Oakwood Solicitors
Oakwood Solicitors is a full service law Firm providing Legal Services to individual and business clients throughout Leeds and nationwide. Our Wills & Probate department provide specialist advice to elderly and vulnerable clients
- Updated:
- 5 August 2019
- Location:
- Yorkshire and Humber
- Sectors:
- Legal
- Local Alliances:
- Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Action Alliance, Leeds Dementia Action Alliance, Wakefield and Five Towns Dementia Action Alliance, Harrogate and Rural District Dementia Action Alliance
1. Action Plan
1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?
At Oakwood Solicitors we provide Legal Services to clients in Leeds and throughout England and Wales. We meet with clients living with dementia and provide support to clients, their families and carers. We provide a comfortable and welcoming office environment for clients however free local home visits are offered to clients living with dementia if required.
Our Wills and Probate department specialise in providing advice to elderly and vulnerable clients including Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection, Probate and Trusts.
Our Solicitors in the Wills and Probate Department are members of Solicitors for the Elderly and one of our Solicitors is a Dementia Friends Champion.
Oakwood Solicitors work alongside local neighbourhood networks and charities providing advice and support to members and their families
2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?
Training - ensuring all staff members have an understanding of what dementia is and how we, through our provision of legal services, can enhance the lives of people living with dementia.
Support - Proving practical solutions for people living wiht dementia, their families and carers by discussing Lasting Powers of Attorney, Wills and Advance Decisions and encouraging clients to make their own choices as to whom will assist them should they become unable to make certain decisions in the future.
Forward Planning - encouraging clients to make a Will, Lasting Power of Attorney so their wishes are carried out
Simplification of legal terminology - ensuring our clients who are living with dementia, their families and their carers can understand all the legal terms used by using plain English. this enables our clients to make informed decisions about matters affecting their lives. This includes ensuring that and complex legal documents such as the Lasting Power of Attorney itself is fully explained so clients can understand.
Member website
www.oakwoodsolicitors.co.uk2. Actions
-
Staff Training
Staff members will become Dementia Friends to gain a basic understanding of living with Dementia.
Dementia Friends training provided to 17 staff members on both 21/02/19 & 22/05/19 by both internal and external Dementia Friends Champions
- Status:
- Completed
-
Simplification of documents
Many of our standard documents are quite indepth but we are working to prepare information leaflets which are in plain English to aid understanding.
- Status:
- Delivered
-
Community Support
Supporting community groups - local neighbourhood networks, charitable organisations by providing presentations on various areas which affect and can assist those living with dementia, their carers, families and local businesses.
- Status:
- Completed
2019 - Second Quarter Update
Dementia Awareness Week 2019 - attendance with Home Instead & The Alzheimer's Society Memory Support workers in Wetherby to promoting forward planning in the form of Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Offering support to the staff and volunteers at the local neighbourhood networks and offering discounted fees for their clients. This is ongoing support throughout the year.