We’re delighted to invite you to our upcoming conference.
On Thursday 16 March we will be welcoming guests and colleagues to our very first claimant conference:
A Rehabilitation Roadmap – a day that we think you will find interesting, insightful and enjoyable.
The conference follows in the footsteps of our renowned annual Mental Capacity Act 2005 Conference and is aimed at those who work with or help patients who have suffered serious and life changing injuries.
The content from our esteemed speaker line-up delves into the work including NHS treatment and rehabilitation, private inpatient rehabilitation, private case management and rehabilitation in the community. We also take a look into the work of those acting as experts in litigation.
The outcome will be to better understand how your work and the work of others, relates to the litigation journey that your clients are on, and how their rehabilitation interacts with, and informs the litigation process.
The conference will be a great opportunity to take a day out of your busy schedule to learn from the very best minds in the sector and of course, network with your peers.
Tickets are £50 per person, however we are offering a reduced rate for NHS employees and Local Authorities, and charity employees are able to attend free of charge.
If you are an NHS employee, Local Authority or charity:
Then click the button below to make your booking:
Conference Agenda
08:30 – 09:30
Registration & Refreshments
Morning:
09:30 – 09:45
John McQuater, Director and Joint Head of Personal Injury, Switalskis Solicitors
Welcome address by Compère
09:45 – 10:35
Cathy Johnson, Expert Witness and Brain Injury Consultant, Rehab without Walls
Cross over between NHS/statutory and private services, and how to maximise and mix both
10:35 – 11:25
Vicki Gilman, Managing Director, Social Return Case Management Ltd
Painting the picture: Gathering and presenting meaningful evidence across a Multi-Disciplinary Team
11:25 – 11:40
Comfort break
11:40 – 12:30
Dr Ruth Kent, Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Neurological Rehabilitation at Mid Yorks NHS trust and University of Leeds
Understanding the lives of patients in a minimally conscious state and considering a return to a home setting
12:30 – 13:00
Nigel Limb
Blind Bloke Racer
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
Afternoon:
14:00 – 14:30
Will Waldron KC, Exchange Chambers
The role of interim payments during rehabilitation and how evidence from case managers and therapists can help
14:30 – 15:10
Dr David Todd, Registered Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Reconnect Psychology
Supporting the family and vicarious trauma in family members, carers and other professionals
15:10 – 15:35
Closing address
15:35 - 16:00
Networking
Speakers Biographies
John McQuater, Director and Joint Head of Personal Injury, Switalskis Solicitors
John is a highly regarded solicitor specialising in clinical negligence, fatalities, and brain injury cases, and is accredited by APIL in each of the fields. He is one of only 11 practitioners to hold accredited status with APIL as Senior Fellow and serves as APIL President. John is an accomplished author and provides extensive training for personal injury lawyers in all UK jurisdictions.
His caseload consists of substantial multi-track cases, with all the complexities these involve, and which require the application of his extensive knowledge of procedure and the law and his skills as a solicitor-advocate. John is well known for his willingness to take on the more challenging cases, often where causation or liability is in issue and works tirelessly to secure the client the best possible outcome.
Cathy Johnson, Expert Witness and Brain Injury Consultant, Rehab without Walls
Cathy qualified in social work in 1975 and worked with people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. From 1984 she ran the Social Work Department in the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, became Secretary of Headway (West of Scotland), and elected to the National Management Committee. Cathy helped found HITS ( Head Injuries Trust for Scotland), and managed social workers in the Scottish Epilepsy Association and the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.
In 1990 Cathy developed the ScotCare Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Lanarkshire. She became Unit Director of the Kemsley Unit at St Andrews Hospital, Northampton in 1992.
In November 1995, Cathy set up Rehab Without Walls. She is a founder member, fellow and former chair of the British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers (2007 – 2010).
Vicki Gilman, Managing Director, Social Return Case Management Ltd
BABICM Advanced Case Manager
MSc in Neurorehabilitation
BABICM Chair
Vicki qualified in 1988 as a physiotherapist. Her early career was shaped by working in a military hospital, which sparked a long-term interest in brain injury and clinical complexity, effective team working and creative approaches to rehabilitation. She set up 3 community rehabilitation teams in the NHS and independent sector and was an expert witness in catastrophic injury cases for over 20 years.
Vicki now leads Social Return Case Management where she seeks to recruit and develop outstanding people to build a collaborative team where 2-way knowledge sharing is firmly embedded with effective and meaningful services, a well-developed attention to detail and sustainability of outcomes for clients.
