Children, Young People and Families Network January Update
Happy new year. We hope you are staying well as you navigate the winter season, whatever it brings for you (new starts, viruses, vaccinations, returning to work). It’s hard to get the balance when talking about the pandemic. On the one hand we want to acknowledge the huge impact it is having on all our lives, personally and professionally. On the other we don’t want to feed into Covid-fatigue bringing up something we’re all so familiar with. If there’s something we should be talking about please do let us know.
Lunch time CYPF network meetings: We’re pulling together a series of webinars and more informal lunchtime conversations and planning for this to start in the next couple of months. If there is a topic you think we should cover, please do let us know. The lunchtime conversations will be very informal. There will be someone keeping an eye on time and starting off discussion but no formal presentation or teaching. They are a chance for you to bring and talk about your experiences.The first of these will be Thursday 3rd March 12-1pm. Put the date in your diary, bring coffee or lunch. We are planning to talk about Clinical Psychologists working alongside, with and in schools to support children and young people. Most of us work with schools in our roles with CYPF. Some of us have roles in schools or deliver training or support directly too schools too, so we may also talk about that. It is something we don’t often talk about as a group and there are many challenges and opportunities in this work.
Children perpertating crimes: In other news, we have been talking with Ali Davies, a Clinical Psychologist working with children in the care system in Wales. Together with her we are trying to bring together some guidance on working with children who are suspected perpetrators of crime. We would really like some more views on this work. If you work with children, young people, families or systems where crime is a part of the risky behaviours you are seeing please do get in touch.
Best practice guides: If you’ve got an area you’re passionate about, do get in touch. The work Ali is doing might be the first in a series of best practice guides for specific areas of work where clinical Psychologists are engaged with babies, children, young people and families. We know just how busy everyone is and that engaging with groups like this one can be hard. But these best practice guides will be based on what you are doing day to day in your work. You might have already written a policy or operating proceedure or know a lot about an area. If you’d like to get this into a best practice guide then talk to us.
Also, for those looking to move, please see the below vacancy for NHS England National Service Advisor:
http://jobs.england.nhs.uk/job/v3772533
This full time 8d post is currently held by Steve Jones, who is retiring. It would be great to have a Clinical Psychologist in this post to influence policy going forward. Please note, the closing date is 16th January.
Best wishes
Ellie and Sam
