RSS 1.0Staffing
Browse by
Recent Submissions
-
Trust-wide quality improvement project on improving the competence and confidence of first on-call doctors in Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHCFT)Aims: This project emerged in response to surveys conducted in 2022-23, which revealed first on-call doctors at NHCFT, perceived they were required to operate beyond their competency levels. Recognising this could negatively affect both patient safety, and training experience of resident doctors, we sought to improve their confidence and competence through structured support, education, and resource development. The project's aim was to ensure that no first on-call doctor would feel that they were working beyond their competency. Method(s): Cycle-1: The project began with anonymous baseline surveys using Hewson Confidence Tool, grade-specific focus groups which revealed a lack of knowledge in both clinical and practical aspects, increased stress due to untriaged workloads, and feelings of insufficient support from senior staff which contributed to widespread sense of being overwhelmed and impacted confidence and competence. Primary intervention included targeted on-call teaching sessions focussing on areas such as the role of on-call resident doctors, management of common tasks, seclusion reviews, legal frameworks, and escalation pathways. Cycle-2: Observing the positive impact on doctors' self-reported competency and confidence levels in the first PDSA cycle, Cycle 2 began with stakeholder engagement through listening events with first on-call doctors. We held discussions with key leaders, Director of Medical Education, Associate Director of Nursing, Deputy Associate Director of Physical Healthcare, ECG Trainer, Physical Healthcare Nurse, and Ward managers. Subsequently, we designed and delivered a bespoke 'First On-Call Workshop for Resident Doctors', held as two 90-minute sessions in September 2024. The workshops used interactive tools, case-based scenarios, and audio-visual aids on psychiatric medication side effects, managing psychiatric emergencies, risk assessment, escalation pathways, legal procedures e.g., Section 5(2), demonstration videos for ECG and catheterization, along with site orientation videos. Result(s): Cycle-1: Results displayed a 7% increase in confidence and competence. Cycle-2: Outcome measures displayed positive qualitative feedback and an increase in confidence in quantitative feedback by 17% in handling common on-call tasks and clinical scenarios. For sustainability, online resources and tools, i.e., workshop materials, videos, and podcasts, were made accessible and included in Resident Doctors' Survival Guide. Senior medics are now equipped with resources to facilitate these workshops, ensuring the project's longevity. Conclusion(s): This project contributed to enhancing the competence and confidence of first on-call doctors, thereby improving patient safety, and fostering a supportive learning environment within NHCFT. This initiative has underscored the importance of structured educational interventions and collaborative support systems in promoting both trainee and patient well-being.
-
Quality improvement project to improve the resident doctors' out-of-hours clinical handover system at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT)Aims: An effective and safe clinical handover system is at the heart of safe healthcare delivery, ensuring continuity of care between clinical teams. Handovers are completed face-to-face or verbally and recorded within the NHFT's SharePoint handover system, the standard agreed upon within the Trust. This project aimed to improve the usability, access, and safety of a preexisting SharePoint handover system. Method(s): A pre-implementation survey with 30 responses from the Resident doctors showed that 90% of respondents were aware of the handover system. Still, only 60% carried out face-to-face handovers regularly, while 40% relied on other methods. 35% viewed the SharePoint handover system positively, but 50% found it inefficient, suggesting improvements. Model for Improvement Quality Improvement Methodology was used to design and develop this change project; working alongside key stakeholders (Resident doctors, Medical Education unit, Quality Improvement team and Information Technology (IT) professionals), changes were made using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to improve awareness, access, usability and accuracy of the SharePoint handover system. Awareness improved through sessions in the Resident doctors' induction, emails and medical education newsletter. Working in collaboration with the IT team, the SharePoint system was securely moved to a safe server with changes made to the template and dropdown options to improve safety and accuracy. Automatic email reminders were set up to improve handover job completion and recording. A PowerBI dashboard was created to assess system use and the quality of the handover recording to ensure ongoing quality assurance and improvements. Result(s): Six-week baseline data showed that the compliance rate of handovers was 80%, with 20% of handovers indicating neither faceto- face nor verbal communication. Only 20% (42 out of 209) of the jobs were marked complete, against standards of 100%. After implementing change ideas, four-week data showed 100% compliance, indicating that all handovers were completed and recorded. Only 23.03% of the jobs were marked complete on the handover system, indicating an area for further improvement. Conclusion(s): A Trustwide Standard Operating Procedure for Resident Doctor Handover is being developed, and further IT changes are planned to continuously monitor and improve the handover system. In this case, collaborative leadership, perseverance when encountering roadblocks, and a systematic data-driven improvement approach with iterative changes helped establish a safer, more usable, and accessible handover system.
