A note from us…
2023/24 has been an action packed year for the Training Hub!
Thanks to the support from Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board Primary Care Team the Training Hub has been able to provide a wide and varied programme of training, education and support offers to the whole general practice workforce. To get a brief overview of some of our highlights please take a look at the CWTH Year in review.
Recognising things continue to remain very challenging in general practice we will continue to deliver programmes of support to support general practice and Primary Care Networks attract, support, develop and very importantly retain their workforce – and if there is something we are not currently offering please let us know.
We have a few new programmes coming in 2024/25 including mentoring support for the multi disciplinary teams (a.k.a. ARRs roles); a Future Leadership Programme; a continuing and ever growing local health and wellbeing offer and a large training and education programme. So watch this space!
For all the latest news and information please check out the TH website and ensure you and your teams are on the distribution list for the TH newsletter and Wellbeing Wednesday.
Thanks again for your support,
Jon Moll and Sue Phillips
Chief Officer and Chief Operating Officer
Key News
PCN CD and Aspiring CD event
Mentoring Scheme
Primary Care Strategy Webinars
The Primary Care strategy and transformation group are developing the Coventry and Warwickshire Primary Care Strategy and would like to invite you to a webinar on Thursday 18th April 2024 between 19:00 and 20:00 to discuss the continued development of the strategy including the Target Primary Care Operating Model.
The webinar is open to anyone in General Practice and Primary Care, not just clinicians.
Please register for the webinar here and feel free to share this invitation widely.
Useful resources
Coventry and Warwickshire ICB General Practice update – April 2024
NHSE Midlands Diabetes newsletter – April 2024
Medical Education Team
Primary Care in Practice
Primary Care in Practice (PCiP) is designed to help navigate the world of Primary Care sharing insights into Population Health, Integrated Care Systems, Primary Care Networks and Finance in Primary Care. It will also cover leadership and coaching and mentoring.
This programme is open, free of charge to everyone new to Primary Care in Coventry and Warwickshire. The sessions will be held live, hosted by local GPs Maria Ceurstemont and Sarah Hall. They will be held as a combination of virtual sessions (through Zoom) and face-to-face sessions.
The next Primary Care in Practice session will be held on the 17th April at The Warwickshire Golf Health Club and Hotel, Leek Wooton, Warwick, CV35 7QT
The topic for this session will be ‘Support within Primary Care’.
You can register for this event by clicking here.
PLT sessions – April 2024
Coventry – 17th April: Rheumatology – Register Here
Rugby – 11th April: Medical Examiners and Palliative Care – Register Here
South Warwickshire – 24th April: Gastroenterology – Register Here
Warwickshire North – 17th April: Local Updates – Register Here
For details on Lunch & Learn sessions, PLT recordings and more – take a look at our dedicated Medical Education page.
For information on the education programme for the Summer, please click here
Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health Skills: Managers & Leaders
We are pleased to share an opportunity for managers and leaders within your PCN and Practice to register for the accredited Mental Health Skills for Managers training delivered by MINDs workplace mental health experts.
With the demands on General Practice remaining high there is a clear need to focus on looking after yourself and your teams.
This training workshop is centered around supporting you and by attending, you will learn to:
- Identify if an employee may be experiencing mental health issues
- Feel confident having open conversations about mental health
- Appropriately signpost to available support and know where to go for support and guidance for yourself
- Role model good self-care practice, inspiring your team to look after their own mental health and wellbeing
Training will take place during PLT, we aim for sessions to be face to face but there may be occasions when they are virtual.
Places are limited, please select the correct link below to register your interest
Working well through menopause
This month’s work well webinar is on Tuesday 16th April at 7:30pm
We turn our focus to menopause, which can be an especially challenging experience for those working on the frontline in healthcare – in busy, high stress, high stakes jobs.
Even though menopause doesn’t happen to all of us, we’ll all be affected by it in some way or another. So this is a really important topic.
Hosted by Dr Claire Kaye, former GP, and Executive Career Coach specialising in peri/menopause in the workplace and career development, this training will focus on working well through menopause.
You’ll learn:
- Just what is menopause and why does it matter so much?
- Practical tips and tricks to work well through the menopause
- What your organisation can do that will actually make a difference
Mental Health First Aid (England) training
The course will run over 4 half days to enable you to attend whilst also balancing work priorities; details are below with the link to register your interest.
Who can attend the MHFA course?
The MHFA course is ideal for staff at every level who would like to become an MHFAider® to gain the knowledge and skills to spot signs of a person experiencing poor mental health, be confident to start a conversation and signpost a person to appropriate support.
As a Mental Health First Aider you will be able to:
- Recognise those that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention
- Encourage a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other supports
- Practise active listening and empathy
- Have a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma
Coming Up….Peer Wellbeing Sessions
Open to anyone and everyone working in and supporting General Practice!
Facilitated by MIND wellbeing practitioners – the peer wellbeing sessions will run virtually on Fridays for 60 minutes.
