PPN NW Newsletter
Friday 7th February 2025
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.
Lancashire Mind turns 25!
In 2024 over 7,000 people received support from the charity and as they enter their 25th year they will be running a number of campaigns throughout 2025.
They will be telling the stories of Lancashire people who’ve been impacted by the charity in some way, as well as hosting a series of events and fundraising activities, with the aim of making more people aware of the support available and generating income to continue developing services.
You can see more about this story here, alongside the stories of Lancashire people who’ve been impacted by the charity.
In the balance: Lessons for changing the mix of professions in NHS services
The Nuffield Trust has published a report reviewing the evidence around the introduction of new roles to the NHS and the learning about how new and emerging roles can be more effectively implemented.
Commissioned by NHS Employers, the report explores the changing mix of professions within the NHS and the effects of this shifting landscape. It found a number of barriers to effective implementation of new roles, including training capacity, the availability of suitable supervision, and necessary physical infrastructure.
There were also several recommendations for services, including ensuring that new roles are carefully designed with their skills and scope of practice well understood by staff throughout services. You can read the full report here.
LGBT+ History Month
The charity Schools Out has been organising LGBT+ history month for the past 20 years, since the first UK LGBT+ History Month in 2005. LGBT+ history month has highlighted the incredible things LGBT+ people in all our diversity have achieved throughout history in all areas of life. LGBT+ history month is a dedicated space to celebrate the rich and diverse history, herstory, theirstory. Each year there is a theme, alongside five LGBT+ historical figures to highlight and provide free resources to education settings, organisations, and businesses.
The theme for 2025 is Activism and Social Change. Throughout history LGBT+ people have been activists and helped shape and create social change, advancing society for everyone using many different approaches to activism. Five historical figures have been chosen to represent this year’s theme; Octavia Hill, Ivor Cummings, Annie Kenney, Charlie Kiss and Olaudah Equiano. Found out more about LGBT+ history month and the historical figures here.
Ramadan
Every year, Muslims fast each day of Ramadan from dawn until dusk, for the duration of the month. This year it is expected to begin on the evening of Friday 28th February 2025 and end on Sunday 30th March 2025.
During Ramadan, it is customary for Muslims to pray extra nightly prayers and participate in other religious practices throughout the day and night, when possible. The act of fasting allows the individual to understand the pain and suffering of millions around the world who live their lives in poverty and famine, leaving the participant feeling more grounded and grateful. At the close of the month, Zakat donations during Ramadan are made and then Eid al-Fitr is celebrated with loved ones. Eid is a great time of feasting and celebration for Muslims, with gifts exchanged between loved ones.
Tips for looking after your mental health during Ramadan can be found here.
Psychology, public health and the soil of social circumstances
Matt Vaughan recently did a Public Health placement with Trafford Public Health Team as a Clinical Psychologist. Matt has shared his perspectives on a Public Health Placement via an article on the BPS. This includes the responsibilities of mental health professionals and public health, the challenges of the placement and what's next for future generations of mental health professions. You can find the article here.
Brain Injury Conference
The Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service Dorset is hosting a conference about holistic and effective rehabilitation approaches. The conference will include presentations about our holistic rehabilitation philosophy, discussions about effective brain injury rehabilitation programmes, case stories and displays about bespoke person-centred rehabilitation activities.
This will include looking at whole-Person perspective of brain injury rehabilitation, bio-psycho-social formulations in brain injury rehabilitation, advances in understanding and treating Mild Head Trauma, cognitive and neuropsychology interventions and holistic and mind-body focussed interventions. You can sign up to the event here.
Foundation in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The final spaces for the March 2025 intake for the Foundation in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. This will be hosted by GMMH as part of the Continuing Professional Development Unit.
The programme includes an introduction to the theory and practice of CBT and focuses on the core CBT skills and competencies. You can visit the website for further information and an application form here.
The Gathering – Shifting from climate change mitigation to climate change adaptation
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is hosting the second event in their Psychology and the climate crisis series on the 26th of February.
Taking place in person in Bristol, the event runs for the full day and includes an overview of research on climate adaptation and the role of psychologists in supporting individuals and communities to psychologically adapt to climate change, as well as the opportunity to connect with psychology colleagues working in this space. The deadline for registration is the 19th of February, and you can register here.
Workplace sitting and mental wellbeing of NHS staff: A cross-sectional survey study
Sedentary behaviour (SB) is harmful to health and predominantly occurs during the workday. This project aims to explore the influences on occupational SB and its association with wellbeing of NHS staff.
All NHS staff members are invited to participate in the study by completing a survey which asks about sitting time at work and what influences it, general physical activity, and general mental wellbeing. See the poster for more detail. Link to survey and more info:
Vacancies: Principal Clinical Psychologist
Principal Clinical Psychologist, Blackpool Band 8a - Band 8b. You can find details of the vacancy here.
Are you a member of one of our Communities of Practice?
By receiving this email you are a confirmed member of the PPN NW; however, have you considered joining one of our Communities of Practice (CoP)? Please see links below for information on how to join one of our CoPs:
PPN NW Mailing List Review
The Psychological Professions Network depends on the engagement of its members. To do this we need to ensure we have an accurate and up to date register and mailing list to enable us to keep you regularly updated with events, policy changes, projects and more.
Due to an error on our website registration form, a number of people who have created PPN NW accounts have automatically been opted out of communications and, therefore, are not receiving professional updates or event opportunities – effectively negating any benefit of being a member! We are therefore in the process of opting all of these members back into communications. Please do email us if you wish to remain opted out of communications.
What are we asking you to do?
Being a member of our PPN NW Mailing List allows us to invite you to bespoke Community of Practice events and workshops, receive our newsletter.
We will not share your information with any third parties or send you any promotional emails that are not connected to delivering psychological health and wellbeing within an NHS-commission space.
Please email the PPN NW at england.ppn.northwest@nhs.net if you wish to be removed from the PPN NW Mailing List.
You can update your own details, for both Membership and Communications Preferences, at any time by visiting the website here, this includes your profile with your most recent job title, professional role, banding and ICB etc.
Share Your News!
Please email the PPN-NW team at england.ppn.northwest@nhs.net if you have an update from your work or local network that you would like featured in one of our upcoming newsletters. We want to boost important events and developments from around our region, so let us know what’s going on where you are!
Interested in joining the PPN?
Anyone can join the Psychological Professions Network! Whether you are a member of one of the psychological professions, another professional of any discipline, an aspiring psychological professional, or a member of the public, you can sign up and join us for free.