-
Mentorship Scheme - a Novel Approach for Plugging the Gap in Differential Attainment for Psychiatry Core Trainees in East MidlandsAims: The MRCPsych results report and GMC annual report on trainee performance highlighted that UK PMQ candidates perform better than OS PMQ candidates and that White candidates perform better compared with candidates with other ethnic backgrounds. A mentoring scheme was designed as a proposed solution to bridge the gap of differential attainment in Core trainees in Psychiatry with a focus on improving ARCP outcome and Exam Pass rate in Psychiatry. Method(s): The Mentorship Scheme was piloted between August 2023 to August 2024 among Core trainees and Higher Trainees working in Psychiatry in Mental Health Trusts in East Midlands. Higher trainees took part in the project as mentors and were required to complete mentorship course from e-lfh hub prior to start of mentorship. The evaluation was of a longitudinal, prospective design. It spanned 12 months, with two waves of data collection. Using a mixed methods approach core trainees were required to complete survey with numerically rated items and open-ended questions pre- and post-intervention. Recruitment of core trainees and higher trainees was achieved through purposive sampling. A 18-item survey was designed to enable quantitative analysis of training needs in Psychiatry and qualitative analysis of conceptions of mentorship. There were a total of 9 Likert questions and 1 openended question that enabled free text entry for qualitative analysis. A 23-item questionnaire was designed to evaluate Mentees response post-mentorship scheme. Result(s): Pre-intervention: 75% identified career goals as an area that they would mostly likely value support with, closely followed by 68.3% reporting exam preparation, 31.3% reported support with e-Portfolio training and 25% with ARCP preparation as areas that they were hoping to get support with through mentorship. Post-intervention: 66.7% reported improvement in competence in areas of difficulty which included: 55.6% improvement in clinical skills. 44.4% improvement in exam preparation. 66.7% improvement in diary management. 33.3% improvement in ARCP preparation. 44.4% improvement in e-portfolio training. 88.9% valued the presence of having to speak to someone as a useful aspect of the mentoring scheme and 44.4% reported recommending mentoring scheme to other trainees. Conclusion(s): There is a breadth of evidence substantiating use of mentorship as a helpful tool in improving competence in doctors across different levels of their training. This finding was supported through a 12-month evaluation of the Mentorship scheme which appears to afford core trainees a cost-effective opportunity in improving training needs.
-
Barriers to lead psychiatric clinical supervision - a cross-sectional surveyAims: The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) recommends that psychiatric trainees receive one hour of 1:1 supervision per week, with clinical supervisors allocated 0.25 PA (programmed activity) protected time per trainee weekly. The GMC National Training Survey 2023 found that 86% of trainees reported positive feedback on clinical supervision, though the survey was not psychiatry specific. Locally, the Resident Doctors Forum raised concerns about some trainees not receiving the recommended supervision time, prompting the introduction of a new supervision form. Aims were to identify and assess barriers to providing regular supervision to support the professional development of psychiatrists in training within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Method(s):Aquestionnaire was developed based on the "Enablers and Barriers to Effective Clinical Supervision in the Workplace: A Rapid Evidence Review" to identify barriers to effective clinical supervision. It was emailed to all lead clinical supervisors in Adult Mental Health, with a two-week response deadline. The feedback was analysed using a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. Result(s): The survey received a 30% response rate (21 out of 70 eligible trainers), with a distribution reflecting the grades of resident doctors in the trust: 34% supervising HST, 34% supervising CT, 19% supervising FY, and 13% supervising GPVTS. Key findings include: 67% of trainers felt their clinical workload allowed sufficient time for supervision, but 81% sometimes had to cancel due to clinical commitments. Trainers with sufficient time for supervision typically had protected time formally agreed in their job plans (85%). 80% of trainers faced cancellations due to trainee unavailability (e.g., shift work, staff shortages), and 10% felt supervision was hindered by inadequate resources, such as lack of private spaces. Awareness of the RCPsych supervision guidance was low (33%), and 50% were not familiar with or did not use the local supervision form. Opinions on the form were divided: half found it helpful, while the other half saw it as additional workload. Major barriers to effective supervision included intense clinical workload, time pressure, staff shortages, managing multiple trainees, and trainee unavailability due to on-call or leave commitments. Conclusion(s): Suggested actions to address these barriers include: Distributing the RCPsych guidance and Supervision Form to all trainers. Encouraging supervisors to schedule supervision mid-week to avoid conflicts with on-call shifts. Supervisors should discuss protected time in their job plans with clinical directors and work with medical education to find private workspaces for supervision.
