Promoting Excellence In Psychological Health & Wellbeing
Reflecting on the success of Psychological Professions Week 2023 and more
By Ali Bryant
Welcome to the final blog of the year from the PPN NW EbE Steering Group. Having had time to reflect now on our involvement in the PPN NW and NE & Yorkshire regional session for PPWeek23 (Psychological Professions Week 2023) has given us at the EbE steering group a sense of real achievement. This session was facilitated and developed with Elspeth Ward and Paul Thompson and chaired by Liz Kell to celebrate CoPs (Communities of Practice) and in the process delivered one of the key aims of the EbE Steering Group, highlighted in our evaluation, to bring together the PPN regions in a multi-regional session which included the North West/North East and Yorkshire/Midlands/South East/London on the 16th of November titled:
Psychological Practitioners’ Communities of Practice – A changing Landscape
This wasn’t just professionals speaking on CoPs but the position and views of the EbE Steering Group were embedded in developing, constructing and delivering the session. CoPs support psychological professionals to share best practice and support each other. There is space here too for the professions with their own lived experience voice to be supported and, in the future, we hope for EbEs to be integrated as CoPs grow to ensure in discussions that services meet the needs of service users and work towards achieving the PPN vision that all health and care is psychologically informed. Not only does this movement improve outcomes and experiences for service users with the exchange of professional best practice but it forges a future where diversity, representation, and access to join the professions is supported too. This includes through conversation, alongside workforce growth, career progression, retention of staff, raising morale and facilitating knowledge and understanding of the 21 psychological professions through becoming a member of a CoP.
All of PPWeek23 from the 13th-17th of November, both regionally and nationally, offered professionals, services and service users a wealth of information particularly in sharing developments in psychologically informed practice being embedded in the healthcare system. Whether it was Dr Adrian Whittington (National Clinical Lead for Psychological Professions, NHS England) talking on Another 100% growth – the implications and opportunities of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan for a more psychological NHS or regional sessions such as - PPN Midlands on Psychological Professions and Cancer Alliances: Working together to Make a Difference. These sessions and many more informed, inspired and engaged the online attendees and you will be available to view these sessions soon to on the PPN website.
At the first in-person event for the Psychological Professions since COVID in London on Wednesday the 15th of November 2023 the title of the session was: Unite, Inspire and Transform: Integrating Psychologically Informed Practice into Physical Health and Care hosted by PPN London. Not only were attendees united, inspired and informed to transform the health and care system through the rich and informative presentations chaired by Dr Estelle Moore (Chair PPN London) but the attendees were actively encouraged to network and have those important conversations in person to effect change (thanks here to Sarah Adams for her steadfast vision on what the day should deliver throughout planning) which created a really powerful dynamic in the space. The EbE voice was embedded, not just in the presentations which were powerful and emotional, conveying the narrative of the service user experience, but also in planning the event and assisting logistically in person on the day. This event was a call-to-action and key to that palpable dynamic was the launch and presentation of the PPN discussion paper Psychological Practice in Physical Health by Dr Gita Bhutani (Co-chair PPN North West) and Dr Sunny Kalsy-Lillico (Chair PPN Midlands) speaking to what needs to change and why it matters, to facilitate and shape a psychologically informed health and care system for everyone.
I have seen and heard so much to inspire during PPWeek23, so 2024 is going to be exciting for all of us involved in the PPN and throughout the psychological professions in facilitating, supporting and effecting change.
In 2023 the world has faced many difficulties and as the year closes and the new year begins I would like to bring to your attention this PPN piece.
https://ppn.nhs.uk/our-work/news/item/support-for-all-during-times-of-global-conflict
I have often returned to these words over past weeks and been moved and I know the words will resonate with you too. The importance of having time to reflect, to be mindful, to consider what has been, future directions you may take and to think about the path we tread in life is something I know I need to do more of and plan to make time for in the year to come. I hope at the close of the year you too find time for reflection and are filled with hope for the year ahead.
What’s coming up in the EbE steering group blog in 2024? I was excited recently to interview Elsie Whittington participation lead in working with children and young people and Grace Ward who has participated in the projects who shared with me their amazing and transformational work. And also a follow-up piece on what it’s like as an EbE to work alongside trainees as we have news on the Manchester and Lancaster DClin programmes, with reflections from Joe and Keith in the next blog.
Please contact us with your ideas to include in the PPN NW blog, or to ask us for support with your training programmes, work or with any other request at
To access the EbE animation use the link below and also access the EDI toolkit resources (found under resources on the PPN site) to facilitate rich discussions and to support your work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKMI4ATlLAU
Until next time take the best care of yourselves and wishing you happiness and good health in 2024
From Ali and everyone in the PPN NW EbE Steering Group