Interested in the new roles in the Psychological Professions? Join us at #PsychologicalProfessionsWeek to find out more!

Estelle Moore, Chair, London PPN, Professional Lead for Psychological Services, West London, Head of Psychological Services, Broadmoor Hospital

The next couple of years are going to be a key and transformative time for the Psychological Professions and we want to ensure you are informed and ready for the exciting times ahead! The Psychological Professions Network (PPN) is hosting its second *free* conference. #PsychologicalProfessionsWeek 2021 will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions and regionally-led sessions aligned to the National Vision of the Psychological Professions.

If you’re interested in the new roles emerging in the psychological professions, you will not want to miss our workshop which centres on this topic in the context of the need for expansion of services within the NHS Long Term Plan. It is taking place on 17-11-21 at 13:30 and will be convened by Dr Estelle Moore, Chair of the London PPN. The session will consist of presentations from colleagues working in these roles, their supervisors and workforce planners about how the new roles contribute to meeting needs in provider services. This session is a must-see for those who are setting out on their career in the psychological professions, and for colleagues in NHS commissioned healthcare settings who recruit and need to retain and develop their psychological workforce.

The new roles session aims to bring to life the ways in which colleagues up and down the country are operating as Clinical Associate Psychologists (CAPS), as Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWP)s, as Educational Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs), as Children & Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CYWP)s; and as Associate Psychological Practitioners (APP)s.  The planned roll out of the new Mental Health & Wellbeing Practitioner (MHWP) role will be presented by Alison Brabban and Gita Bhutani.

It is useful to unpack and evaluate the implications of expansion: other professions are also working closely to review their needs for, and in, a growing workforce, and this can make it hard to be sure where the gaps in provider services will be. There is always some overlap between roles in the mental health workforce; there are also differences, all of which have ideally been mapped against competency frameworks.  Making sense of it all can feel like an overwhelming task, especially whilst it remains unfamiliar.  So, herein lies our vision for the session.  We hope that meeting staff who have made a beginning and are gaining experience and identity, as they listen to and respond to the needs of our local populations, will be a source of inspiration.

We invite you to listen to the presentations and engage with curiosity about how the expansion might take hold and shape in the near future.  Please share your questions that challenge, as there is much to do in order to improve our offer to the public, a mission that our Experts by Experience have offered to assist with on the basis of their first-hand encounters with services.  It is acknowledged that change on this scale is inevitably disruptive but that it is also an opportunity to collaborate and speak up about what we hope will work, and what we anticipate will not.  Mindful and considered developments stand most chance of surviving the test of time, and generating containment during periods of transformation.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get an overview of the new roles and grapple with a number of the threads of our conference (incorporating complexity and diversity as just two examples) in planning the workforce of tomorrow.  It will probably be helpful to have attended this session in advance of the Thursday afternoon workshop chaired by Phil Self, as new roles and competency developments inevitably go hand in hand!

What next?

To view the full week’s program and register for the conference (it’s free!), please follow this link: https://ppn2021.com/

Check out our blog on the new roles!: https://www.ppn.nhs.uk/our-work/news/item/new-roles-expansion-and-meeting-the-nhs-ltp

Have a look at our career map!: https://www.ppn.nhs.uk/resources/careers-map  

Lastly, we recommend becoming a member of the PPN. It is free and gives you access to the latest updates, events and newsletters. To become a member please follow this link: https://www.ppn.nhs.uk/membership/why-join-us

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 17th November!