PPN NW Newsletter
Friday, 16th 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.
NW LOCAL HIGHLIGHT
PWP Leadership Opportunity - Expressions of Interest
PG Dip in Enhanced Psychological Therapies (Low-Intensity CBT)
The Psychological Professions Network North West (PPNNW) would like to support 3 PWPs (one from each North West ICB region) to complete the Post Graduate Diploma in Enhanced Psychological Therapies (Low-Intensity CBT) delivered by the University of Exeter.
This is currently the only diploma of this type for qualified PWPs and will be delivered wholly online.
The programme has been designed specifically for qualified PWPs, including those who are progressing into Senior and Lead roles, and enables the completion of 3 modules (with a choice of 4):
PWP Supervision (compulsory)
Enhanced psychological practice (optional)
Evidence-based practice (optional)
Leadership (optional).
For the application form and further details in the Course Brochure including a timetable of learning sessions please email england.ppn.northwest@nhs.net
The deadline for Expressions of Interest is Friday 30th May 2025 at 5.00pm
NW LOCAL HIGHLIGHT
PPN Survey – Closing soon
PPN Communications Feedback Survey – let us know what you think!
The survey closes soon on 18th May – make sure you send us your opinions on how the PPN North west needs to communicate with its members and what you’d like to see in the future! We’d love to hear from you!
You can fill in the survey here.
Please note when completing the survey, additional questions appear depending upon your responses. Thank you!
NATIONAL NEWS
New Psychological Professions Workforce Census Report Published
On the 8th May 2025 in partnership with NHS Benchmarking Network, NHS England published a new workforce census of the psychological professions across England as of 31 March 2024.
This data helps us plan more effectively for the future. It supports better decision-making on where to invest, identifies workforce gaps and tracks our progress towards the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
By understanding the challenges and opportunities, we can take action to improve recruitment, retention and career development so more people can access the mental health care they need, when they need it.
This report is available to support local and national workforce planning; help improve services and encourage learning across different teams and organisations.
To explore the full report, please visit NHS England » Psychological professions national workforce census
EDI CALENDAR
Dementia Awareness Week
Dementia Action Week is an awareness raising campaign. Each year, Alzheimer's Society works with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to act on dementia.
This year’s will take place from 19 - 25 May 2025, where The Alzheimer’s Society will continue raise awareness of the importance of an early diagnosis for people affected by dementia and educating audiences on the most common symptoms of dementia.
ACADEMIC ARTICLE
Article on the impact of Mother and Baby units
This article explores impact of Mother and Baby Units on peri-natal mental health.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Team coaching in health care
– A vital response to a system in crisis
Free Kings Fund Event with Eleri Powell – Psychologist & Leadership Development Consultant
As burnout rates soar and teams become increasingly fractured, the pressures on our workforce are more intense than ever. Amid ongoing discussions of reform, the pressing question remains: how can we rebuild trust, support teams, and create leadership that truly sustains the health care workforce during these turbulent times?
Join this free, practical online session that explores how team coaching can be a powerful lever for transformation. This conversation will offer thought-provoking insights into how team coaching helps shift teams from survival to strength, reconnecting people, enhancing collaboration, and enabling more effective leadership across the health care system.
RESEARCH REQUEST
The clinical use of emerging generative Al tools
Invitation to participate in a 15-minute survey as part of a research project exploring psychological professionals’ attitudes towards generative AI.
If you would like to take part, you can access the survey here
JOB VACANCIES
Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist Vacancy
Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist position within the ‘Complex Emotional and Relational Needs’ (CERN) Pathways in Oldham. You can access the vacancy details here
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust have a Band 8b vacancy for a Principal Clinical Psychologist.
CULTURAL
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, Ali Bryant an Expert by Experience member of the PPN NW talks about the novel I am Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout published by Penguin in 2016 (191 pages)
For an extended audio version of Ali talking about the novel click here. (3.14)
Selecting a book to recommend has not been the easiest task as I am an avid reader but I am Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout is my choice and if you already know her books, you will understand why!!
Elizabeth Strout reveals in her characters the nuances of a life lived as much by the skill of what is written in her text as by what remains unsaid and left to the readers imagination.
The author reveals the choices characters have made or haven’t, the consequences of actions they are in conflict with or must make peace with and accept. Lucy is struggling to recover from surgery, confined to a hospital room isolated and lonely looking out at the skyline of New York. One day she wakes to find her long-estranged mother sitting at her bedside. This narrative focuses on the conversations that Mother and Daughter have, skirting Lucy’s past and present, revealing the texture of their relationship. The skill of Elizabeth Strout and her psychological insight is writ large in sharing Lucy’s world with the reader as the narrative progresses.
I was moved by this novel and the power of the writing, and because it resonated with me so much I have reread it several times travelling alongside Lucy to realise an arc of understanding not
possible without the catalyst of her Mother’s visit.
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Please get in touch with us at the PPN NW if you have been inspired to read this novel to share your thoughts.
If you would like to submit a psychologically informed recommendation; please send across your review/summary, in no more than 300 words, to the following email account: 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?
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.