The session will be 30 minutes of teaching/presentation on a theme followed by 30 mins of confidential discussion and Q&As.
Themes will include:
- Bereavement and coping with loss
- Mens Wellbeing
- Imposter Syndrome
- Anger
- Stress
- Supporting somebody else
- Self-worth and confidence
Please click here to register your interest, once you have registered we will be in touch with further details.
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB)
Belonging in the workplace
I would like to share this Tweet from Helen Bevan which explains the importance of belonging in the work place:
Building a sense of belonging is one of the most important factors in improving performance & productivity.
Research in the Harvard Business Review showed high belonging was linked to a 56% increase in job performance.
By fostering an environment of acceptance, understanding & appreciation for the unique talents that each person brings, we can help everyone feel like they belong.
We would love to hear from you about what it means to belong for you – get in touch via cw.traininghub@nhs.net
REACH Staff Network – (RACE, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage)
Last month we launched our first EDIB Staff Network. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who attended and enriched the conversation with their lived experience, questions and suggestions for future events.
Our next Staff Network will be held in June, watch this space for details!
What is a staff network & how can i get involved?
What is a staff network?
A staff network is a safe space to discuss and learn from those in underrepresented groups and who have experienced inequality and discrimination. These discussions and learnings will enable us to put support in place; improving the experience of staff in General Practice and impacting patient care.
Who can join?
All members of staff within General Practice are welcome to attend to get involved with discussions.
Confidentiality
Any personal discussions had during meetings aren’t shared elsewhere without explicit permission from all of those who are mentioned or involved.
How can I register my interest to become a member?
You can register your interest by filling out the survey below.
Upcoming EDIB Awareness Days
- Deaf Awareness Week: 6-12 May – The aim of Deaf Awareness Week is to raise awareness of hearing loss in the UK and its impact on people’s lives.
- International Nurses Day: 12 May – A day to celebrate international nurses and showcase key stories from our nursing workforce in General Practice and across the NHS.
- International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia: 17 May – Raising awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulating interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.
It would be great to hear the voices of and to celebrate our diverse workforce within General Practice and so if you have a strong connection to any of the above upcoming awareness days and would like to share your journey and lived experience please get in touch via cw.traininghub@nhs.net.
Freedom to Speak Up
Most speaking up happens through conversations with supervisors and line managers where challenges are raised and resolved quickly.
We strive for a culture where that is normal, everyday practice and encourage you to explore this option – it may well be the easiest and simplest way of resolving matters.
Please contact your Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Dr Mai Elftise, who can support you to speak up if you feel unable to do so by other routes. You can contact her via pcftsu.guardian@nhs.net.
Further information on ‘Speaking Up’ can be found in our Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) Policy for General Practice
Training and CPD
Upcoming Training
Limb Examination Day – 19th April
Session is open to Paramedics, Advanced Practitioners and Physician Associates
Learn how to perform a comprehensive limb examination to improve patient care.
For more information and to book – please click here
Foundation Training in Immunisation (2 day -14/15 May)
Training is open to Healthcare Support Workers and Trainee Nurse Associates new to Immunisation
For more information and to book – please click here.
Communications, Customer Service and dealing with challenging behaviour
The aim of this course is for each delegate to achieve a level of self-awareness, so their behaviour, thinking and service can be adapted to differing situations, ensuring a consistently excellent patient journey.
For more information on the course content, how to book and timings please click on the relevant link below:
Coventry – Friday 26th April (open to all practices regardless of a previous booking)
Rugby – Thursday 2nd May (open to all practices regardless of a previous booking)
South Warwickshire – Tuesday 25th June (one place per practice/pcn)
Warwickshire North – Wednesday 26th June (one place per practice/pcn)
Diabetes courses
Below are a handful of the diabetes related courses coming up, for more please visit the Training Calendar and select ‘Diabetes’ within the subject drop down.
Younger Adults With Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) – Treating Patients Aged – 8th May
Practical use of oral therapies in Type 2 diabetes: Evaluating treatment options – 9th May
CPD Funding – 2023/24
A reminder to send in any outstanding invoices to cw.traininghub@nhs.net for CPD as soon as possible!
Training and CPD Calendar
Searching for training and education?
Our calendar shows upcoming training and education events for all workforce roles across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Browse the calendar by date or search by keyword, then click on the event to find out more information, such as the location, times, cost, and how to book!
Learning and Development Opportunities
Mary Seacole programme
The Mary Seacole programme is an innovative and inspirational leadership development programme from the NHS Leadership Academy.
Specifically for those newly in or aspiring to be in a formal first time leadership role, the six month-long programme has been exclusively designed and developed for people working in health and social care.
For more information on the programme and key dates, please visit our webpage.
Multi Disciplinary Team (aka ARRS roles)
Roadmap Supervisors course
We are running a Roadmap Supervisor course for First Contact Practitioners on the 22nd April.
This course offers training and a qualification in the supervision of FCPs undertaking their FCP roadmap.
