Top award for dementia legal advice team

A WARRINGTON team behind a free dementia legal advice service has won a major award for its work.
Consultant Admiral Nurse Kathryn Penrith was named Dementia Carer of the Year at the Great British Care Awards North West.
The recognition comes for her team’s project, Dementia Law Clinic, which offers free legal advice to the family and friends of people with dementia.
The clinic, which currently operates from the central Warrington headquarters of adult social and healthcare charity Making Space, is the first free legal advice clinic in the country to offer three services: legal advice, Admiral Nursing and communication/activity support for families living with dementia.
Kathryn, alongside colleagues Rachel Yates and Micheal McLaughlin, set up the clinic in July to advise on the many complex issues that can arise when caring for someone with dementia, including care home disputes and powers of attorney.
Once the pilot project in Warrington is completed, Making Space hopes to offer a one-of-a-kind technology-supported legal advice surgery for families living with dementia across a wider area.
Kathryn said: “The clinic is already making a real difference to local families who don’t know where to turn. What we have found is that families require additional psychological and practical support as well as the legal advice and this is why we offer several components delivered by skilled professionals in those areas.
“This is where we really differ from other sources of legal advice relating to dementia care. Through the Dementia Space team, in partnership with the University of Manchester, we are a comprehensive advice package.
“Caring can be a full-time responsibility, so we are flexible in our attempts to meet families needs. Technology supports us to do this both face-to-face and from a distance”.
Enquiries about the Dementia Law Clinic can be made to Kathryn Penrith at [email protected]  or  [email protected] on 0161 275 7976