SCIE media releases 2006

SCIE leads on human rights conference

15 February 2006

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is leading a number of prestigious partners on a conference looking at the relationship between human rights and social well-being.

The 'Human rights: transforming services?' conference - taking place on 27 March - will look at how human rights principles have improved services since the introduction of the Human Rights Act in 1998. It will identify current problems in the provision of services and look at how human rights principles are being implemented.

The conference is supported by Doughty Street Chambers, The British Institute of Human Rights, Leigh Day and Co Solicitors and the Disability Rights Commission. It will include expert panel sessions that will look in detail at access to health, social care, education and justice. Speakers and panellists at the event will come from legal, political, academic and disability rights backgrounds.

Chair of SCIE and Disability Rights Commissioner, Jane Campbell, welcomes the opportunity for SCIE to lead a multi-disciplinary approach to human rights developments:

"The 1998 Human Rights Act brought high hopes for improved services which would lead to a better quality of life, but have these changes come to pass? The social care sector needs to work with others to question the barriers that could affect an individual's rights to access services. This conference will give us greater insight into where we're at and where we should be heading."

Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, Paul Bowen, who specialises in human rights law, is also looking forward to the conference:

"This conference will be an ideal arena to look at how access to services has developed since the introduction of the Human Rights Act, as well as how it can develop further from disability discrimination legislation, the European Union and other international instruments. Lawyers and academics will benefit from the stakeholder and service user perspective, and other organisations will gain a greater understanding of human rights litigation and law."

'Human rights: transforming services?' takes place on 27 March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.

To book a place visit www.profbriefings.co.uk/hrts2006

Media contact

Annie Goss | Communications Officer | T: 020 7089 7117 | Email: annie.goss@scie.org.uk