It is open to GPs and AHPs, though we require any AHPs who want to complete the course to have already completed stage 1 +2 of the FCP roadmap.
If you are interested in the course, please contact- Ed Baker- edward.baker2@nhs.net
GPA Training Programme
March saw the start of the General Practice Assistant (GPA) Programme at the Coventry and Warwickshire Training Hub. Lead by our expert teams, the GPA programme is holding support sessions in 3 modules covering the 5 competency areas within the GPA Curriculum Framework over the next 10 months.
This innovative programme has GPAs enrolled from across the region who are rotating modules every 3 months. They will have face-to-face, hands-on clinical practice, communication and mental health sessions plus online sessions.
The GPAs have the unique opportunity to build a cohesive network across the region. We are currently only 6 weeks into the course and the current cohort have already attended several sessions, networked with GPA peers, joined our online teams community and accessed a range of fantastic resources to help them meet their training goals.
The offer for the full 10 months programme has now passed but if your practice has recently employed a GPA and would like them to access our remaining sessions, please contact the Training Hub team.
GP News
Middle (Twenty)5 Event – Registration Open
First5 Ambassador
Join us in welcoming Dr Laura Doan – First5 (C&W) GP Network Ambassador.
Laura hopes to provide specifically tailored teaching opportunities and networking events for GPs during their first 5 years after qualification.
These sessions will be a space for for First 5 GPs working in Coventry and Warwickshire to network, share thoughts and discuss challenges.
For more information on First5 , please visit our webpage.
Professional Curiosity Scheme
Professional Curiosity Scheme Round 3
We are delighted to announce that we are planning for the Professional Curiosity Scheme to be back for Round 3 in Spring 2024! We have decided to expand the scheme to allow senior speciality doctors as well as consultants and GPs to benefit from the scheme. We are also hoping to pilot some shadow placements between additional roles to include ANPs, ACPs, Paramedics, Physiotherapists and Pharmacists to try and further expand the collaboration between primary and secondary care.
Watch this space – more information to follow next month!
Locum Network
***For current or prospective GP Locums working in the Coventry and Warwickshire ICS***
A new Locum Network is being formed by Dr Chris Boyson, Locum Champion at Coventry and Warwickshire Training Hub.
By completing the form below, you will help us to shape a network that best supports you. Even if you are not currently working as a locum or are perhaps outside of our region, but are looking to transition into Locum work in Coventry/Warwickshire soon, then we would love your opinions.
International Medical Graduates & Visa Sponsorship
The visa sponsorship scheme continues to operate seamlessly, facilitating approximately 10 sponsored International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from April to December 2023.
The IMG group is thriving, displaying remarkable activity and experiencing significant growth.
In March, we actively participated in the virtual Coventry Practice Managers Meeting, where we promoted the visa sponsorship scheme and encouraged more practices to apply for visa sponsorship licenses.
In April, we are scheduled to attend the VTS teaching sessions, where we will focus on promoting the visa sponsorship scheme, particularly targeting IMGs who require sponsorship post-Completion of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
Looking ahead, we are diligently preparing to host an IMG event centred around leadership in June 2024, details on this will be shared in the coming weeks on our dedicated IMG webpage.
For more information on the IMG scheme, please visit our webpage.
Parental Leave Support Network
The next support circle is on the 23rd April, starting at 10am at Kenilworth Methodist church.
Please join the WhatsApp group if you are a GP who is on parental leave or just returned to work, so we can share parental advice and learning events.
For more resources around parental leave, please visit our webpage.
General Practice Nursing News
Congratulations!
Congratulations to our three newly qualified nursing associates – Haley Hood, Liz Henry and Clare Smithson who have worked hard to successfully complete their 2-year apprenticeship!
We wish them the very best of luck in their future careers.
If you would like more information on the nursing associate apprenticeship please email cw.traininghub@nhs.net
Peer support & supervision
We are continuing our peer support/clinical supervision session for our registered nursing teams.
These sessions are held flexibly and so if you are interested in joining, please email cw.traininghub@nhs.net
Save the Date: June 4th
We are so pleased to share that we are hosting a face to face Nursing conference on June 4th.
The full day conference will cover various topics relevant to working in general practice.
Details coming soon…!
Advanced Practice: regulation for Advanced Practice
Over the years there have been calls for more additional specific regulation of nursing and midwifery professionals in advanced practice roles.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is committed to carrying out a comprehensive review of advanced nursing and midwifery practice, including consideration of whether additional regulation is needed.
The recommendations can be found here and to find out how to get involved and details on upcoming webinars please click here.
General Practice Nursing – Retention Survey (April 2024)
Thank you for taking the time to fill out our original survey last year. As a result of that survey, our Nursing Team has started to look at ways to further support our GPN workforce across Coventry and Warwickshire.
We would now like to expand on your original answers to provide further appropriate support for our valued nursing workforce.
This should only take a few minutes to complete and your support is greatly appreciated. To fill out this survey, please click here.