A National Update for the Psychological Professions

This is an exciting time for the psychological professions. We have an opportunity to develop strategy and policy to help us to take up our important roles in the delivery of the Long Term Plan. What needs to happen is the subject of my news item about the Psychological Professions content of the Interim NHS People Plan pdf here (90 KB) .

At the time of the May newsletter going to publication we are awaiting the launch of the Plan. In the meantime the new National Psychological Professions Workforce Group has now been formed and has met for the first time. I am co-chairing this group with Luisa Stewart, who is one of the Heads of Mental Health at NHSE England and Improvement. We will be taking forward the plans to:

(1) Develop and publish a Psychological Professions Strategy for England, (2) Publish an integrated workforce plan for the psychological professions, (3) Optimise the training and career paths of psychological professionals, and (4) Publish a proposal for the right leadership of psychological professions at local, system, regional and national level. There are lots of great opportunities for change and improvement here.

To help inform the development of the overall strategy for psychological professions, a project called “Psychological Professions into Action” will be running over the summer and autumn. Look out for more details of this landing in your inbox, either from your professional body or your employer. We aim to find out three things: (A) if we could have maximum collective impact as a psychological professionals, what would it be? (B) What commitment can you make to this collective impact? and (C) What support do you need to deliver this impact for the public?

The aim is to have a big national conversation about these questions, and from this to build a better shared sense of direction for all 12 psychological professions, each playing their own part but in harmony.

Adrian Whittington, Chair of PPN KSS