Dr Ruth Kent, Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Neurological Rehabilitation at Mid Yorks NHS trust and University of Leeds
Dr Kent is a Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation Medicine at Pinderfields District Hospital, (special interest Neurological Rehabilitation), Academic Department of Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Medicine - the University of Leeds, and was lead for Neuro Rehabilitation at Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust. She also provides clinical input into the Southwest Yorkshire Mental Health trust through input into the Kendray Barnsley Rehabilitation Unit, and also works with the Learning Disability Psychiatry and Therapy Team. She trained Newcastle within the Regional Rehabilitation Service at Hunters Moor (now Walkergate) and Regional Spinal Injuries service, under Prof Michael Barnes, and the department of Neurology at the RVI Newcastle, and was seconded to Paediatric Neurology departments at RVI and NGH Newcastle.
Ruth Looks after patients across their clinical journey, both with acquired injuries, and with longer term degenerative condition, including those with genetic and congenital conditions. She works in inpatient rehabilitation of head injuries and other acute neurological conditions and also stroke care. She provides outpatient neurological rehabilitation care and symptom management, including pain and spasticity care to those long-term conditions. She was Clinical Lead For Adult Cerebral Palsy Guidelines for Cerebral Palsy and has regional interest in young adults with neurological disability (receiving direct referrals from paediatric services at age 16), including the learning disability epilepsy service. She supports community-based rehabilitation teams and also the Long Covid MDT. She provides consultant in reach to specialist services for individuals with congenital conditions at the Hollybank Trust, and Liveability in Wakefield
She teaches at the University of Leeds and has a record of accomplishment of funded research into spasticity, epilepsy and work, and systematic review of orthotic management, receiving funds from the Stroke Association and Northern Region Research and Development Fund. She has the PGCLTSHE teaching qualification and was formerly Programme Director and RSA for Rehabilitation Medicine in Yorkshire. She specialist training committee for Stroke at the JCHMT /RCP and was involved in designing the curricular for Rehabilitation Medicine and Stroke Medicine.
She has an interest in medical ethics has been on the local research ethics committee and advise the Trust and local PCTs on the aspects of safeguarding, ethics and service development. For many years she was British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine Executive and for a number of years was chair of the Education Committee and subsequently. Hon Secretary. She spent five years as Head of Clinical Services for Neurosciences at the Mid Yorkshire NHS hospital trust.
Nigel Limb
57 year old Nigel suffered a major brain injury seven years ago, following a motorbike accident. After waking from a coma, Nigel was diagnosed with Bilateral Purtscher's Retinopathy, as well as other lasting symptoms caused by his brain injuries. Despite his disabilities, Nigel undertakes various 2 and 4 wheel motor racing challenges.
In 2021, riding his Triumph Bonneville, he set the UK speed record for ‘Unassisted Partially Blind Rider’, from a standing start over a 1/8 th mile dragstrip. In 2022, he set another record for ‘Unassisted Partially Blind Rider’, from a standing start over a 1/8 the mile, this time on an electric bike.
Will Waldron KC, Exchange Chambers
Will handles catastrophic injury claims of complexity. He has particular expertise in brain, spine and amputee cases. With a comprehensive mastery of his practice areas, Will is calm and measured and considered extremely “client friendly”.
A nationally recognised speaker on all aspects of catastrophic injury claims and a regular contributor to legal journals, he is a Recorder of the Crown and County Courts and, until 2021, a Judge of the Mental Health Tribunal Restricted Panel.
Recent cases have involved recovery of the equivalent of £7.1 million (brain injury with severe physical disability) and £14 million (tetraplegia and brain injury).’
Dr David Todd, Registered Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Reconnect Psychology
Dr David Todd is a Clinical Neuropsychologist working with people after acquired brain injury, supporting rehabilitation in post-acute, community and residential settings. He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Lancaster University in 2008, and has worked within the NHS and third sectors, before joining Reconnect Psychology in 2012.
He has received a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology from Glasgow University. Dave contributed a chapter on ‘Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) after Brain Injury’ (2020) and edited ‘Narrative approaches to brain injury’ published by Karnac Books in 2014. He teaches on the Doctorate programme in Clinical Psychology at Leeds University.
The venue
The Principal York is situated just steps away from the train station. There is also onsite parking available, at a charge.
For more information, please go to the Principal York website.