Talking Therapies Clinical Skills Best Practice Forum

Talking Therapies Clinical Skills Best Practice Forum
Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury, 5 CPD hours
Thu 19 Sep 2024
This national meeting was a unique opportunity to come together with Talking Therapy professionals from across the country to learn from each other, share ideas and make practical adaptations to your assessment and therapeutic interventions.

With thanks to our industry partners:


Practical tips that have a positive impact on your role and service

Through a flexible mix of presentations, group discussions and optional workshops, participants discovered how other Talking Therapies services are reaching national recovery targets and how to make a lasting impact on their service demands.

This networking forum allowed for engaging, open discussions. Attendees spoke about how services are operating and strategised on how to replicate pockets of excellence in their own services. Like-minded colleagues connected with other services and honed in on their therapeutic skills to meet the new national recovery metrics and share best practice. 

Key learning outcomes:

  • Developing your skillset to ensure that you are fully equipped to meet recovery targets 
  • Exploring clinical best practice through tailor-made workshops, chosen by you 
  • Sharing and learning from each other to ensure the wellbeing of your teams 
  • Establishing new connections with industry partners dedicated to supporting your service
  • Effectively monitoring recovery rate metrics to ensure that your service is on track 
  • Striking the balance between running an effective service and supporting staff wellbeing
  • Making real connections with people who are also working to overcome their service challenges
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"Really positive, engaging and inspiring day. Thank you! Having the head space to reflect and think about what we do. Leaving feeling inspired and re-energized"
- Talking Therapies Clinical Skills Best Practice Forum
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"I really enjoyed getting to mingle with people on table, the event organisers and sponsors. I would join one of your events again. Workshops were great"
- Talking Therapies Clinical Skills Best Practice Forum
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"A really safe, supportive space to reflect and share and consider ideas to take back to service. Really current in the world of talking therapies"
- Talking Therapies Clinical Skills Best Practice Forum

Plus there was insight from our industry partners

SBK Healthcare would like to thank SilverCloud by Amwell, Limbic and Otsuka for sponsoring this unique forum.

Opportunities to sponsor

Talking Therapies National Networking Forums enable providers of Talking Therapy technology and treatments to support healthcare professionals. If you would like to sponsor a forum, please email Sarah Kemm or call Sarah on 01732 897788 to find out about all the engagement and branding opportunities available.

