PPN NW Newsletter

Thursday 10th July 2025

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Psychological Professions Network North West newsletter. We aim to bring you the latest updates about our work to join up psychological professionals, associated stakeholders, carers and experts by experience in the region. 

Local news from across the North West 

Some highlights from across the North West footprint around mental health provision: 

New animation raises awareness of mental health support for young people in Liverpool 

A new animation has been launched to help young people in Liverpool understand what mental health support is available and how to access it. 

Developed collaboratively with members of Liverpool's Children and Young People's Mental Health Support Partnership and Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust, the animation responds to feedback from young people aged 16 to 25 , who often feel unaware of the support services available or confused about how to access help when needed. 

You can find out more about the project here and watch the animation here.  

New research alliance aims to prevent and minimise the long-term impact of childhood trauma 

A new research alliance has launched in Liverpool City Region to help prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and better support people who have been impacted by them. 

The Liverpool City Region (LCR) ACEs Research Alliance has been set up by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC), which is a partnership of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Liverpool. It follows recent studies which found 49.9% of adults in Merseyside have experienced ACE.  

You can find out more here.  

GMMH colleagues contribute to ground-breaking new book: Communication Interventions with Deaf People 

We’re proud to share that two of our Speech and Language Therapists at the John Denmark Unit, Kim Williams and Lindsey Gagan, have contributed to a new publication: Communication Interventions with Deaf People.  

This is a fantastic achievement, not only because the new book adds valuable insight to the limited body of work that exists on communication interventions for this population, but also because it highlights the expertise we have right here at GMMH. 

Communication Interventions with Deaf People will be published at the start of July.  

Reuse360 Hub – hub to enable professionals to access household items for those who need it 

The Reuse Hub, led by Lancashire County Council (LCC), is a project that takes donated reusable furniture and household items and gives them to families and individuals in the area who need them. 

The project takes items from their recycling centres including items such as bedding, towels and children's clothes, stainless steel pots and pans, crockery, furniture and rugs. 

LCC then work with Lancashire social care teams to rehome the items with the people in need across the county. 

It is a resource for professionals to access free household items for individuals and families in need in Lancashire. 

With an account you will be able to view and request furniture, textiles and household goods for the people that you support. The Hub promotes a circular economy by delivering sustainability and affordability to Lancashire through reuse. 

The hub can be accessed here.

10 Year Health Plan an ‘exciting opportunity’ to build on NHS innovation in the North West 

The 10 year Health Plan has been published, you can find this here. 

Ahead of its publication NHS England North West posted details of NHS organisations already working with wider partners to deliver initiatives to transform services and patient experience.  

The ongoing projects around mental health are summarised below:  

• Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust uses immersive virtual reality (VR) technology to transform the lives of patients with mental health difficulties. The gameChange VR therapy, which presents virtual versions of everyday situations, aims to help people aged 16+ with psychosis and agoraphobia to feel less anxious about going out. More than 40 people have been treated so far and reported outcomes have included increases in confidence, greater ability to leave the house alone, enjoying walking in the park, able to go shopping alone and less afraid or worried that others may be out to harm them. 
   

• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has introduced a range of integrated services and initiatives that support patients in their own home, working with partners such as local authorities and GPs, as well as the voluntary sector. The trust’s 24/7 Intensive Home Support Service team responded to more than 10,000 urgent community responses during 2024/5, providing swift, home-based assessments and wrap around care, including interventions that would otherwise be provided in an inpatient setting, helping to prevent unnecessary admissions. 
   

• Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Mental Health Support Teams in schools have released new interactive workbooks designed to help young people, parents and education staff learn new ways to improve their mental health and wellbeing. The workbooks are available for download on Mersey Care’s website and can be used by any school across the region. 

Full details can be found here.

WDES & WRES now available 

South Asian Heritage month starts next week!  

South Asian Heritage Month is an annual event held from July 18th to August 17th in the UK, celebrating the diverse cultures, histories, and communities of South Asia. 

South Asian culture has made a significant impact on Britain in various aspects. It’s a beautiful display of the rich and proud South Asian heritage that has blended into the British way of life, contributing to the diversity of our nation. Observing South Asian Heritage Month provides us with an excellent chance to embrace and celebrate the history and identity of British South Asians.  

This year’s theme is ‘Roots to Routes’ which is about honouring each unique story that has been shaped by our roots and the routes travelled to get to where we are.  

You can find more about this and how to get involved here. 

