PPN NW Newsletter

Friday 2nd May 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. 

A day in the life...

SPOTLIGHT ON: Faaiza Vadia - Child and Adolescent Mental Health lecturer

What is your name and job title? 

Faaiza Vadia I'm a Child and Adolescent Mental Health lecturer and Qualified Education Mental Health Practitioner. 

Tell us about your role, and a brief description of what you do? 

I teach across a range of programmes from undergraduate to postgraduate courses, predominantly teaching on the Postgraduate Diploma that Education Mental Health Practitioners must complete as part of their training to support children and young people across educational settings with LI-CBT informed interventions and whole school approach to mental health. I'm also an EDI and Clinical Skills Lead with a special interest in Anti-racism. Additional to my teaching role I also support a local charity on various mental health projects supporting my local community. 

What do you like most about your role? 

Being part of an EMHP's training and development journey. Having been through the process myself I can fully appreciate both the value of the course and the intensity that comes with completing a training role. 

What could colleagues/PPN members do to help you with the work you’re doing? 

Provide peer support and mentoring opportunities for trainees and qualified practitioners that may face additional barriers. 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given? 

"Be fearless in pursuit of what sets your soul on fire" I was given a gift which included this quote on a coaster as part of a leaving gift, I keep it on my desk and it is a reminder to me that the work I'm doing is important and meaningful to me. 

What’s your one top tip when remote or home working? 

Take the break! It's so easy to work through lunch and not take breaks especially when I get busy with marking. I'm making more time to take my breaks outside and enjoy more walks. 

What things do you do to look after your health and wellbeing? 

I prioritise making time for friends and family, spend time outside in nature and attend Pilates classes regularly. 

What would your colleagues be surprised to learn about you? 

I've been a make-up artist for over 20 years. 

PPN Member Communication Feedback Survey – please let us know what you think! 

We’re extending our communication feedback survey – please let us know what you think about how we communicate with you and what you’d like to see in the future! We’d love to hear from you! You can fill in the survey here. 

The survey now closes on the 18th May.  

Please note, more questions appear depending upon your responses. 

Upcoming PPN Events

Promoting Psychologically Informed Care Post Stroke
🗓️  Wednesday 7th May 09:00 – 10:00 (remote) 
To join the community of practice and find out more about this event click here 

BPS Black and Asian Psychologist Fund 2025 – open for applications!  

The BPS fund for Black and Asian Applied Psychologists is open. This is for any BPS members from Black and Asian backgrounds to apply for up to £2,000 to fund activity that will further your psychological career. This can include, but is not limited to, conference attendance or organisation, research opportunities, innovation and development in the field, or clinical supervision. You can find more information here.

Open consultation - Victim information requests: code of practice 

The government is consulting on a draft code of practice covering requests for third party material and the definition of counselling services. 

The government is seeking views on a draft Requests for Victim Information Code of Practice which, once in force, will accompany new duties relating to third party material requests, where "counselling" notes are requested as part of legal investigations or proceedings.  

These duties create a framework to ensure that authorised persons, including the police, only make requests for a victim’s third party material when it is necessary, proportionate and sensitive to the privacy of victims. This consultation also seeks views on a definition of "counselling services" in the context of these duties. 

You can take part in the consultation here.

The consultation closes on 1st July 2025. 

Please do respond individually or on behalf of your organisation if appropriate.  

Mental Health Awareness Week

Since 2001, the Mental Health Foundation has been leading Mental Health Awareness Week - bringing the UK together to focus on getting good mental health.  

This year, the week takes place from 12 to 18 May 2025 and the theme is 'community'. 

This Mental Health Awareness Week will be used to celebrate the power and importance of community. 

Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone.  

Communities can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and give us a sense purpose.  

You can find more information here.

Free Webinar – The Key to Unlocking Potential in Neurodivergent Colleagues 

Thursday 15 May, 10:00-10:30am, Online 

This webinar emphasises the importance of understanding and supporting neurodivergent talent in the workplace. 

