55).

To book please click here

 

 

Private sector tenancies: what you need to know, Wednesday 11 May, 9.30am - 1pm (registration from 9am).

 

The private sector is becoming an increasingly large provider of rented housing.  Recent changes in legislation allow private rented housing to be used by local authorities in discharging their duties to provide accommodation to homeless people.  However many people remain unsure of the law relating to private tenancies, in particular the differences between assured and short assured tenancies, the grounds on which private tenants can be evicted and the notices that require to be served.  This seminar will give an overview of the law in relation to private sector tenancies with a focus on tenants' rights and prevention of homelessness.  The topics covered will include:

The seminar will be of interest to those working with tenants in the private rented housing, both in the voluntary and public sector.  The event will be led by Heather Mackay and Lindsay Paterson, solicitors at Govan and Govanhill Law Centres.  Both Heather and Lindsay are housing law practitioners with experience of advising and representing private sector tenants with contentious and complex legal disputes.

 

Cost: £65 (concessionary rate for voluntary organizations £55).

To book please click here

 

Homelessness law: preventing homlessness, Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 9.30am - 12.00pm (registration from 9am).

 

This seminar will give an overview of local authorities' duties in relation to homlessness strategies, section 11 notices and prevention of homelessness.   It will provide delegates with the skills to recognise situations where homlessness can be avoided through pursuing legal remedies for those threatened with homelessness. Topics covered include:

The seminar will be of interest to those working with both homeless persons and those threatened with homelessness, both in the voluntary and public sector. The event will be led by Heather Mackay and Lindsay Paterson, solicitors at Govan and Govanhill Law Centres.  Both Heather and Lindsay are housing law practitioners with experience of advising and representing those threatened with homelessness with a number of complex legal issues.

 

Cost: £65 (concessionary rate for voluntary organizations £55).

NB: Those wishing to attend both Homelessness law: preventing homelessness and Homelessness law: decision making can take advantage of our special offer to attend both seminars with a 10% discount (subject to availability).

To book please click here

Homelessness law: Decision Making, Wednesday 18 May 2011, 1pm- 3.30pm (registration from 12.45pm).

This seminar aims to provide an in-depth discussion of the issues to be considered by local authorities when dealing with homelessness applications.  Topics covered include:

The seminar will be of interest to housing officers, homelessness case workers and others working with homeless persons and those threatened with homelessness, both in the voluntary and public sector.  The event will be led by Heather Mackay and Lindsay Paterson, solicitors at Govan and Govanhill Law Centres.  Both Heather and Lindsay are housing law practitioners with experience of advising and representing those threatened with homelessness with a number of complex legal issues.

 

Cost: £65 (concessionary rate for voluntary organizations £55).

NB: Those wishing to attend both Homelessness law: preventing homelessness and Homelessness law: decision making can take advantage of our special offer to attend both seminars with a 10% discount (subject to availability).

To book please click here

 

 

Forthcoming:

 

Tackling property factor disputes, date to be announced shortly, 9.30am - 12.30pm (registration from 9am).

 

Last year the Office of Fair Trading found that almost one third of Scottish homeowners were dissatisfied with their property factor. Of those homeowners who had complained to their property factor, around two-thirds were dissatisfied with the way their complaint was handled. This level of customer dissatisfaction is head and shoulders above any other industry or sector providing services or products to the public in Scotland.

 

This seminar will provide an overview of the relevant law, and explain how advisors can help clients caught up in complex factoring disputes.  The seminar will also include a discussion on the Scottish Government’s proposed voluntary accreditation scheme for property factors, and new legislation on this topic which is currently before the Scottish Parliament having past Stage 2 on 26 January 2011.

 

Speakers include Patricia Ferguson MSP and sponsor of the Property Factors (Scotland) Bill, and Mike Dailly, Principal Solicitor at Govan Law Centre.

 

Cost: £65 (concessionary rate for voluntary organizations £55).

 

 

If you want further details on any of our 2011 events please e-mail GLC on m@ govanlc.com

 

 

We are a two minute walk from the Govan subway (and bus station)

 


 

 

 

Past events in 2011

 

Disability Discrimination Claims in the Additional Support Needs Tribunals – full day national conference

Wednesday 9 February 2010, 9am to 3.30pm, Radisson Blu, Argyll Street, Glasgow

 

From 18 March 2011, certain disability discrimination claims will be heard by the Additional Support Needs Tribunals, rather than the Sheriff Court.  Govan Law Centre’s Education Law Unit are hosting a conference in Glasgow on this topic, with a line-up of prestigious speakers, including our keynote speaker, the Minister for Children and Young People, Adam Ingram MSP.  A full conference programme with booking details is available online here (opens as a PDF).