Reflecting on PPN Midlands’ 4th Anniversary: A Week  of Growth and Collaboration

Reflecting on PPN Midlands’ 4^th Anniversary: A Week  of Growth and Collaboration

Molly Simpson, PPN Midlands Assistant Psychologist 

PPN Midlands recently celebrated its 4^th anniversary with a webinar and two in-person events during the week commencing 23^rd September, marking another milestone in our journey of growth and collaboration. The events provided a great opportunity to reflect on everything that PPN Midlands has accomplished, which includes reaching over 2,500 members, sharing more than 160 bulletins to keep our members connected and informed, and providing over 1000 episodes of ‘critical friend’ advice or information though our mailbox. This complements other workforce focused activities, such as establishing a PPN Midlands Workforce Council, and authoring a baseline ‘Psychological Professionals in the Midlands’ workforce report.

Our anniversary celebrations offered a diverse range of insights and forward-thinking discussions. We began with a virtual webinar that focused on the integration of health psychology into workforce redesign. Trainee Health Psychologist, Helena Lee, shared insights from the “Quality Conversations” project within Derbyshire’s Integrated Care System and demonstrated the power of psychological expertise in transforming healthcare. The feedback from attendees reflected enthusiasm for the health psychology training route, with appreciation for both the valuable insights shared and the progress being made toward greater equity in health psychology training. The webinar aligned with PPN Midland’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and amplifying the impact of the psychological professions across healthcare systems.

The first of our two in-person events gathered co-chairs from our growing Communities of Practice (CoP) and Midlands Chief Psychological Professions Officers (CPPOs). It was an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned during the development of our five CoPs and allowed us to collectively think about how we can continue sustaining these communities, share knowledge, and establish effective escalation pathways. Adrian Whittington, Clinical Lead for Psychological Professions for NHS England, also provided an insightful update on the national landscape and emerging workstreams, sparking rich discussions.

A key outcome of this event was the planned launch of NHS Futures as a dedicated platform for our CoPs to hold and share information. An information pack will also be created to guide and support PPN Midlands communities, ensuring they thrive and continue to make an impact. One of the co-chairs from the Psychological Practitioner’s CoP reflected on the event beautifully:

“The entire morning was orchestrated in such a collaborative way, thanks to the hard work of the small but mighty PPN Midlands team. They created an atmosphere where everyone felt valued. Their efforts instilled a deep sense of hope in me – not just for the future of my role as an MHWP, but for the entire PPN Midlands. I left the event feeling inspired and motivated”.

This reflection resonated with me, as it aligns with one of PPNs’ core visions: to unite and increase diversity in the psychological professions. We remain committed to valuing and respecting the contribution of each psychological profession while ensuring all voices are heard.

Our second in-person event focused on the outcomes of a co-produced scoping and mapping project for Expert by Experience (EbE) leads. Led by Paul Edwards, our Expert by Experience lead, the event brought together Lived Experience Coordinators, Lead Peer Mentors, and professionals committed to enhancing lived experience involvement across the Midlands NHS Trusts and Higher Education Institutions. With over 46 connections already established, this initiative is gaining momentum and laying the foundation for a Midlands community of practice. Some of the co-produced priorities that were identified included ensuring meaningful empowerment for Experts by Experience (EbEs), managing transparency regarding how organisations utilised their feedback, and unifying, centralising, and operationalising lived experience initiatives to drive tangible progress. Witnessing such passion and commitment to integrating lived experience into healthcare and education was incredibly motivating.

Overall, the day left me feeling energised and hopeful about the future. PPN Midlands have grown and achieved so much in these four years, and I am excited to see what the next year brings. By continuing to unite our efforts and leverage our collective strengths, we can continue to effectively inform, enable, and influence NHS-commissioned healthcare to maximise the benefits of the psychological professions for the public.