Childhood trauma, adolescent risk behaviours and cardiovascular health indices 

A new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry reveals that childhood trauma significantly increases the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours, including harmful alcohol consumption, smoking and illicit drug use, by the age of 18. The research is led by the University of Bath and the University of São Paulo. 

You can access the full paper here. 

PPN workforce event  

North Workforce Network - Psychological Professions Workforce Focus 
17th July 2025 12:00 - 13:30 - Online Event 

In this session, members of both the North East and Yorkshire and the North West region Psychological Professions Networks will be sharing innovations and developments which they believe can contribute to strengthening current and future workforce development for the psychological professions. Their work also provides an opportunity to consider how psychological professionals can contribute to workforce challenges and support new ways of working. 

You can sign up to the event here.

Free upcoming BPS events  

Machine Learning Applications in Psychology Using Large Datasets 
24th July 2025 11:00 - 12:00 - Online Event 

Each speaker will deliver a concise 15-minute talk on how machine learning techniques can be applied to large datasets in psychology. Following the presentations, there will be an interactive Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers.  

You can register here.

Supporting interaction and wellbeing with participatory music activities - Experiences from Family Sound Hammock in social services 
18th September 2025 19:00 - 20:00 - Online Event 

This session focuses on the potential of a musico-pedagogical environment, participatory music activities, in supporting the wellbeing of families living in demanding life situations. 

It introduces a research project Family Sound Hammock, a three-year research and development project that took place in the metropolitan area of Finland from 2020 to 2023. 

The project aimed to systematically support the well-being of families, especially by strengthening their capacities for interaction in and through music education activities. 

You can register here.

Senior PWP vacancy at Lancashire Women – closes soon! 

Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Preston working with Young People 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Consultant Clinical Psychologist to work within the SCAYT+ team (Supporting Carers & Young People Together team), on a one-year maternity cover contract.  SCAYT+ is based within Lancashire Local Authority and supports the emotional needs of children looked after and adopted. Our aim is primarily to provide systemic consultation, training and a psychological perspective to professionals and carers within fostering and adoption services, as well as offering direct therapeutic support to children. 

The role provides a clinical leadership role in the SCAYT+ service and will work in close collaboration with the SCAYT+ Practice Managers. You will hold responsibility for clinical governance and quality of therapeutic practice within the team. The SCAYT+ team includes social workers, therapists, psychologists, education specialists and other childcare professionals all working to promote the emotional wellbeing of children looked after and adopted.  

Grade: Band 8c 

Contract: Fixed term: 12 months (12 months maternity cover) 

Hours: Part time - 22.5 hours per week 

Location: Preston 

Closing Date: 21st July 2025

You can find out more and how to apply here.

Psychologically Informed: 24 hours in police custody

Welcome to this week’s Psychologically informed, a space where PPN NW members can share something psychologically related that stirred them in some ways.   

This week, Zoe Sewart, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapist with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, talks about ‘24 Hours in Police Custody’.  

I recently watched 24 Hours in Police Custody, ‘The Butcher of Suburbia’. The BBC documentary was about the arrest and interrogation of a seemingly ordinary man who committed a brutal murder and dismemberment of a friend he had lived with. What disturbed me most was not just the horror of the crime itself, but the psychological dynamics playing out on both sides of the interview table. 

This man had no previous known criminal record yet he recounted the brutal murder and disposal of her body with chilling detachment. His calm, matter of fact reporting was with little remorse or emotional turbulence, which was profound to me. 

But as I watched, my attention shifted from the perpetrator to the police officers tasked with interviewing him. There was a subtle, yet unmistakable change in their demeanour. Their body language stiffened, their eyes seemed distant, and their tone became increasingly flat. It struck me as a clear sign of disassociation. 

It had me wondering about the emotional residue left on those who bear witness to others’ suffering, especially within the context of violent or traumatic events. For police officers, therapists and front-line workers who are repeatedly exposed to others’ trauma. 

The documentary raised uncomfortable but necessary questions: How do we protect those who confront the darkest aspects of humanity as part of their jobs? Are we doing enough to recognise and support those suffering from the invisible wounds of indirect trauma? 

It was a reminder that even as professionals our minds don’t just absorb information analytically, we feel it! Sometimes we need to do something as ordinary as having a cup of tea (maybe with a biscuit) to bring us back to baseline. It's these small ‘after work’ rituals where we find humour, connection, or self-care that can quietly counterbalance the psychological weight of our work. 

After all it’s not just trauma that’s contagious, so is resilience. 

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