Who our trainers are
Our trainers are all experts in the welfare rights field.
They contribute to leading publications for the sector. Many work as senior advisers and consultants. All are highly experienced as trainers and advice workers -
Michael Chambers | Pat Gauge | Rachel Gillett | Daphne Hall | David Humphreys | Tamara Moreau | Andrew Poole | Essie Rashidschi | Jo Silcox | Amy Swinnerton | Rebecca Walker | Martin Williams | Debbie Witton
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Michael Chambers is a team manager at Hertfordshire County Council's Money Advice Unit where he has worked since 1992.
He is an experienced welfare rights and money advice trainer and has provided training for Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice Bureaux, SITRA, local authorities and a wide range of voluntary, statutory and charitable sector organisations.
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Pat Gauge has worked in welfare rights since 1986.
She has worked at Citizens Advice Bureaux as a bureau manager, session supervisor, guidance tutor and outreach benefits worker. She has experience as specialist welfare rights adviser to social work teams including representations to Tribunals and Commissioners.
Pat also served for 6 years as Pensions Trustee for CABx and as an Independent Person in Children Act complaints, appointed by VOICE. She has appeared in the media to discuss social policy work, and continues to work for changes to legislation adversely affecting vulnerable members of society.
Pat is currently a freelance tutor and member of Disability Appeal Tribunals and has been appointed to Employment Tribunals.
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Rachel Gillett has worked in the voluntary and community sector since 1990.
Her experience includes roles as a family support and advice worker, manager, training management consultant and freelance trainer. Her experience covers a wide range of services and client groups, including Citizens Advice, Advice UK, Adoption UK and many other smaller charities.
Rachel is also a member of the Institute for Learning.
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Daphne Hall has worked in welfare rights since 1990.
She is currently a part-time welfare rights adviser for Bristol City Council and also works as a freelance trainer, writer and consultant in welfare rights. She has previously worked both at Citizens Advice Bureaux, and within a psychiatric hospital.
She has been a freelance trainer for 15 years and trains for a number of organisations including LASA, CPAG, Shelter, and the MS Society. She is also the south-west representative on the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers.
She is a contributing author to both CPAG's Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook, and Disability Alliance's Disability Rights Handbook.
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David Humphreys has been a welfare rights adviser since 1993 and a Lasa trainer for the last 5 years.
He provides front line advice and representation, and supports and mentors front line workers in advice provision. He has been an adviser in both small independent advice centres and large local authority teams. He has provided training at basic and advanced level for volunteers, advisers, support workers, social work students and local authority teams.
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Tamara Moreau has been a welfare rights worker since 1990.
She is currently employed as Community Welfare Manager at Colchester Borough Council where she manages the Welfare Rights Service, Fuel Poverty Project, Child Poverty Project and has the lead on Older People.
Her previous experience includes managing a CAB service for people with mental health difficulties, legal casework, establishing and developing the Disability Rights Service in Colchester and writing and delivering an accredited training course for Community Links in East London, teaching people to be advice workers.
He currently works as Welfare Benefits Adviser, Tribunal Representative and Tutor for Birmingham Tribunal Unit (BTU).
He has previously worked in managerial roles at Kingstanding and Birmingham CABx and as a Research project Worker (Mental Health and Benefits). His training history also includes employment, debt, consumer, housing and interview skills.
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Essie Rashidschi has worked in welfare benefits law and training since 1990.
He worked in the Lasa appeals/advocacy team for 8 years and for 6 years was the project co-ordinator for the Specialist Support Service, where his duties included advising LSC contract holders, and representing clients at the appeal Tribunals and Upper tribunals. He also worked as the supervisor on complex cases for other members of staff.
Essie also works as freelance advisor and trainer for the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and is an author of CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits handbook.
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Jo Silcox has worked in welfare rights since 1986, including 18 years experience of delivering training on welfare benefits to a wide range of audiences.
She is currently a Welfare Rights Adviser at Hertfordshire County Council's Money Advice Unit and her previous employment includes LB Ealing, LB Newham and Liverpool's Disablement Resource Unit. She was a caseworker at the Free Representation Unit for 6 years and was chair of Harlow CAB for 3 years.
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Amy Swinnerton has worked as a freelance social security benefits trainer / consultant since 1998.
Her previous experience includes: Training Manager in a Local Authority Housing Benefit department; Manager of a local authority Welfare Rights Unit; and specialist social security case worker in a large legal aid firm of solicitors. Her work included benefits advice work; training; and preparing appeal cases - to Tribunals, Social Security Commissioners, and at Judicial Review.
She has worked and volunteered in various settings offering direct benefits advice including: a Community Mental Health Team and her local Citizen's Advice Bureau. Over the years she has volunteered with the Terrence Higgins Trust and Cruse Bereavement Care.
She has also been editor of ‘The Benefits Guide’ – a benefits handbook for homeless people.
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Rebecca Walker has worked in welfare rights since 1993
She is currently a welfare benefits caseworker at Pitsmoor Citizens Advice Bureau in Sheffield and she previously worked as a welfare rights worker and trainer at various organisations including the Terrence Higgins Trust, Refugee Outreach and Advice Partnership, and Lasa.
Rebecca is a contributing author of the Disability Rights Handbook, and has been since 1999, and is also a contributing author of CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits handbook.
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Martin Williams has worked in welfare rights since 1995.
He is currently a Welfare Rights Adviser and trainer for Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), and has previously worked for Lasa, Blackfriars Advice Centre and Southwark Welfare Rights Unit.
Martin regularly assists advisers and solicitors with appeals to the First-tier and Upper Tribunal in complex cases via the specialist support service in welfare benefits.
He is an author of CPAG's Housing Benefit and Council Tax Legislation, 22nd and 23rd Editions and CPAG's Child Support Handbook, 17th and 18th editions.
She is currently the service and training manager for Salford Welfare Rights Service and is a freelance trainer for Lasa and Disability Alliance. Debbie is a contributor to the Disability Rights Handbook.
