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 the whole person. 

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. 

Our education opportunities are divided into three levels based on professional roles and core competencies:

• Level 1: All clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Level 2: Clinical staff who may provide care to patients with, or at risk of, physical and mental health comorbidities.
• Level 3: Clinical staff who regularly provide care to patients with, or at risk of, physical and mental health comorbidities.

Since the launch of these opportunities, our education and training workstream has seen:

• More than 10,000 new staff receiving Mind & Body information in their inductions.
• More than 600 completions of our e-learning modules
• 2500 staff receiving in-person training
• More than 800 participants in our Share and Learn sessions.
• More than 13,000 sign-ups for our Massive Open Online Course.

Level 1 Training for clinical and non-clinical staff 

Our level 1 training aims to support all staff to: 

• Increase their awareness of the risk and prevalence of physical and mental health comorbidities. 
• Develop an awareness of sources for further information and support. 

Our level 1 course(s) are: 

Mind & Body e-learning 

This interactive resource explains how physical and mental health commonly influence each other. This e-learning also helps healthcare professionals learn how to recognise the additional health needs of patients and identify appropriate services to refer them to. 

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. 

Level 2 Training for clinical staff 

Our level 2 training aims to support staff to: 

• Recognise and assess physical and mental health comorbidities, including awareness of referral pathways. 
• Collaborate inter-professionally to meet the person’s needs. 

Our level 2 course(s) are: 

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 them manage both the physical and psychological needs of patients. The initial part of this course is available as an eLearning package. 

Mind & Body Share and Learn 

Our routine monthly webinars are available to all staff across south east London. Topics aim to support staff to learn from others about areas of practice, mental and physical health conditions, and develop more specialist knowledge. Our Share and Learn sessions are advertised via our FutureNHS network page and our mailing list. If you would like to hear about our upcoming sessions, please join our network 

Level 3 Training for Clinical Staff 

Our level 3 training aims to support staff to: 

• Increase their awareness of the risk, prevalence and needs of people with physical and mental health comorbidities. 
• Instigate and lead inter-professional collaboration across primary/secondary, physical/mental health/social care interfaces. 

Our level 3 course(s) are: 

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. This course is available for adults and young people. If you would like to be booked on this course, please email mindandbody@slam.nhs.uk for the next available dates. 

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 mindandbody@slam.nhs.uk for more information.