DECEMBER 2021
Future Workforce Mental Health Project
This project, launched in July (see below) is now progressing fabulously in the hands of our two Academic Leads, Katie Pavoni and Emma Geis.
Output 1 – The first draft of the curriculum guidance content regarding student personal mental health and wellbeing is nearing completion and there will be stakeholder engagement in early 2022.
Output 2 – Focus Groups were held in December to collect qualitative data on the proposed student wellbeing tool and the post intervention focus groups will be held in March 2022.
Output 3 – Work is ongoing to create student and preceptorship supervisor, case study learning content for the e-Learning for Health platform, with an aim of completion by Spring 2022.
Mental Health Continuum
Following our collaborative work with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) on suicide prevention, we were commissioned alongside other representatives, including those from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England) to develop an ambulance sector specific visual tool as a guide to help people evaluate where they are at in terms of their mental wellbeing. This tool acknowledges that mental health is not something which is 'all or nothing' and rather we fluctuate between different states of wellbeing. This is highly dependent upon a variety of factors including things happening in our daily lives, relationships, and at work. The tool is grounded within an evidence-base following examination of current research literature. It guides individuals to think about and self-reflect upon how they are feeling and also promotes individuals thinking around the support that may be helpful to them and how they may access this. The tool can be used by individuals to assess their own wellbeing, or could be used to engage staff in wellbeing conversations with managers, for example. The tool will be available via the College and AACE website's shortly, and will be shared with NHS Ambulance Trusts.
One Question Survey
Since April 2021, we have been running our monthly one question surveys, via our social media platforms, to get your thoughts on a wide variety of topics including CPD events, membership and what an International Paramedics Day would mean to you. Over the course of nine months we have had in excess of 700 responses which have given us a fantastic insight into what our members want and need from their professional body.
Of all the questions we have posed, the two which elicited the biggest responses by far were to do with a potential Coat of Arms for the College of Paramedics and your experiences of harassment and bullying, the results of which were truly shocking and a subject we have been addressing in our series of webinars with Brabners.
We will be analysing the data in the new year and will be continuing with our monthly questions throughout 2022. Please do take the time to participate in these surveys because we want your voice to be at the centre of everything we do.