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PWP Professional Development and Wellbeing Forum 2026

PWP Professional Development and Wellbeing Forum 2026
Online Forum, 5 CPD hours
Thu 26 Mar 2026

When PWP teams across the country were facing similar day-to-day pressures, this free-to-attend forum provided a valuable opportunity to come together in a supportive environment, share what was working, and leave reinvigorated with fresh ideas.

Attendees from across the NHS and public sector gained practical, evidence-informed strategies for managing workload, navigating clinical complexity, sustaining wellbeing, and building confidence across key aspects of the PWP role. This uplifting and well-structured day left participants feeling connected, valued, and better supported for the year ahead.

Sponsored by:

          

CPD online learning

This inspiring online forum brought PWPs from across the country together to strengthen confidence in their roles through meaningful conversations, generous peer learning, and expert-led sessions.

By taking time out to attend, participants enriched their CPD portfolios, gained practical role-specific insights, and explored fresh ideas to take back to their services. The day also fostered thought-provoking discussions around sustaining wellbeing, managing workload, and shaping the future of PWP practice together.

Attendees left feeling more connected, informed, and confident in their roles, with practical strategies to support both their own development and their wider teams.

Education to inspire

Attendees benefited from invaluable networking and best practice sharing. Those in attendance had the opportunity to:

  • Connect with fellow PWPs to share challenges, insights, and practical solutions
  • Build confidence in managing workload and clinical complexity
  • Take away practical tools they could apply immediately in their PWP roles
  • Strengthen wellbeing and resilience to support sustainable practice

With thanks to our sponsor

SBK Healthcare would like to thank SilverCloud by Amwell for sponsoring this educational forum.

Opportunities to sponsor

Are you from industry or a commercial organisation who is interested in being part of an online forum like this? We would be delighted to discuss all of the available opportunities for you to get involved. Please email vanessa.pearce@sbk-healthcare.co.uk or call 01732 897788.

9:00
Registration, technical support and networking opportunity
9:30
Introduction, instructions and chair’s opening remarks
Adam Ottley-Porter, PWP and Former Lecturer, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and University of Surrey
Workload management
9:40
Effective case-load management for sustainable PWP practice
  • Refining your skills to meet the demands of high-volume caseloads
  • How to manage your caseload to reduce the risk of burnout
  • Accessing support from your wider team and services: utilising supervision effectively
Lizzie Gray-Smith, PWP and Trainee CBT Therapist, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
10:10
Practical diary management skills for PWPs
  • Structuring your clinical day: protecting admin time and instilling boundaries
  • Working with flexibility: DNA, cancellations and client call backs
  • Establishing and maintaining caseload and diary oversight: keeping control
Sarah Barker, PWP Clinical Lead and Co-Chair, Impact on Teeside NHS Talking Therapies Services and North East and Yorkshire Senior PWP Forum
10:40
Questions and answers with your speakers
Industry partner showcase
10:50
Using SilverCloud to enhance your case load management, and things we've seen other PWPs do!
Sam Lane, Senior Product Manager, SilverCloud by Amwell
11:00
Questions and answers representatives
11:10
Opportunity to meet your industry partners in breakout rooms
11:20
Screen break
11:30
Building confidence for the transition from remote to in-person sessions
  • Identifying and containing unexpected complexity: how to maintain role boundaries
  • Applying assessment and decision-making strategies for complexity
  • Utilising support and supervision effectively to minimise the risk of overwhelm
Jade Naick, Senior PWP, We Are With You
12:00
Questions and answers with your speaker
12:10
Interactive discussion: Staying well at work: preventing burnout in the PWP role
  • Which parts of your role have stretched you the most recently? What have you learnt from that experience?
  • Share a work experience that felt challenging and something that helped you manage it
  • Which strengths, habits and approaches have helped your wellbeing at work?
  • How are you making changes to ensure you can work more sustainably in the future?
12:30
Feedback from interactive discussion: Staying well at work: preventing burnout in the PWP role
12:40
Lunch break
1:20
How to navigate difficult conversations in your PWP role
  • Recognising and managing the increased emotional, cognitive and practice load of in-person sessions
  • Preserving therapeutic engagement whilst maintaining boundaries, timeliness and session focus
  • Managing risk and complexity safely in face-to-face work: adopting necessary adjustments
Heather Nurse, Deputy Director for PWP Programmes and Clinical Lead and Service Manager (Step 2), University of Southampton and NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire
1:50
Questions and answers with your speaker
2:00
Interactive discussion: Keeping on top of PWP accreditation: managing processes and delays
  • Which part of the Step 2 accreditation process have you found most difficult to keep on top of and why?
  • Share what has helped you keep on top of your accreditation processes
  • Which systems, support or processes would be most useful and make the biggest difference in keeping on top of accreditation?
2:20
Feedback from interactive discussion: Keeping on top of PWP accreditation: managing processes and delays
2:30
Screen break
Resilience and wellbeing practice
2:40
Resilience in practice: skills for sustaining wellbeing in your PWP role
  • Harnessing your personal strengths and strategies to build resilience in clinical practice
  • Managing professional challenges: understanding how to apply a structured approach
  • Exploring how supervision and your wider team can support you to build sustainable resilience
Ridhae Sheikh, Senior PWP and Step 2 Groups Lead, NELFT NHS Foundation Trust (BABCP)
3:10
Questions and answers with your speaker
3:20
Close of day

