Dear PPN South East member,
During the week of 16th - 20th November PPN South East was delighted to be part of the first ever national Psychological Professions Week! Despite the challenges of Covid, and many people working under considerable pressure, over 3,300 people registered to attend a week of virtual events, hosted by PPN teams from across England. The South East team were out in force, showcasing projects that had originated in the South East, funded by Health Education England in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. You can read more about these events and projects in this newsletter, and you can also watch all of the recorded events by registering on the platform here. To me, Psychological Professions Week shows how far the psychological professions have come in the last year, in terms of achieving an England-wide, joined up voice. By the end of December all 16,000 psychological professionals in England will have a PPN in their region. The newer PPNs are able to learn from the early implementers in the North West, South East and South West, and in particular we commit to all PPNs having a programme of expert by experience involvement in their work.
During Psychological Professions Week it was particularly exciting to be able to launch the first ever Psychological Professions Vision for England, based on input from over 2,000 people who contributed 10,000 ideas to the Psychological Professions Into Action on line workshops this year from across England (and beyond). This work was commissioned by HEE Kent, Surrey and Sussex and led by our very own Clinical Programme Manager, Dr Alice Plummer, but delivers a national vision framework, which will drive a formal NHS psychological professions vision publication in due course. This vision is different to many, because it was co-created by practitioners in the psychological professions, other practitioners, policy-makers and the public, working together. I think this vision will be very influential if we all own it and continue to live by its commitments. You will be hearing a lot more about it over coming months, but in the meantime, you can view our infographic here. If you are doing something that links to its commitments please tweet #PPsIntoAction with details, or a picture!
In the South East we continue to grow and develop. Our PPN started life in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, but we are working closely with leaders, practitioners and Health Education England across the South East to ensure Thames Valley and Wessex shape the next stage of development. You can already join the PPN South East wherever you are based, but we want everyone to be able to shape the PPN South East from now. We have two funded projects that we would like to extend across the South East: a widening participation for psychological professions training, and establishing a foundation programme that prepares candidates to apply successfully for a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner apprenticeship. Do get in touch here if you would like to link up from any services across the South East!
With very best wishes
Adrian
Dr Adrian Whittington
Chair, PPN South East