-
Academic psychiatry is everyone’s business : commentary, MorrissNo abstract available
-
Mindfulness-Based cognitive therapy for Life (MBCT-L) versus stress reduction psychoeducation (SRP) for the improvement of mental well-being in health care and other public sector staff : protocol for the well at work randomized controlled trialBACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based and stress reduction interventions have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines in England and Wales as effective preventive mental well-being interventions for health care and other public sector staff at risk of poor mental health. OBJECTIVE: This trial aims to assess the effectiveness of the increasingly implemented Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) intervention versus a routinely available Stress Reduction Psychoeducation (SRP) intervention in reducing perceived stress and improving other mental health and work-related outcomes in national health care and other public sector service employees. METHODS: The trial is a multisite, single-blind, parallel-group, 2-arm superiority randomized controlled trial. Recruitment, interventions, and assessments will be conducted remotely via online platforms. We will recruit 260 health care and other public sector staff into 26 intervention groups across the United Kingdom, with the intervention delivered through human resource staff well-being provision channels affiliated with participating National Health Service trusts. Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either MBCT-L or SRP. Primary and secondary outcomes will be collected at 6, 12, and 20 weeks after randomization. The primary outcome will be the change in scores on the Perceived Stress Scale-14 from baseline to 20 weeks after randomization. Demographic, intervention-related, and health economic data will also be collected. Secondary outcomes will involve assessments of well-being, mental health state, and work-related engagement and performance. Adverse events will be recorded. Data analysis will involve multilevel modeling, and it will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. A substudy will involve online semistructured interviews after 20 weeks of randomization with a subsample of participants (n=30, 12%). Transcribed data will be subjected to thematic analysis to elicit qualitative outcomes on perceived well-being and work-related changes after intervention as well as drivers and barriers to intervention uptake and acceptability. RESULTS: Recruitment of participants commenced on August 29, 2023. The target recruitment of 260 participants was reached on April 30, 2024. Follow-up outcome data collection was completed on September 30, 2024, and data analysis is underway. A total of 30 qualitative interviews have been conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Findings will inform future recommendations on intervention suitability and implementation for public care staff well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) ISRCTN18049845; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN18049845. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/67695.
-
Examining the effects of mental health literacy on stigma : study of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS)Background Mental illness affects an estimated 500 million people globally, with 85% living in low- and medium-income countries (LMICs). Research has shown that people with mental illness are over-represented in the criminal justice system compared with the general population. There is limited information available on institutional attitudes towards mental illness in LMICs. Aims This study aimed to examine mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health stigma (MHS) among Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officers. Method A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted among ZPCS officers (N = 163) between August and December 2022. Data were collected using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) and Attitudes Towards Mentally Ill Offenders (ATMIO). The primary hypothesis was that increased MHL is inversely related to MHS in this group. Results A significant inverse correlation was found between MHL and MHS (r = 0.36, P < 0.001). A regression analysis controlling for age and sex showed that MHLS is a statistically significant component in this model, indicating that MHL is associated with reduced MHS (P < 0.001). Conclusions In this group, increased MHL is associated with decreased MHS. This suggests that interventions to increase MHL should be further evaluated in these settings. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).
