One of the first TAPPs, Natalia Laverty-Baralle
A project led by the Innovation Agency to tackle a shortage of psychological professionals in the NHS, has been shortlisted for a national award.
The creation of a new role of Associate Practitioner Psychologist with training towards a post graduate diploma, is helping to plug a gap in shortages of mental health practitioners, while providing a much-needed graduate pathway for psychology professionals.
It has now been shortlisted for the HSJ Awards – the flagship awards event for the NHS, which takes place in November. The entry is submitted by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of a collaboration of Innovation Agency, NW primary care networks, the three North West Integrated Care Systems, Health Education England North West and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
The entry ‘Delivering an innovative mental health prevention and promotion service in primary care networks with a new workforce, the Associate Psychological Practitioners’ has been shortlisted in the category Primary and Community Care Innovation of the Year. It follows news of £1.6 million funding from Health Education England to recruit a third cohort of TAPPs, who will start training in March 2023.
The first 50 TAPPs graduated earlier this summer and a second cohort of nearly 90 trainees are currently studying at UCLan and undertaking their roles across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, South Cumbria, Merseyside and Cheshire.
Elsewhere in the AHSN Network, the following initiatives are also shortlisted for the HSJ Awards:
- The AHSN Network (led by East Midlands AHSN) has been nominated in the Partnership Award category for the Focus ADHD national programme delivered in partnership with Qbtech
- Yorkshire and Humber AHSN is also a finalist in the Partnership Award category for their work with AstraZeneca and Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust on reducing the carbon footprint of asthma inhalers (the SENTINEL project)
- UCLPartners has been nominated for the Primary and Community Care Innovation of the Year for their Proactive Care Frameworks.
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