This is a free research conference available to all. 

You can sign up here.

Independent Peer Advocacy for inpatient mental health services - amplifying patient voice

Artificial Intelligence and future psychological practice: Opportunities and risks 

Friday 2nd May 09:15 – 16:00 (virtual)  

This event is part of the Division of Clinical Psychology's 4th Annual Digital Healthcare Conference. This webinar will consider what practitioners, service providers and commissioners need to consider to work towards a digital future which includes effective use of AI in psychological services. It will help participants to consider what some of the opportunities and risks might be of using AI for psychological practitioners. You can find out more here.  

Applications are open for the NHS England Population Health Fellowship 5th cohort 

Population Health is an approach aimed at improving the health of an entire population. It is about improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of people, while reducing health inequalities within and across a defined population. 

As part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan personalised care and public health core skills and knowledge must be embedded across the wider NHS workforce to improve population health. With over one million patient interactions daily, NHS frontline staff have an important role in supporting people, including those with long-term conditions, to improve their health and wellbeing. 

The Population Health Fellowship for health and care workforces in England aims to develop and grow a workforce of professionals who will incorporate population health into their everyday jobs.  Previously fellows have been recruited from a wide range of backgrounds including nursing, pharmacy, medicine, speech and language therapy, dietetics, orthotics, physiotherapy and non-clinical. 

Providing exciting opportunities for a wide range of health professionals successful applicants will embark on a one-year part-time fellowship, two days a week, alongside their substantive posts. As part of the initiative, they will receive a taught learning programme, PgCert qualification at level 7, provided by the University of Salford and will be required to undertake a population health project in the workplace. 

Funding 

For those successful in gaining a place on the programme NHS England are able fund course fees and salary support for the 2 days the fellow will be out of substantive post. 

Further information 

Full information on the programme can be found on the University of Salford website.

You can find out more information, by visiting the population health webpage.  

If you have any additional questions, please contact NHS England on england.ltcp@nhs.net 

Calling all EMHPs 

Exploring Education Mental Health Practitioners’ Beliefs in Their Ability to Support Whole School and College Approaches to Mental Health and Wellbeing 

I am a postgraduate student at the University of Manchester and I’m interested in learning about the factors that support EMHPs beliefs in their ability to support whole school and college approaches to mental health and wellbeing. 

Who can take part?

Participants must currently hold professional registration as an Education Mental Health Practitioner. 

What will it involve? 

You will be asked to complete an online survey which will take approximately 15-20 minutes. All survey responses will be anonymous.  

The survey will ask three open ended questions that aim to better understand your beliefs in your ability to support whole school and college approaches.  

There will also be three demographic questions to help better understand the context of your experience. 

Questions?

Contact: natalie.kohler@postgraduate.manchester.ac.uk 

Access using the QR code below or by clicking here.

Psychologically Informed… 

In this new section, members of the PPN Community talk about something psychologically informed they have been listening to/watching or reading. 

This week it is the PPN North West Programme Lead, Phil Gooden, talking about the podcast I’m ADHD! No You’re Not. 

This podcast is hosted by comedian Paul Whitehouse and his wife Dr Mine Conkbayir. 

Together they interview people diagnosed or identifying as having ADHD. Mine is very much of the ADHD-diagnosis-is-important-and-real-camp. Paul is a little more sceptical. Both agree the title ADHD doesn’t do justice to the symptoms people experience and present with.  

Many of the guests are comedians, suggesting a link with ADHD traits and the performing arts.  

The conversations are relaxed, fun and follow wherever the subject matter takes them which – this being  ADHD – is often down routes you might not expect.  

The podcast can be streamed or downloaded from all the usual Podcast providers and apps, or on their website.

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter please send across your review with a review/summary in no more than 300 words to england.ppn.northwest@nhs.net 

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?