-
Narrowing the gap in differential attainment for psychiatry core trainees in East Midlands through mentorship schemeAims. The use of mentorship schemes may be a pragmatic approach to bridging the differential attainment gap for psychiatry trainees. There is robust evidence that mentorship improves outcomes for core trainees across several domains including exam pass rates, ARCP outcomes and clinical practice. A survey was developed to elicit core psychiatry trainees' perspective about the need for mentoring as well as their expectations. This was an initial survey done as part of a Quality Improvement project focused on mentoring scheme for psychiatry core trainees in the East Midlands region. Methods. A 16-item self-rated questionnaire was designed to elicit information relating to respondents' demographics, professional qualifications, UK experience prior to commencement of training, perception of mentorship as an unmet need as well as expected focus of potential mentoring relationship. These were administered to psychiatry core trainees in the East Midlands region. The data was collected in February 2023. Results. About a quarter of the core trainees (n = 21) participated in the survey. Majority (47.6%) of the respondents had Black or Black British ethnic origin and 11 (52.4%) were in their second year of training. Although 13 (61.9%) had a non-UK primary medical qualification, majority had some months of UK experience before commencement of training (median = 1.4 years). Twenty (95%) of the respondents identified mentoring as an unmet need and they highlighted the areas of need. Conclusion. This survey showed a high level of acceptance of the mentoring scheme among the trainees. Their expectations and suggestions helped further the design of the mentoring scheme which is currently ongoing.
-
Effective induction programme for higher specialist trainees : a quality improvement projectAims. To create a safe and effective induction programme for Higher Specialist Trainees (HST) at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. An effective induction improves trainees' satisfaction, they feel welcomed and valued. It improves patient safety, retention, and recruitment (GMC Report 2020). Methods. Based on GMC report, published in 2020, a survey was developed locally and data for 2021 HST induction was collected using digital platform. Initial stakeholder analysis completed, and relevant parties were invited to share the results. Two key deliverables were identified after consultation, one was a dedicated induction programme for HST which was co-produced along with trainees and stakeholders. The other deliverable was updating the induction booklet. The proposed induction plan was implemented in August 2023, the survey was repeated to the new HST cohort following induction via digital platform. Results of the survey were analysed via mixed methods (qualitative & quantitative). Results. The surveys conducted in 2021 and 2023 were compared and there was an increase in response rate from 50% to 64%. The domains were devised from GMC standards and assessed by if staff had received everything in the domain within a week of starting their placement and results evaluated using a t-test. Domain A is gaining access to places and system (keys, fobs, security passes, computers, ID badges, mobile phones, IT system). This significantly improved from 27% to 88% with a p-value of < 0.001. Domain B is physical orientation of the setting (staff facilities such as lockers, parking, library, and site layout). This significantly improved from 45% to 88% with a p-value of < 0.018. Domain C is gaining day to day knowledge (HR, rota, annual leave, study leave, pay-roll, mandatory training, e-expenses, and guardian of safe working). There was no significant change between 9% and 19% with a p-value of < 0.48. Domain D is an understanding of expectations (duties and responsibility during working hours, on-call, team introduction). This significantly improved from 9% to 69% with a p-value of < 0.002. HSTs were given the chance to add comments and the responses in 2023 were more positive "excellent induction compared to previous years" compared with 2021 when HSTs felt isolated and devalued "worst ever induction in whole career in NHS". Conclusion. Overall, the results of the 2023 survey showed considerable improvement in all the key areas of induction within one week of starting the placement. Domain C demonstrates a challenge still and needs further work.
-
Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Dean's grand rounds - an Innovative medical education tool to bridge the education-practice gapAims. RCPsych Dean's Grand Rounds focuses on understanding a problem or an opportunity for change in clinical practice using a patient story, academic evidence, and contextual data in this area to bridge the evidence-practice gap using a quality improvement approach. The Dean's Grand Rounds aims to embed the lived experience in clinical practice and use data to drive change. Methods. We held five virtual Dean's Grand Rounds with this format from June 2022 to January 2024. The sessions included a variety ofmedical professionals, carers and expert patients presenting on the chosen theme, followed by a panel discussion. The sessions were thenmade available for on-demand viewing via the RCPsych website for those unable to attend the live session. Qualitative and quantitative feedback helped us improve the sessions iteratively. Results. The sessionshave enabled discussion of broader issues facing staff and patients, facilitating the exchange of ideas between professionals from divisions of the RCPsych from around the world. Participants globally attended these sessions, with over 1,000 registrations for the Grand Rounds on memory clinics and catatonia. The feedback for the sessions was overwhelmingly positive, with many participants praising the involvement of patients and carers and the opportunity to come together at the RCPsych level for learning. Many were attracted to the sessions because of the themes discussed, with 68.5% having excellent overall experience.Over 92% of the feedback participants thought the Grand Rounds had improved their professional practice. The majority of the feedback participants strongly agreed that lived experience is an important element in understanding the evidence-practice gap (4.4 on a Likert scale of 1, strongly disagree; 5, strongly agree) and that the Grand Rounds had enhanced their understanding of academic evidence and contextual data in the area (4.4, 4.39 respectively on a Likert scale of 1, strongly disagree; 5, strongly agree). The themes that stood out in the feedback were that participants liked the Grand Rounds format and were grateful to hear from patients, with suggestions to allocate more time for questions and answers. Learning from the feedback, we set up a resources page for each Grand Rounds to enable further learning. Conclusion. In their revitalised format, these sessions are proving highly effective in bringing the worldwide RCPsych community together to improve patient care and deliver educational and informative interactive content available on demand.
