At Handa, we draw upon our huge experience in
training, assessment and independent advocacy services
to provide a range of accredited and non-accredited
training courses for organisations and individual learners
Handa Training & Development Ltd is a company created by experts in the field of training and assessing independent advocates. Howard Swinfield-Wells and Andy Perrey have more than 30 years’ experience between them in supporting advocates through the national independent advocacy qualification at Levels 2, 3 and 4.
They have worked with over a hundred advocacy services and enabled well over a thousand advocates to become qualified independent advocates. Howard and Andy have a reputation throughout England and Wales for providing informative stimulating training courses, and excellent workplace assessment support.
Handa have become one of the largest national training providers for independent advocates in the U.K.
Understanding the value of independent advocacy in the social care sector is key to their values and beliefs. This is borne out by many years’ experience as advocates and a provider of the only nationally recognised independent advocacy qualification.
Their extensive knowledge of the role was utilised by City & Guilds when they worked closely with the awarding organisation in the redesign of the latest level 4 version of the independent advocacy qualification. We know this qualification well as we helped design it!
Handa has invested in a modern, user-friendly Learner Management System. No more watching videos in a vacuum, every learner will be empowered with a world-class online course experience. The system is accessed directly from our website through a learner login, and the courses contain a range of engaging assessment methods. We haven’t forgotten the human touch as well, with qualifications being assessed through a mix of online tasks and easy assessor interaction.
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About us
Our aim at Handa is to provide innovative, engaging, and affordable training options for the health and social care sector in England and Wales. We are trainers and assessors with decades of experience in the fields of:
- Mental Health
- Independent Advocacy
- Health & Social Care
- Safeguarding
- Mental Capacity
- Education
- Training & Development
- Management Support
- Assessment & Quality Assurance
- Human Resources
- Law
- Health & Safety
Howard Swinfield-Wells
Howard has over 35 years’ professional experience spanning law, advocacy, social care, training and assessment.
He qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and remains on the Roll of Solicitors as a non-practising solicitor. During his legal career, Howard headed litigation departments, became a partner in legal practice and served for several years as a Deputy HM Coroner. He conducted and supervised litigation on behalf of clients in the Higher Courts and Tribunals, including cases involving discrimination, mental health and mental capacity issues. This extensive legal background continues to inform his work in advocacy, professional training and assessment.
Howard is a Director and co-owner of Handa Training & Development Ltd and is Course Tutor, Assessor and Lead Internal Quality Assurer for its City & Guilds Approved Centre. He was also involved as a co-author of the latest version of the Level 4 Independent Advocacy Practice qualification, bringing his extensive experience of advocacy practice, training and assessment to the development of the qualification.
Over the past 16 years, Howard has worked with thousands of learners and candidates from more than 100 organisations across the public, private and third sectors. His wider experience includes working as an Internal Quality Assurer within Further Education, where he helped to support a team of around 50 tutors delivering 36 different qualifications. In addition to his legal and advocacy background, Howard holds professional qualifications in Human Resource Management and Health & Safety.
Howard also leads the delivery and assessment of Handa’s popular City & Guilds Professional Recognition Awards at Levels 4–7. Through these Awards, he has supported experienced leaders and managers in the UK and internationally to gain formal recognition for their professional achievements across twelve different specialist areas.
Bringing together his background in law, advocacy, leadership, assessment and quality assurance, Howard has a particular ability to translate complex legal and professional requirements into practical, accessible learning and assessment for people working in a wide range of roles and sectors.
Andy Perrey
Andy has over 25 years’ experience as an innovative and engaging Training Manager. He has run and managed a successful City & Guilds approved centre for many years and has acquired a nationally recognised reputation for delivering stimulating and informative training courses in independent advocacy. Andy is a qualified Internal Quality Assurer and has a particular expertise in the field of health and social care and management support services. Andy also has been a successful trainer and recruitment expert for two ‘blue-chip’ companies employing thousands of staff.
Rachel Hill
Rachel is a highly experienced and knowledgeable independent advocacy professional. She has over 17 years’ experience working in independent advocacy, which included several years managing independent advocacy services. Rachel is a fully qualified independent advocate, advocacy manager and assessor. Her important role as part of the Level 4 qualification team includes carrying out case reviews and observations of our many learners.
Lin Zhang
Lin is an important part of the Level 4 qualification team, carrying out case reviews and remote observations of learners. She is a qualified Independent Advocate and Assessor with experience across all the main strands of statutory advocacy. Her qualifications include a Master of Science in Psychology in Education. She has also been involved in important research projects regarding the mental health of children and young people. Graduate member of the British Psychological Society.