This important event is organised by The Legal Training Consultancy for the Wellbeing Work Alliance, which is a focal point in relation to all aspects of wellbeing for lawyers. We will be making a donation to LawCare for each delegate that attends.

This conference will be streamed live direct to your desktop . The price for this is £290 + VAT. This is a per organisation price, so as many of your colleagues as you want can participate at no extra charge, even if they are viewing it from a different location

Speakers include:

James Pereira QC, Francis Taylor Building, and The Libra Partnership
David McCahon, Global Head of Commercial, Innovation and Technology Legal, Barclays
Mary Peterson, Head of Talent and Learning, Addleshaw Goddard
Richard Martin, Director, Byrne Dean
Nick Bloy, Founder, Wellbeing Republic
Laura Devine, Managing Partner Laura Devine Immigration
Rob Stephenson, Founder Inside Out
Joanne Theodoulou, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Simply Business
Beth Hale, Partner CM Murray Solicitors
Professor Richard Collier, Newcastle University
Cathy Pitt, Partner and Wellbeing Ambassador, CMS
Dr Natalie Bodart, Clinical Psychologist, HCA
Susan Lamb, Shell International, leading the Care in Legal Programme for Shell Group Legal

Topics to be covered include:

Creating a strategy for wellbeing
Sustaining a Wellbeing Programme
What in practical terms implementing the Mindful Business Charter involves
Exploring the character traits of lawyers
A smaller firm case history
Mental ill-health and stigma
GC and Wellbeing - a roundtable discussion
Wellbeing for father/lawyers
Managing wellbeing and stress in the workplace
Identifying the first signs of stress, anxiety and breakdown
Returning to work. Putting strategies in place

This is streets ahead of an ordinary passive webinar experience with one or two speakers, which would get very tedious after an hour or two. We have 12 speakers. With this online conference, you will be able to participate with as many colleagues as you want - either live, or in segments (perhaps viewing it a session at a time over several days/weeks) or on an on-demand, recorded basis. You will be able to take part by video, audio or text, to answer or ask questions, participate in polls and discussions and network with other delegates during breaks, from your office or home.

We trialled the format at three online conferences in April to reassure ourselves that, as a concept it worked, and sitting in front of a screen for much of the day was not too big an ask for delegates. It worked wonderfully well, and was as far removed from the boring and dull old one hour webinar as it was possible to be. Comments we have received so far include: "My unvoiced fear that it would be as dull as webinars used to be when I was in practice was banished fairly quickly", " May I congratulate your imaginative programme and expert speakers, as well as the initiative itself. Superb. Thanks very much", "Thanks to organisers and presenters. A new type of conference for me and very informative and enjoyable." "Thanks for organising. Love the format, all the info and updates without the time or expense of travelling"

Our first groundbreaking Wellbeing for Lawyers conference was held on 17 September 2019 and was very well received, with delegates and speakers alike commenting very favourably, for example: 

“Thanks so much for organising the event today - I thoroughly enjoyed it.” AG (delegate)

“A great conference” RA (delegate) 

“Thank you again for putting on such a great conference yesterday.” (speaker) 

"Thank you for organising this wonderful event on wellbeing for lawyers.” JB (delegate) 

"It was a fantastic event. Thank you very much for asking me to take part.” (speaker)

On 25 June 2020 we will be holding the second such conference,  and this time we have moved on with regard to both speakers and topics. The "why" of wellbeing is well known and largely accepted across-the-board. This conference focuses on the "how" of wellbeing. How best to implement a wellbeing programme, to bring about cultural change and fee-earner buy-in, how to avoid the problems and pitfalls and how to sustain it.

Wellbeing is big and getting bigger. Which is not really surprising as it’s a "win-win" solution on so many different levels: in relation to employees work/life balance and stress management, through to attracting and retaining the best staff and improving productivity and profitability. Done with real commitment rather than as a half-hearted box-ticking lip-service exercise the potential is life and business changing

In the words of our chairman, James Pereira QC: “For years now report after report has identified stress and poor wellbeing as major factors afflicting the health of the legal profession. Yet there is a wide body of research across employment sectors demonstrating the link between employee wellbeing and productivity, growth and enhanced professional performance. When lawyers suffer, their clients suffer too. That is not an acceptable proposition in service industry that prides itself on exceptional performance. We know the problems. It is time to focus on solutions. I am pleased to be chairing a conference aimed at just that.”

Programme:

9.30 Opening Address: James Pereira QC, Francis Taylor Building, and The Libra Partnership

10.00 Creating a strategy for wellbeing - what organisations should be doing Richard Martin, Byrne Dean

10.25 Sustaining a Wellbeing Programme, Moving beyond the first year of the Programme - Year 2 is all about Culture and Behaviours - What have Barclays done? - Tone and message from the top - Line Managers commitments - How is it going? David McCahon, Barclays

10.50 Coffee

11.05 What in practical terms implementing the Mindful Business Charter has meant to Addleshaw Goddard and what specific initiatives have flowed from it? Mary Peterson, Addleshaw Goddard

11.30 Exploring the character traits of lawyers (pessimism, perfectionism, busyness) that predispose them to mental ill-health. Practical tips to takeaway to help you embed positive change in your organisation Nick Bloy, Wellbeing Republic

12.15 A smaller firm case history: how Wellbeing has been embraced and applied Laura Devine, Laura Devine Immigration 

12.45 Questions on Morning Session

1.00 LUNCH During the Lunch Break, Manu Kanwar of Lex Solutions will be presenting two mindfulness workshop sessions on:

- Stepping back. This is a general session and introduction to mindfulness.

- Gratitude, new perspectives. The benefits of practising gratitude, and ways in which to do it.

1.50  GC Roundtable Discussion: Leading and Managing in a Crisis – the positive impact of culture, behaviours, relationships and purpose on wellbeing David McCahon, Barclays , Joanne Theodoulou, Simply Business and Susan Lamb, Shell

2.15 Wellbeing for father/lawyers - getting the work life balance right Professor Richard Collier, Newcastle University

2.45 Mental ill-health and stigma. Why and how we must eradicate it, Rob Stephenson, Inside Out

3.15 Fireside Chat: Rob Stephenson will interview Cathy Pitt, Partner at CMS and InsideOut LeaderBoard Role Model, about her mental health journey

3.30 Tea

3.45 Managing wellbeing and stress in the workplace. Practical and legal issues Beth Hale, CM Murray Solicitors

4.10 Identifying the first signs of stress, anxiety and breakdown. A managers' guide Dr Natalie Bodart, Clinical Psychologist, HCA

4.35 Panel Session Returning to work. Putting strategies in place

5.00 Questions on Afternoon Session and Closing Remarks

Terms of booking

1. Payment of delegate fees for attendance is required before the date of the conference, otherwise attendance may be refused

2. Replacement delegates are permitted at any time but if they are too close to the conference date, the change may not be reflected in the list of delegates

3. Delegates wishing to switch from attendance at the conference to viewing the conference live on-line must give one week's notice

4. We operate a no cancellation policy. The only exception is in relation to demonstrable ill-health on the day of the conference. Notwithstanding this we may, at our discretion, offer a credit for the whole or part of the delegate fee paid to be used either towards the costs of a future conference or other event or in-house training