-
Improvement of trainee engagement with the Royal College of Psychiatrists (Trent Division)Aims. The Psychiatric Trainees Committee (PTC) is a national community of psychiatric trainees comprised of representatives from all College areas. Over our recent term, Dr Deepa Krishnan, Dr Kris Roberts and Dr Emma McPhail covered the Trent region. In addition to national roles, we were keen to encourage trainees to engage with the PTC to improve trainee advocacy in line with National PTC strategy. Engaged and supported trainees are vital for ensuring good standards of patient care, and for safeguarding the future of the workforce in terms of recruitment and retention, which further intersects with ongoing quality and provision of patient care. The agreed aims, which were agreed with the RCPsych Trent Executive Committee, were formulated in-line with the national PTC priorities for 2021-2022: 1,to enhance communication, visibility and reach of the RCPsych within trainees in the Trent region; and 2, being mindful of challenges around recruitment and retention in psychiatry training posts, to improve education and support for trainees. Methods. Using quality improvement methodology, we hypothesised there to be two aspects to trainee engagement. These were conceptualised in two ways: emotional engagement (meaning feeling supported, valued, and promotion of well-being); and intellectual engagement (meaning cognitive stimulation, recognition, and access to opportunities to develop knowledge). A free, online trainee-specific conference, the first of its kind in the Trent Division, was agreed as an intervention to address trainee engagement across both domains. Because it was run "for trainees by trainees", we were able to tailor the content to be specifically helpful and relevant to trainees. We were keen to offer a varied program within the broad domains affecting engagement and we were delighted to be able to secure an exciting line-up of speakers both from within the Trent region and from further afield. Results. The conference proved so popular to sign up to that it had to be closed early. The conference gathered excellent feedback from participants, with 100% of trainees rating the conference overall as "good" or "excellent." Conclusion. The Trent PTC hopes to run the conference again in the coming year, we hope it will become a regular fixture in the RCPsych Trent calendar, to ensure that trainees are kept at the heart of division planning. This project spearheaded by trainees for trainees to improve trainee engagement and support exemplifies collaborative leadership.
-
The association of black psychiatrists (ABP-UK) and the RCPSYCH introduction to mentoring and coaching: Impact of a training programAims. The study aimed to check impact (active mentoring and willingness to mentor) following a mentoring and coaching training event facilitated by RCPSYCH and ABP-UK. The program involved watching two pre-recorded videos and a full-day practical session on mentoring and coaching skills. Methods. The training was targeted at psychiatrists of black heritage, working in the UK. They were recruited through social media adverts and emails sent to members of the organization. A predesigned questionnaire assessing feedback about the program and mentoring activities was sent to the emails of attendees immediately after the program and a year later. Results. Forty-four participants attended the program; 32 completed the feedback immediately after the program, and 20 responded to the one-year follow-up. From the initial survey, majority of respondents (78%) rated the program as excellent, and most (78%) found it relevant to their professional needs. Slightly more than half of the group (53.1%) were involved in mentoring, but only a few (6%) were involved in mentoring activities within a structured organization. Ninety-seven percent felt confident to mentor immediately after the program while 84.4% expressed interest in joining a college division for mentoring. In the follow-up data with 20 respondents, 60% were involved in mentoring and 23% of respondents were new mentors. More respondents were engaged in college-related mentoring (41.7%) than in the previous year and majority (83.3%) expressed that the program had influenced their mentoring. Conclusion. Results from the follow-on survey shows that a good number of attendees at the training event had taken up mentoring roles at local, regional levels and at the College. We therefore recommend continued rollout of more targeted mentoring and coaching training programs, with consideration for cultural needs. This will boost the availability of diverse mentors within mentoring schemes available for doctors, ultimately improving quality of care to our diverse patients.
-
Navigating the medical journey: Insights into medical students' psychological wellbeing, coping, and personalityBACKGROUND AND AIMS: In recent years, increased awareness of the psychological wellbeing of healthcare professionals and students has become a pressing public health issue affecting care delivery. Medical students undergo rigorous training programs that can affect their psychological wellbeing. Despite increased awareness of mental health issues among medical students, research often focuses on negative aspects, overlooking potential positive contributors to wellbeing. This study aims to explore both negative and positive factors influencing medical students' psychological wellbeing, considering coping strategies and personality traits to inform targeted support measures for diverse student needs. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was employed to investigate medical students' psychological wellbeing, coping strategies, and personality traits. Quantitative data was gathered via self-report questionnaires and analysed using regression models. Additionally, qualitative insights were obtained from semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically to capture students' perceptions and experiences. RESULTS: The analysis revealed moderate to high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among medical students, along with decreased life satisfaction. Regression analysis showed that problem-focused coping positively impacted medical students' psychological wellbeing, whereas emotion-focused and avoidance coping showed less favourable effects. Notably, problem-focused coping partially mediated the relationship between stress and depression. Furthermore, personality traits, particularly agreeableness and conscientiousness, played a pivotal role in shaping medical students' coping strategies and mental health outcomes. Based on thematic analysis, codes gave rise to three overarching themes and corresponding subthemes. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the significance of addressing both positive and negative factors impacting medical students' wellbeing and highlights the need for tailored support considering individual personality traits that influence coping strategies and mental health. It also identifies challenges within medical education, emphasising the necessity for stress management programs, mental health support, and curricula promoting problem-solving skills. Prioritising medical students' wellbeing may not only foster good mental health among future professionals but may also enhance future healthcare quality.
-
Bridging the gap: A qualitative study exploring the impact of the involvement of researchers with lived experience on a multisite randomised control trial in the national probation service in England and WalesINTRODUCTION: Methodological and ethical arguments support the involvement of individuals with lived experience in research to reduce engagement barriers and ensure those directly affected by studies contribute to knowledge generation. However, there is limited evidence on the impact of including researchers with lived experience of serving a prison or community sentence in clinical trials. This qualitative study aimed to explore the value of involving researchers with lived experience of the criminal justice system as data collectors in the Mentalization for Offending Adult Males (MOAM), a multisite RCT conducted in the National Probation Service in England and Wales. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 trial participants and 17 key stakeholders, either in person or via telephone. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. FINDINGS: Five themes emerged for trial participants and 11 for key stakeholders. For some, lived experience researchers helped overcome engagement barriers by fostering common ground with participants who were serving a prison or community sentence during recruitment. Participants reported that the involvement of lived experience researchers enhanced the study by facilitating knowledge transfer in certain instances. However, their inclusion did not eliminate all barriers and, for some participants, introduced new challenges to engagement. CONCLUSION: Forensic lived experience researchers bridged the gap by fostering trust between data collectors and participants. Future studies should ensure that lived experience researchers receive adequate clinical supervision to support their role. The adopted methodology challenged assumptions about knowledge generation and stereotypes associated with being an ex-offender, benefiting both lived experience and traditional researchers. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The study was developed in collaboration with User Voice (charity number: 1136047), who contributed to the study's design and conduct. The service user organisation co-designed the interview schedule and directed the protocol for participant payments, emphasising a consistent approach to avoid tokenism and ensure equal recognition of all contributions. The dissemination plan was developed in partnership with individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system.
