Education and Training
We are committed to delivering excellent education and training to help our staff provide joined up and evidence-based mental and physical healthcare to our patients and service users.
Our Mind & Body education and training programme is designed to support all our staff to understand the connections between mental and physical health, and to feel more confident, empowered and able to provide joined up care which focuses on whole person care. We also offer a staff development fund, where staff can obtain a small grant of up to £400 to help develop knowledge, experience and/or skills around the mind and body agenda.
Our current training provision for physical and psychiatric comorbidity capitalises on our unique position as providers of both acute and mental healthcare services. The focus is on interprofessional, experiential and patient-centred training.
Read our Learning and Development Strategy from December 2017. This evolving document signposts staff to existing learning and development opportunities for mind and body care. The opportunities are divided into three levels based on professional roles and core competencies:
Visit our events page and Learning Hub for the latest courses.
Putting Mind & Body Skills into Practice – Simulation Training
This is a half-day multi-professional course aimed at secondary care clinical staff working in a physical health setting and/or psychiatric setting. It is primarily focused on the management of adults with physical and mental health co-morbidity. Participants will be involved in a series of simulated scenarios using professionally trained actors. Debriefing models will be employed to give feedback to participants on their contribution and assist them to learn positively and constructively from the experience.
Mind & Body e-learning
This interactive resource explains how physical and mental health commonly influence each other, and helps all healthcare professionals recognise the additional health needs of their patients, identifying appropriate services to refer them to.
Mind & Body Clinical Skills Course
Free to all clinical staff in our partnership, this course aims to equip medical, psychiatry, nursing, and therapies staff with clinical skills to help manage both the physical and psychological needs of patients. Learning with a diverse group of healthcare professionals from multiple settings is an essential element of this day. This course is run approximately four times per year. Please email mindandbody@slam.nhs.uk to find out when the course will be running and to register.
IMPARTS seminar series
The Integrating Mental and Physical Healthcare: Research, Training and Services (IMPARTS) project has initiated a series of free termly half-day seminars, addressing some of the current research and clinical work happening within King's Health Partners. The seminars focus on the physical and mental health interface, and are designed for students, researchers and clinicians. Details of when IMPARTS series are happening can be found in the Mind & Body Champions Newsletter.
IMPARTS five day taught course
Mental health skills for non-mental health professionals
The IMPARTS programme runs a five day teaching course for healthcare professionals working in general hospital settings on key clinical skills in the assessment and treatment of common mental health problems. The course runs one day week over five weeks and covers the key mental health presentations to the general hospital setting. Each day covers a different topic:
- distressed/depressed patient
- the patient with medically unexplained symptoms
- the confused/agitated patient
- the substance misusing patient
- managing conflict.
Teaching is interactive, including role plays with actors, and supplemented by online material. The course can also be offered as a Level 7 15 credit module for people studying for an MSc. Contact vanessa.j.boshell@kcl.ac.uk for more information. The course costs £650.
Supporting People Living with Long-term Conditions
Maudsley Simulation
Maudsley Simulation is the UK’s first simulation training centre focusing on mental health aiming to improve services for all who are affected or impacted by mental health issues. A range of courses are offered, including a focus on the interaction between mental and physical health. The Maudsley Simulation team won a BMJ (British Medical Journal) Award 2018 for Education Team of the Year for their simulation training.
IMPARTS free online course
Integrating Care: Depression, Anxiety and Physical Illness
This free 3-week course explores the connection between mental and physical health, and approaches to integrating care. On this course you will learn how mental and physical health interact. You will look in depth at the relationship between physical illness and depression/anxiety, and improve your ability to recognise symptoms and sources of help. Whether you work in healthcare, or you are a patient or carer, understanding how the mind and body interact can help you manage the emotional impact of illness more effectively. Find out more information or register online.
Responding to needs
In 2015, we carried out a review of our existing training offer and of the requirements of our staff. The review identified exemplary training practices in certain areas, significant need in others and an overall need to provide training in a more joined up way. You can use the links below to read full and summary versions of this report, including the recommendations it made, and the latest update report on progress made in delivering them.
Mind & Body Education and Training Report 2015
Mind & Body Education and Training Report 2015 (summary version)
Mind & Body Education and Training Project Report 2015/16
Mind and Body programme workforce survey 2015 to 2018