26 April, 2011

LIVERPOOL, 11 MAY 2011

We are pleased to send you details of the final sessions of our Hot Topics Conference in Liverpool on 11 May, 'Funding' and 'Question Time'.

If you haven't already registered, register now at March's early bird rate of £75 + VAT. This offer is available until 5pm on Thursday 28th April.

The session on Funding the NHS will take place from 2.00pm to 3.00pm.

Annette Dale-Perera will consider how services are being affectedby the changes in the NHS proposed by the coalition government and how this will impact on service users and prevalence and patterns of drug use. She will talk about the challenges services will face and how they may be redesigned for the future.

Annette has worked in the substance misuse field for over 20 years and has authored or managed the development of over 100 research and policy publications on drug related topics. She is Strategic Director of Addiction and Offender Care for the Central and North West London (CNWL) Mental Health Foundation Trust. From 2001 until 2009 she was Director of Quality at the National Treatment Agency (NTA) and was a central figure in developing improved access to and quality of effective drug treatment in England. Prior to this, Annette was Director of Policy at the national drugs umbrella charity DrugScope (previously SCODA) for six years; a research fellow at the Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour (Imperial College) for six years; a co-ordinator of a community detoxification service and a practitioner in adolescent and drug residential rehabilitation units for six years.

Professor Tom Cannon is Professor of Strategic Development at the University of Liverpool. His career is unusual in embracing the public and private sectors, academe and new ventures. He has held senior academic appointments in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, management roles in FCMGs and directorships in UK companies, besides starting his own business on Merseyside. Earlier in his career, he was Director of Manchester Business School (MBS). On leaving Manchester, Tom was Chief Executive of the UK government’s Management Charter Initiative. He was the Mercer's School Memorial Professor of Commerce at Gresham College, London, a prestigious position in the City of London dating back 400 years. He has worked with such blue chip firms in Britain, Europe and the USA, besides a host of small and medium sized firms.

Tom has undertaken an extensive programme of work on the dynamics of entrepreneurship, especially in challenging environments. In the past this led to his Chairmanship the Cabinet Office study of a New Vision for Business. Subsequently he completed a major study of Leadership and Management in a Changing World for the government. He has strong links with government and the NHS, speaking several times at NICE events on leadership and development.

He contributes to all areas of the media. This includes his books, The Ultimate Book of Business Breakthroughs published by Capstone, Welcome to the Revolution for Pitman Publishing, the best selling Guinness Book of Business Records, How To Get Ahead in Business for Virgin Publishing and twenty other books, besides almost a hundred academic (23 in the top category A journals) and professional papers. He has written regularly as a columnist in The Guardian and has appeared in broadcasts on TV and radio, as well as writing for fifteen national and international newspapers and magazines.

In Dealing with Adversity, Tom will consider, in both a practical and challenging way:

• Tackling the challenges of different economic environments
• Tackling adversity
• Sustaining belief and morale in the face of change
• The nature and role of leadership in changing conditions
• The entrepreneur's approach to the opportunities created by change
• Blending the personal and the learned to gain maximum value
• Building a leading team

He will provide examples and models from a range of firms and organisation as well as creating situations in which participants can apply these lessons and their own insights.

At 3.15 the final session will be Question Time. Our panel consists of Professor John Davies, Damon Barrett of Harm Reduction International, Niamh Eastwood from Release, Mat Southwell from the Gold Standard Team and INPUD and Erin O'Mara of Black Poppy magazine.

If you would like to ask a question, please send it to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .