Tuesday 28th February 2023 – 4:00pm-5:00pm
Hybrid event – in-person at Law Society House, Belfast, and remote via Microsoft Teams
Register here
FREE
About the Event
Welcome to our February Employers Lawyers Group NI (ELG NI) Event where we will have a panel discussion on ‘Reasonable Adjustments/Capacity issues’ within an Employment context.
You have the option to attend in person at Law Society House Belfast -Tribunal Room (tickets limited) or join us online via Microsoft Teams.
For those attending in person tea/coffee and refreshments will be available after the meeting at 5pm.
Please indicate which ticket type you prefer when choosing your ticket. The online video link will be emailed to you before the meeting if you chose to attend this way.
This will be a panel discussion and the three panelists are Dr Victoria Bratten, Jenny Humphreys and Emma McIlveen.
About the Speakers
Dr Victoria Bratten
Dr Victoria Bratten is a Senior Specialist Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychologist. She specialises in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, trauma and attachment, Specific Learning Difficulties and associated Mental Health Conditions). Her specialist age group is from the ages of 0-25 years. However, part of her training the “educational” aspect allows her skills to be applied to Adults. She is currently employed as a Senior Specialist Psychologist with Sensations Learning Support.
She has an undergraduate Applied Psychology degree (BSc Hons) from the University of Ulster (2004), Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from Stranmillis University College (2005), Doctor of Philosophy (2008) from the University of Ulster and a Doctorate in Developmental, Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology (DECAP).
She has previous experience as an Employee of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Therapeutic Support Services (TSS) supporting children, families, and professionals involved with children who are Looked After and within their Child and Adolescent Autism Assessment Service. She also has experience in Child Health Psychology and in Children and Young People’s Learning Disability Services. Regarding her work with adults for the past 10 years she has conducted Cognitive /Educational assessments across all age groups including identifying Specific Learning Difficulties and Generalised Learning Difficulties. She also previously worked for the NI Prison Service (HMP Maghaberry).
Throughout her career she has been involved in supporting individuals with neurodiversity. She has lectured across Further Education Colleges, the University of Ulster and Queen’s University Belfast. She assesses for academic access arrangements and reasonable adjustments across all educational environments. She also assesses for those in employment and how best employers can meet the client’s neurodiversity. Her role as an expert witness has been to advise courts on a client’s capacity, how behaviour can be understood in the context of their neurodevelopment profile, how adjustments can be made to accommodate the client neurodiversity and also in educating Jurys as to what it means to have neurodiversity.
Jenny Humphreys
Jenny Humphreys is a Speech & Language Therapist (BSc Hons RCSLT HCP) graduated from Speech & Language Pathology in 2004. After working for 12 years in the NHS, she qualified as a Registered Intermediary in 2016.
As a Speech and Language Therapist, she worked with adult and paediatric caseloads across a variety of settings including hospital, community, domiciliary and special schools. She specialised in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders, and laterally managed adults with swallowing disorders i.e., dysphagia. She has also worked in a private capacity with neurological and voice disorders.
As an Intermediary she has almost 7 years’ experience in assessing adults and children with communication difficulties within the Criminal Justice System. The role includes facilitating communication at the investigative stages and at court to enable children and vulnerable adults’ access to a fair trial and to assist them in giving evidence in a clear, complete, and coherent manner.
She routinely provides training to the PSNI, PPS and NHS on the RI role and she has recently co-authored a journal for the International Journal of Communication Disorders. She is a Facilitator and Mentor for the Peer Group Support Network and in 2023 agreed to become a guest lecturer at the University of Limerick, on their Intermediary training course.
Emma McIlveen
Emma is a specialist employment disputes barrister, providing strategic advisory and advocacy services to respondents and claimants.
Questions
At the end of the meeting, we will host a Q&A session, where the panelists will take questions from attendees. We would welcome questions in advance. Please email any questions by midday on 27th February to employmentlawyersgroupni@gmail.com