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Training Day 13th September 2008 – the Medical Justice Befriender Training and Supervision programme.
The purpose of the Befriender Training and Supervision programme ;
- Help befrienders offer the most effective support they can to vulnerable women detainees.
- Reduce befriender burn-out by giving guidance and support.
Photo above by Vish Vishvanath : Marcus Wooton (nurse), Dr Frank Arnold and others at the 13th September 2008 Training Day. 33 detainee befrienders booked up for the training day on Saturday 13th September from the following groups ;
- Yarl's Wood Befrienders
- Yarlswood Asylum Case work support group
- Yarl's Wood Asylum Case work support group
- Kings College medical students group
- Oxford University medical students group
- London No Borders
- SOAS Detainee Support Group
- Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group
- National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns
- Cameroon Support Network
- Oakington visitors group
- London Detainee Support group
Photo above by Vish Vishvanath : participants at the 13th Sept. 2008 Training Day The training was developed / delivered by ;
- Alex Goodman – barrister
- Professor Cornelius Katona - psychiatrist
- Marcus Wooton - nurse
- Dr. Dr Nick Lessof - Consultant Pediatrician, Homerton Hospital
- Dr. Fred Martineau - Pediatric Trainee, Royal London Hospital
- Dr Frank Arnold - surgeon
- Dr Miraim Beeks - GP
- Dr. Charmian Goldwyn – retired GP
- Dr Richard Bennett - GP
- Tarin Brockenshire – Medical Justice referrals co-ordinator
- Mafungasei Maikokera - ex Yarl's Wood detainee
- Emma Ginn - Medical Justice Co-ordinator
- Heather Jones - Yarl's Wood Befrienders
- Gill Butler - Yarl's Wood Befrienders
 Photo, left by Vish Vishvanath : participants exchange experiences during lunch at the 13th September 2008 Training Day. Feedback from participants included ;
“Quality of information, atmosphere, food, breadth of info.”
“Having comprehensive notes covering the basics plus the references to websites and further reading – a great resource ! I really enjoyed the day and the spread of subjects and expertise.”
“Excellent presentations all round."
“All extremely interesting, informative and helpful. Very much appreciated, too, the wonderful hospitality, giving chance for personal interactions and chats.”
“Information on practical support, assault and legal info.”
“Speakers – all of them. General welcome and friendliness. Food was excellent.
Having access to so many people with such expertise !”
“Sections on “what befrienders can do to help” – useful, practical info. Handbook for later referral. Other befrienders experiences”. See more feedback Next stages of the three-year programme The Befriender Training and Supervision programme is a three year project, kindly funded by Comic Relief to Yarl’s Wood Befrienders. The programme will include 40 befriends a year (120 in total). It is initially focused on Yarl's Wood Befrienders but is being opened up to other befrienders in other groups visiting women detainees.
There will be two Training Days and two Supervision Days a year for each of the tree years.
In addition, there will be on-going Supervision by means of email and phone access to Medical Justice individuals, and on-line “tool kits” on the Medical Justice website.
The first Supervision Day is planned for Saturday 22nd November 2008. The Supervision will consist of a group session and individual, one-to-one sessions with four “experts ;
- a psychiatrist
- a doctor
- a lawyer
- a visitor
The next Training Day is planned for Saturday 28th March 2009. Photo above : Prof Cornelius Katona, a member of the programme team. Training Day manualEveryone is welcome to download the manual developed for the first Training Day which covers the following topics ;
Legal process overview
Overview of the asylum determination process, fast-track, Non Suspensive Appeals, Judicial Reviews, and fresh claims.
Deterioration of health
Topics will include denial of medication and what can be done about it, how one knows when access to hospital is necessary and how to ensure it, conditions in hospital (including issues of privacy, confidentiality and handcuffing), and hunger-strikes including medical effects and what visitors’ advice is appropriate.
* Access to hospital
* Conditions in hospital
* Hunger-strikes Torture Survivors
What torture is, what scars to look for, how a medico-legal report may or may not help and advice to visitors on how most appropriately to ask detainees about torture.
Pregnancy
Including pregnancy complications, fitness to fly, and appropriate anti-malarials.
Gender-based Persecution
Including rape survivors, honor killing, female genital mutilation, domestic violence, what specialist groups are available for support, and advice on how a visitor can most appropriately ask detainees about gender based persecution.
* Rape Survivors
* Honour Killing
* Domestic Violence
Mental Health
Including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, sectioning, how mental health should be considered in asylum / human rights cases, medico-legal reports and visitor’s mental health assessment tools.
HIV
Including denial of medication in detention, denial of HIV testing and/or test results, children with HIV or with an HIV+ parent, and treatment available “back home”.
Children in detention
Including children’s health issues, who are the responsible authorities and for what, social services, child protection teams, unaccompanied minors and sources of help.
Trafficking
Including what trafficking is, who does / does not identify themselves as a trafficking victim, and what specialist groups exist for support.
Assaults
Including the what is “reasonable” force and circumstances surrounding its legitimate use, collating evidence of an assault, potential legal remedies, and reporting an assault to the Home Office, it’s contractors and the police.
Rule 35
Including what Rule 35 is, what the Home Office policy is and how to ensure its implementation.
Medical Justice referrals
The Medical Justice referrals process and how to make an effective referral.
Accessing support
Including access to support within Medical Justice, Medical Justice Supervision Sessions, and accessing outside specialist groups.
Anti Burn-Out Advice For further information, please contact Emma Ginn ;
Email :
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Tel : 07904 778365 |