8:45
Registration and networking opportunity
9:15
Introduction, instructions and chair’s opening remarks
Heather Stonebank, Clinical Programme Manager, North East and Yorkshire Regional Mental Health Team, NHS England
Working towards national recovery targets
9:25
Working towards recovery rate targets: monitoring outcomes in your Talking Therapies Service
  • Understanding the impact on your KPIs: measuring from the second treatment session
  • Conducting effective outcome monitoring to demonstrate new recovery rate targets
  • Supporting your staff to meet increased recovery rate targets without increasing workforce pressures
Kim de Jong, Assistant Professor, Leiden University
9:50
Question and answers with your speakers
10:00
Interactive discussion: Shared experiences of working towards new recovery targets
  • Share your achievements and challenges when working to the new recovery rate standards
  • What methods have you tried to reach new targets? What were your outcomes?
10:20
Interactive discussion feedback: Shared experiences of working towards new recovery targets
Industry supporting recovery
10:30
Elevating Patient Care: How Generative AI Enhances Engagement and Treatment Outcomes
  • Latest research findings on Limbic Care, a generative AI care companion that actively engages patients between sessions to improve treatment outcome
  • Outline of the significant impact of Large Language Models in personalised therapy care and their application in clinical settings
Josh Cable-May, Clinical Lead and CBT Lecturer, Limbic
10:40
The SilverCloud® platform’s Tools for Therapy in Clinical Practice with Midlands Partnership University Foundation Trust
Douglas Hiscock, Behavioural Health Lead, SilverCloud by Amwell will be joined by Hannah Bleasby, Clinical Lead and High Intensity CBT Therapist and Anisa Davies, High Intensity CBT Therapist, Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
10:50
A novel approach to digital therapeutic for depression
Tim Pham, Medical Advisor in Digital Therapeutics, Otsuka
11:00
Questions and answers with your industry partners
11:10
Networking break
Improving recovery workshops
11:30
Each workshop will be 1 hour and 10 minutes made up of presentation and discussion or working through practical examples. Attendees can choose between the following:
  • 1 - Effective Adaptations for Neurodiversity
  • 2 - PTSD Informed Practice
Workshop 1: Delivering effective adaptions for autism
Practical guide to supporting reasonable adjustments and adaptations: working with autistic adults
  • Reducing barriers to access for autistic adults
  • Creating clear adaptations to encourage referrals, self-referrals and recovery
  • Practical considerations and adaptations to therapy sessions to increase therapeutic engagement
Ailsa Russell, Reader, Centre for Applied Autism Research, University of Bath
Interactive discussion: Scoping and delivering training to your workforce to upskill your team
  • What approach would you take to deliver effective sessions? How would you further your skills?
  • How can you incorporate opportunities to feedback? How could your service monitor outcomes?
Workshop 2: Supporting recovery through increased physical activity
Pilot Findings: Incorporating Physical Activity Interventions into NHS Talking Therapies
  • Explore workforce insight and service user impact from recent Sport England physical activity pilots
  • Learn how services can embed physical activity into existing treatment pathways
  • Understand what physical activity resources are available locally and nationally
Suzie Gittus, National Partnerships Lead - Health and Wellbeing Team, Sport England, Juliette Westbrook, Research Assistant, National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists and Joshua Cane, Senior Psychotherapist/ Operational and Service Improvement Manager, Islington iCope- NHS Talking Therapies Service
Interactive discussion: Building physical activity pathways into Talking Therapies services
  • How can we make it easier for NHS TT services to offer PA as part of routine treatment offers
12:40
Networking lunch
Positive practical workshops
1:40
Each workshop will be 1 hour and 10 minutes made up of presentation and discussion or working through practical examples. Attendees can choose between the following:
  • 3 - Managing complexity
  • 4 - Assessment skills for Menopause
Workshop 3: Deciphering complexity to improve access, treatment and recovery
Managing complexity during your assessments
  • Defining complex needs and understanding complexity: what is and is not complexity?
  • Investigating how complexity can present in your assessments
  • Evaluating complexity presentations: during your assessments vs. historic complexity
Dr Naomi Fisher, Clinical Psychologist and EMDR-Europe Trainer, Naomi Fisher
Interactive discussion: Assessment and suitability: complexity in practice
  • Do you have any barriers to working with patients with complex needs?
  • What is your understanding of complexity?
  • How does that present whilst assessing patients? What tools would you use to help inform your practice?
Workshop 4: Improving your assessment approaches for the menopause
Ensuring effective and supportive interventions for menopause within the NHS TT remit
  • Understanding the phases of the menopause
  • Exploring the psychological symptoms of the menopause
  • Improving your assessment approaches to support this client group
Dr Helen Donovan, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Donovan Psychological
Interactive discussion: Practical approaches to support patients experiencing the menopause
  • How can we increase access and improve outcomes for patients experiencing menopausal symptoms?
  • How can we conduct sensitive and appropriate assessments? How can you improve your approach?
2:50
Networking break
Flourishing your workforce
3:10
How to replicate positive transformation for your NHS Talking Therapies service
  • Exploring effective senior PWP leadership structures to enable retention and growth
  • What does good leadership look like? Ensuring individual roles and responsibilities
  • Maintaining a supportive service for your workforce: how can we prevent burnout?
Heather Stonebank, Clinical Programme Manager, North East and Yorkshire Regional Mental Health Team, NHS England
3:35
Questions and answers with your speakers
3:45
Interactive discussion: Benchmarking best practice to meet new recovery targets
  • What initiatives has your service developed? What objectives did you set out to achieve?
  • Have you tried a service development strategy that did not work? What barriers did you face?
  • What would you like to see in the future? What steps can you take towards this?
3:55
Interactive discussion feedback: Benchmarking best practice to meet new recovery targets
4:05
Canapes and drinks sponsored by Limbic
4:25
Unlocking outcomes with AI in Mental Healthcare: Benefits, challenges, and future impacts
  • This interactive session will explore the role of generative AI, like Limbic Care, in therapy
  • Engage in discussions on the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI as a care companion and its various use cases within the NHS
  • Address the training and resources clinicians need to effectively integrate AI into their practice and how organisations can support this transition
Jessica Li, Director of Customer Success and Josh Cable-May, Clinical Lead, Limbic
5:00
Chairs closing remarks followed by close of day

With thanks to the excellent speakers on the day...