With thanks to the speakers

Adam Ottley-Porter

PWP and Former Lecturer
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and University of Surrey
Biography

Lizzie Gray-Smith

PWP and Trainee CBT Therapist
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Biography

Sarah Barker

PWP Clinical Lead and Co-Chair
Impact on Teeside NHS Talking Therapies Services and North East and Yorkshire Senior PWP Forum
Biography

Heather Dukes

Senior PWP
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Biography

Jade Naick

Senior PWP
We Are With You
Biography

Ridhae Sheikh

Senior PWP and Step 2 Groups Lead
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust (BABCP)
Biography

Heather Nurse

Deputy Director for PWP Programmes and Clinical Lead and Service Manager (Step 2)
University of Southampton and NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire
Biography

Sam Lane

Senior Product Manager
SilverCloud by Amwell

Who came?

This online forum was designed for professionals working at Step 2 and Step 3 across NHS Talking Therapies services. We were joined by the likes of:

  • Lead PWPs, Senior PWPs and PWPs
  • Service Managers 
  • Team Leaders 
  • Clinical Leads 

Audience feedback

We have been delivering successful PWP events for over 10 years and have received excellent feedback. But don’t take our word for it, take a look at how attendees have described their experience at recent online forums.

"It's been incredibly interesting to gain insight into how other services work and what they can offer to diversify the PWP role"
- Everyturn (NHS Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies), PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Lovely to mix with services in each corner of the country and to hear suggestions for improving our working"
- Steps 2 Wellbeing - Dorset healthcare, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Very useful and recommended"
- NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"The presentations were really insightful and interesting. It was great to build my knowledge base"
- Barnsley Talking Therapies, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Very inspiring, great to have some time just to think about career direction, and not just about getting through the day and a long list of appointments"
- Nottingham Talking Therapies, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Professionally presented, well organised and interesting discussions/topics"
- NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight NHS Trust, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Really useful topics covered, great speakers who shared a lot of passion and insight"
- Blackpool Talking Therapies, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Great day talking about some of the hot topics"
- Steps 2 Wellbeing, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
"Well presented and informative forum providing lots of opportunity for reflection on the poignant parts of the PWP role"
- Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Talking Therapies Service, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
"Really inspiring for PWPs to hear about the passion and possibilities in the role"
- Greenwich Time to Talk - NHS Talking Therapies, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
"I found it really inspiring and it has made me feel more positive and empowered about my role as a PWP, and how as a SPWP I can pass these messages onto other PWPs"
- Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
"Really great event, so interesting, so much to take away and think about"
- Bedfordshire Talking Therapies, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
"It was incredibly valuable to share, and witness my colleague present on, my experience as a Step 2 Clinical Lead and also hear from other leaders in services about what we can do to develop the PWP role"
- We Are With You, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
"Really knowledgeable"
- Pennine Care NHS Talking Therapies, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023