Our annual Homeless Health Conference, in partnership with the Brighton and Hove Frontline Network, took place on Thursday 16th June 2022, at the Clarendon Centre, Brighton. Thank you to all our speakers and delegates for making it a memorable event.
Click on the titles below to access the presentations.
- For more information about the day, check out our blog: Homeless Health Conference 2022.
- If you’d like to stay connected with any other events and news in the sector locally you can sign up to the Brighton & Hove Frontline Network mailing list, or Follow us on social media
Our next conference takes place on 18th October 2023, at IronWorks Brighton. Check out our dedicated conference page for full details
Photo by Liz Finlayson/Vervate for Arch Healthcare
Paranoia, Voices and Visions
Dr Tim Worthley (Clinical Lead, Arch Healthcare) gave an outline of some of the main symptoms of psychosis such as hallucinations and delusions, and introduced a framework for frontline workers to assess these.
Conversations that save lives
Agnes Munday (Head of Training, Grassroots) provided pointers for identifying clients at risk of suicide, ways of compassionate asking about suicide, and knowing what to do whatever the answer.
Drug and alcohol use
Dave MacNamara (Health Promotion Lead, CGL) talked about synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), benzodiazepines, referral and treatment pathways, as well as a brief section on alcohol and opioids.
Deteriorating health and palliative care
Caterina Speight (Clinical Services Manager & Nurse Lead, Homeless Health Inclusion Team) & Helen Lyons (Senior Staff Nurse, Martlets Hospice) introduced a training programme for support workers working in homelessness to gain better knowledge and confidence relating to end of life / palliative care.
Autism and sensory processing
Nimra Bandukwala (Brighton & Hove Frontline Network Project Worker, Justlife) gave an overview of autism and sensory processing. Through an interactive discussion and case studies, the delegates learnt strategies to support clients on the autism spectrum.
Stabilisation and grounding techniques
Dr Gabriel Schnitzer (Senior Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Homeless Team) provided an overview of commonly used techniques to reduce arousal and manage strong emotional states. This practical session was designed to equip attendees with skills and confidence to use these techniques with clients or patients.
If you have any questions, Dr Schnitzer can be contacted at [email protected].
What to consider when setting up co-production groups?
The Brighton & Hove Common Ambition Team shared their experiences and learnings of coming together as a team and co-production in this interactive session.
Safeguarding Adults
Katherine Taylor-Birnie (Safeguarding Adults Lead; Resources, Safeguarding & Performance, BHCC), presented the Local Authority perspectives on safeguarding, touching on the national picture, our duties under the Care Act, and how safeguarding operates locally.
3 things to empower your support of chronic medical conditions
Dr Tal Lewin (Arch Healthcare) talked about the most commonly seen chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, COPD, cardiovascular disease, and more acute conditions affecting people facing homelessness. Morbidity and mortality of chronic conditions is exponentially worse in the homeless population. The talk focused on early recognition, management and engagement to empower delegates to support clients and help prevent complications and deterioration.
Resources and links to accompany the talk are available here