Heather Stonebank

Clinical Programme Manager, North East and Yorkshire Regional Mental Health Team
NHS England

Suzie Gittus

National Partnerships Lead - Health and Wellbeing Team
Sport England

Dr Helen Donovan

Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Donovan Psychological

Kim de Jong

Assistant Professor
Leiden University

Josh Cable-May

Clinical Lead and CBT Lecturer
Limbic

Tim Pham

Medical Advisor in Digital Therapeutics
Otsuka

Dr Ailsa Russell

Reader, Centre for Applied Autism Research
University of Bath

Douglas Hiscock

Behavioural Health Lead
SilverCloud by Amwell

Hannah Bleasby

Clinical Lead and High Intensity CBT Therapist
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Anisa Davies

High Intensity CBT Therapist
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Naomi Fisher

Clinical Psychologist and EMDR-Europe Trainer
Naomi Fisher

Juliette Westbrook

Research Assistant
National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists

Joshua Cane

Senior Psychotherapist/ Operational and Service Improvement Manager
Islington iCope- NHS Talking Therapies Service

Who came?

Like-minded professionals including Clinical Leads, Clinical Service Managers, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners came together, built new connections and gained a national overview for developing services. 

Talking Therapies National Networking Forums are delighted to be providing this annual conference to support service progression. 

Past attendees feedback

Since 2020, “exceptional” courses have been delivered and welcomed over 1,000 attendees. Talking Therapies National Networking Forums are delighted to be providing this annual conference to support your service’s progression. Take a look at what last year’s attendees said:

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'Very engaging and informative. Gained some useful ideas and resources to share with the service'
- Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
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‘A very smooth and positive experience'
- Eastern Cheshire Talking Therapies
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'I found the content useful and has given me a great deal of information I can share with my team’
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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‘Networking was an important part of the day and I was able to engage with many colleagues nationwide’
- Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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‘It was very relevant to our service objectives. I gained some information about the national picture and enjoyed the content of the workshops, they were very informative and well led’
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
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‘It was helpful to learn from other services as to how they are managing challenges but also to hear that this is recognised nationally
- Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
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‘Very informative and inspiring’
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
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‘Informative and an opportunity to share ideas overall a positive experience’
- Worcestershire & Herefordshire NHS Talking Therapies
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‘Highly recommended for both content and organisation’
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust

Adding their unique perspectives, we were pleased to welcome our industry partners



A leading provider of evidence-based digital mental and behavioural healthcare solutions. Supporting 80% of NHS Talking Therapies Services, with up to 70% clinical recovery rates.


Limbic is the first UKCA-marked clinical assessment support tool for IAPT. Across 21 services, Limbic consistently frees up staff time, reduces costs, and improves patient experience and accessibility. Find out more from our founder, Dr Ross Harper on ross@limbic.ai.


Otsuka Pharmaceutical is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: 'Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide.' Our 34,400 employees channel their passion and commitment into aiming to improve the health of our patients, with a focus in Europe on therapies in mental health, nephrology, haemato-oncology, rare diseases, and digital therapeutics.

Why sponsor a Talking Therapies National Networking Forum

Our role at SBK Healthcare is to bring industry together with healthcare professionals so that you can educate and inform your audience. These trail-blazing talking therapies forums offer dedicated presentations, Q&A, networking and discussion time, each sponsor will be fully  immersed into the event and able to effectively engage with your NHS audience.

Interested in having your own event, managed by us?

SBK Healthcare also provides in-house forums. Working closely with you as the client we can research, produce, market and deliver the conference or online forum that best suits the audience and meets your goals.

Reach out today

If you would like more information on our sponsorship options an in-house forum or if you wish to discuss your needs and what solutions may be appropriate for your business, please contact:
Sarah Kemm
Contact: 01732 897788
Email: sarah.kemm@sbk-healthcare.co.uk

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