Coronavirus staff guidance University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Last updated: 18 May 2022 at 16:05

Enhanced psychological first aid training for managers

What is enhanced PFA?

Psychological first aid (PFA) is widely recognised as an evidence-informed approach to provide support to individuals, teams and communities impacted by traumatic events. It has emerged from the international humanitarian response sector, having been widely used in the field and examined within academic settings. PFA is recommended and used by the World Health Organisation and over 24 other non-government bodies as a best-practice approach to provide psychological support to those in distress in the aftermath of a critical or traumatic incident.

Enhanced PFA training provides participants with a grounding in the eight stage PFA protocol, as well as skills-based practical exercises to help build participants confidence in applying PFA to an NHS setting. Enhanced PFA focuses on helping managers to apply PFA to support their team and aims to promote understanding of leadership behaviours which can help to buffer both you and your team against the potentially negative psychological-impact of critical events and stress.

Who is this training for?

Enhanced PFA is aimed specifically at line managers or those in leadership positions who want to:

• feel more confident in how to positively support their team and colleagues.
• better understand and their team and their own reactions to stress or critical events.
• this is open to any managers or leaders across the organisation who want to learn PFA and who would like to feel more confident in ways to support your team in a psychologically-informed way. You do not need to have a background in mental health to sign up.

Training dates

I want to apply - what do I have to do?

On a first-come, first-serve basis, there are 30 spaces on each cohort to ensure participants get the most out of the programme. Places are limited to provide a supportive environment where there is time to practice skills, ask questions, and cover material at a comfortable pace.

Training is provided online in order to reach as many participants as possible across all UHB sites in an effective and COVID-safe manner.

You must commit to all sessions in your cohort. This is a multi-part training with each session building on the one before.

If you can’t commit to attend all sessions, please let us know. We are constantly trying to provide ways to make the sessions more accessible.

Please give the training and your fellow participants the focus and attention they deserve - try your best to find a space where you can fully focus on the training free from distractions.

We hope you will use your newly developed skills to support your team and colleagues as well support others staff by volunteering in our wellbeing hubs. We have four main hubs across the hospital sites, and satellite hubs in specialist areas such as ED and ICU, providing essential support to staff. After completing your training you will be asked to support the staff health and wellbeing hubs.

Standard PFA

Led by Clinical Psychologist, Karen Mead, the standard PFA for all staff will offer practical and psychological tools to support your well-being during this time and show you how to apply the fundamental principles of Psychological First Aid.

PFA is widely recognised as an evidence-informed approach to provide support to individuals, teams and communities impacted by traumatic events.

Supervisor PFA

Supervisor PFA training is suitable for employees who have completed either version of the course and would like to offer to support to others who have completed PFA training.

To register for this course or for any other information about PFA training please contact Emma Smith.

Email: Emma.Smith32@nhs.net