-
The impact of life story work during peer worker training: Identity reconstruction, social connection, and recoveryOBJECTIVE: Personal recovery has become a guiding vision in mental health care, and peer workers play a key role in assisting individuals on their recovery journey. As a component of training to prepare for this role, peer workers need to engage with their own life story, in order to support recovery in both them and in the service users they will assist. The purpose of the present study was to explore the impact of life story work on peer workers. METHOD: Fifteen individuals training to be peer workers were interviewed to explore the impact of telling and listening to life stories. Reflexive thematic analysis involving two analysts was conducted. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: (a) life story work as identity reconstruction, (b) social connection through life story sharing, and (c) negative impacts of engaging with life stories in peer worker training. Each theme was connected to a number of subthemes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Life story work can both facilitate personal recovery in peer workers during their training and aid them in utilizing their stories in their future peer worker roles. Training needs to prepare peer workers to deal with the future role-related challenges of life story work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
-
Rapid review of facilitating reflective practice groups with staff in adult inpatient mental health settingsReflective practice is poorly defined and often lacks distinction from other practices, such as clinical supervision. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) faces unparalleled challenges within the context of chronic underfunding, high staff attrition, and the recent global pandemic. Frontline staff are desperately trying to meet the demands of their roles and services are struggling to prioritise their professional development and wellbeing, further exacerbating these problems. This rapid review of the evidence sought to identify barriers and facilitators of Reflective Practice Groups (RPGs) within adult inpatient mental health services, using three databases. Two-hundred and one unique references were retrieved, yielding eight papers meeting the inclusion criteria. Barriers to facilitating RPGs included: practicalities; individual and team expectations; needs and competencies of facilitators; and organisational issues. Studies suggested solutions including facilitating RPGs off-ward to reduce disruptions and protect the space; increasing psychological safety by incorporating clear guidelines and expectations for attendees; and organisational support. The review highlighted universal challenges faced by healthcare professionals and organisations in facilitating and accessing RPGs. The review illustrates the paucity of research in this area, which may be due to nebulous definition and inconsistencies between different organisations. Implications for practice are discussed.
-
Improvement of trainee engagement with the Royal College of Psychiatrists (Trent Division)Aims. The Psychiatric Trainees Committee (PTC) is a national community of psychiatric trainees comprised of representatives from all College areas. Over our recent term, Dr Deepa Krishnan, Dr Kris Roberts and Dr Emma McPhail covered the Trent region. In addition to national roles, we were keen to encourage trainees to engage with the PTC to improve trainee advocacy in line with National PTC strategy. Engaged and supported trainees are vital for ensuring good standards of patient care, and for safeguarding the future of the workforce in terms of recruitment and retention, which further intersects with ongoing quality and provision of patient care. The agreed aims, which were agreed with the RCPsych Trent Executive Committee, were formulated in-line with the national PTC priorities for 2021-2022: 1,to enhance communication, visibility and reach of the RCPsych within trainees in the Trent region; and 2, being mindful of challenges around recruitment and retention in psychiatry training posts, to improve education and support for trainees. Methods. Using quality improvement methodology, we hypothesised there to be two aspects to trainee engagement. These were conceptualised in two ways: emotional engagement (meaning feeling supported, valued, and promotion of well-being); and intellectual engagement (meaning cognitive stimulation, recognition, and access to opportunities to develop knowledge). A free, online trainee-specific conference, the first of its kind in the Trent Division, was agreed as an intervention to address trainee engagement across both domains. Because it was run "for trainees by trainees", we were able to tailor the content to be specifically helpful and relevant to trainees. We were keen to offer a varied program within the broad domains affecting engagement and we were delighted to be able to secure an exciting line-up of speakers both from within the Trent region and from further afield. Results. The conference proved so popular to sign up to that it had to be closed early. The conference gathered excellent feedback from participants, with 100% of trainees rating the conference overall as "good" or "excellent." Conclusion. The Trent PTC hopes to run the conference again in the coming year, we hope it will become a regular fixture in the RCPsych Trent calendar, to ensure that trainees are kept at the heart of division planning. This project spearheaded by trainees for trainees to improve trainee engagement and support exemplifies collaborative leadership.
-
Behavioural activationNo abstract available
-
Caring: The essence of mental health nursingNo abstract available
-
Academic psychiatry is everyone's businessThis editorial considers the value and nature of academic psychiatry by asking what defines the specialty and psychiatrists as academics. We frame academic psychiatry as a way of thinking that benefits clinical services and discuss how to inspire the next generation of academics.
