Headlines from PPN KSS - March edition

Welcome to our 3^rd e-news edition!

We have been publishing bi-monthly, to avoid information overload and also to give enough time for articles to be submitted. We are delighted with this edition to launch our new series on the NHS Long Term Plan. Here we invite case examples from our region that highlight the many ways that the psychological professions workforce is and will be supporting the delivery of the Plan (see here for our infographic). This will also be the focus of the PPN KSS 2019 Annual Conference on 19^th November 2019 (*please save the date!*).

The Psychological Professions Network (PPN) uniquely joins up at least 12 psychological professions with policy makers/ planners and the public, so together we can collaborate and shape the delivery of psychological healthcare in the NHS, alongside our colleagues – AHPs, Nurses, Medics and the wider workforce. This community of practice model works in quite a unique, and collaborative way through our regional membership, our PPN KSS Steering Group, and, the PPN England Board, where all the PPNs in England (existing and newly evolving) join up. At all levels we work in partnership with others, so we are all part of a wider network that aims to inform, enable and influence psychological therapies and practice, and psychological healthcare. Therefore please continue to help us grow our membership via www.kss-ppn.nhs.uk

One way to influence is to form a PPN KSS Subnetwork, whose chair then has a seat at the PPN KSS Steering Group. To date we have a Subnetwork for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs), and we are keen to hear more expressions of interest for further Subnetworks. These can be profession specific or around a shared interest.  We are currently also working on how to broaden the expert by experience / lived experience perspective together with our service user and carer consultants.    

We will be providing more updates on our 7 PPN KSS Projects in forthcoming editions – so please watch this space:

• Creating a Career Map for the Psychological Professions: We would like to thank Cristina La Cara, Counsellor, who has been working on this project over the past year during her Darzi Fellowship. The electronic map is currently our focus, which uniquely brings together the psychological professions!
• Developing Leadership in the Psychological Professions: Following our call for expressions of interest (EOI), we will be keeping you updated on who we appoint to take this project forward and deliver a scoping paper.
• Forming Evidence into Practice Partnerships: Eloise Tierney, Research Assistant (PPN KSS) has taken this project forward, and a survey for the workforce is currently live here.
• Exploring the Contribution of Psychological Professions to Promoting Wellbeing in Communities: Again, we will be keeping you updated on who we appoint to work for us and deliver a scoping paper.
• Promoting Psychological Practice in Physical Healthcare: And, again please watch the news section on www.kss-ppn.nhs.uk on who will be appointed to take this project forward and deliver a scoping paper for us.
• Promoting the Value of Indirect Working: We are currently exploring collaborations here and will be updating you in due course. If you have a particular interest in this area please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Developing an Identity Together as Psychological Professions: After a very lively discussion at our last Steering Group it was agreed that we will rename this project, as this is more about the common ground we all share. We will be using crowdsourcing methodology on a large scale to drive this project forward, and I very much look forward to keeping you in the loop here!

Some of you may remember the metaphors that were used at our formal launch almost 6 months ago. Here, Sam Allen (CEO, SPFT) referred to our launch as the most important event Gatwick Airport has ever hosted. It is fair to say that we have now ‘taken off!’ And, Dave Hearn (Deputy Head of Transformation, HEEKSS) reminded us of the ‘dancing guy’ and how to start a social movement. It is exciting that PPNs are now developing across the country.

Alice Plummer, Clinical Programme Manager, PPN KSS