Training
Trainer biographies
Lasa's 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 is senior adviser at Hertfordshire County Council's Money Advice Unit where he has worked for the last 15 years.
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 and charitable sector organisations.
- Andrew Dutton entered advice work in 1986.
He has worked as a benefits and debt adviser at Longton Citizens Advice Bureau, Harlow Advice Centre and Hertfordshire County Council. He is now a freelance trainer, and since 2007 has contributed to the Disability Rights Handbook.
- Pat Gauge is a freelance tutor and member of Disability Appeal Tribunals.
She worked for 24 years In Citizens Advice Bureaux as a bureau manager, session supervisor, outreach benefits worker covering hospital patients/terminally ill clients/home visits, guidance tutor, and as specialist welfare rights adviser to social work teams including representations to tribunals/ and Commissioners.
Pat is a Pensions Trustee and acts as an Independent Person in Children Act complaints procedures. She has also appeared on TV, radio and in the press to discuss social policy work.
- Rachel Gillett is a freelance trainer and consultant and works with a range of charities, including Citizens Advice, Advice UK, Adoption UK, Age Concern and many other smaller charities.
She is based in Yorkshire, but works throughout the country. Rachel is an experienced advice worker and trainer and is also a member of the Institute for Learning.
- Daphne Hall has worked in welfare rights for many years and is currently a welfare rights adviser with Bristol City Council and a freelance trainer.
She is a contributor to Disability Alliance's Disability Rights Handbook and to Child Poverty Action Group’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.
- David Humphreys is currently employed as a part time welfare rights adviser and freelance trainer.
He provides front line advice and representation and supports and mentors front line workers in advice provision. He has been a welfare rights adviser for 16 years in small independent advice centres and large local authority teams. He has provided training at basic and advanced level for volunteers, advisers, social work students, local authority teams.
He is a fully qualified trainer and has particular expertise in communication skills. He has been a Lasa trainer for the last 3 years both writing and delivering training courses. His aim is to make training as accessible and enjoyable as possible.
- Essie Rashidschi has worked in welfare benefits law for 15 years, and has been delivering training courses for almost as long. He worked at Lasa from 2001-2009 in the appeals team and as project co-ordinator for the Specialist Support Service Advice Line for 7 years. He also supervised complex cases for other members of staff.
He is still closely involved with developing new courses for the training team, and is currently working 2 days a week for the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in the Citizen Rights Office. His main areas of work are staffing the Specialist Support Service advice line, writing articles for the Welfare Rights Bulletin, and assessing cases for possible and potential test cases.
- Amy Swinnerton has worked as a freelance social security benefits trainer / consultant for 8 years.
Her previous experience in the world of benefits includes: training officer in an Inner-London Housing Benefit department; manager of a local authority welfare rights unit; and specialist social security case worker in a large firm of solicitors.
- Rebecca Walker is currently a welfare benefits caseworker at Pitsmoor Citizens Advice Bureau in Sheffield.
She previously worked as a welfare rights adviser for Refugee Outreach and Advice Partnership and the Terrence Higgins Trust, and at Lasa. Rebecca contributes to the Disability Alliance’s Disability Rights Handbook.
- Debbie Witton has over 20 years' experience in welfare rights.
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.
