Professional Development

CPDme have been instrumental in helping us get our work out, everything on our resources page can be found and logged as certified CPD on their website *click here*

We believe this is staff networks at their best. Understanding the problems and issues communities face and working to do something about it. We quickly recognised two areas for improvement for ambulance staff based on the experiences of people within the LGBT+ populations. The first is transgender people who often have a difficult experience of health services in general. When it comes to ambulance services we found that many transgender people recognised the clinical skills of the people treating them, but found the personal approach 'clumsy'.

We found something very similar when researching people living with HIV. Some patients found questioning intrusive and inappropriate; one patient describing how they 'felt judged'. On the counter-side, when we asked ambulance staff if they felt appropriately trained to deal with people living with HIV, only four percent said 'yes'.

The resources we have put together are easy to access and will provide a sound understanding of the best approach when dealing with people. After reading the resources you can go the CPDme website where you will find a set of confirmation questions and space for your reflection. Once complete you can gain a CPD certificate for your portfolio.

These resources are designed to help ambulance staff deliver the best care. Remember our moto... informed care is great care!

Target 1,000

Between 31 July and 31 October 2020 we set a target to get 1,000 ambulance staff to complete one of the professional development packs. We achieved this with a total of 1,138 certificates being issued.

Hall of Fame

Putting together new professional development material is no easy task and we want to congratulate the many people who have helped with this work.

Josh Barraclough - Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Josh has been instrumental in putting together the whole Ambulance Service Trans Toolkit. The completed task took almost a year to collect all the information and refine in into what you see now. Josh is passionate that everyone can make a difference to trans people.

Josh was supported in this task by a large number of people, including Kath Henwood (Yorkshire Ambulance Service), Jonny Holmes (East Midlands Ambulance Service), Steph Meech (South East Coast Ambulance Service) and Sally Smith (Yorkshire Ambulance Service).

Tony Faraway and Adam Williams - South East Coast and North West Ambulance Services

Tony and Adam worked on the first part of the Providing Good Care to People Living with HIV resource. The research to understand patient experience and staff knowledge was not easy to obtain but you will find this provides a real insight into what currently happens and what surely needs to be improved.

The second part of this resource was originally written by Alistair Gunn (Yorkshire Ambulance Service) and Kat Smithson (National AIDS Trust) in 2018 in an attempt to improve awareness amongst ambulance staff. This is a very fast moving field of medicine at the moment and treatments are changing and getting much more effective.

Domini Lawson - CPDme

We are indebted to CPDme for supporting the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network over the last three years. Domini has helped to make our resources have real development potential and ensure that ambulance staff can gain important credits for taking part in these developments.

Grainne Slavin - Platform 74

Grainne is the graphic designer who has helped to bring The Ambulance Service Trans Toolkit to life. We are also a fussy bunch at the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network and we kept her busy with revisions for a few months!

Dave Race - Broadsword UK

Dave is the Managing Director of Sheffield based printing company Broadsword. He has helped us with all our printed materials over the past three years including all conference materials and goodies, and the very popular Recipe of Wellbeing Recipe Book produced in 2019. Both of our new resources are available in printed form and Dave always makes sure our products are made to a high standard of look and feel.

Understanding the + in LGBT+

This resource looks to demystify the full acronym, LGBTQQIAAP, or LGBT+ for short. As well as discovering what each of the letter stands for, we consider how we can provide inclusive care to patients from across the LGBT+ spectrum.

Once again, we have teamed up with CPDme to bring you a professional development experience, and you can print a certificate for your portfolio after completing the confirmation questions.

Good Care to People Living with HIV

This professional development resource comprises one book which is split into two halves. The first half looks at patient experience and staff knowledge, and the second focusses on updating your knowledge on treatments and best practice.

There are ten confirmation questions that you will need to complete to gain your CPD credit and will also need to provide a short reflection. Everything you need to complete your development is provided below.

The Ambulance Service Trans Toolkit

This professional development resource comprises four books of information. The first three are desisgned to help you understand the lives of transgender people and then apply this knowldege to patient facing situations and working with staff who are transitioning. The first three books have sets of confirmation questions which help to gain your CPD credit.

The fourth book is for interets and includes information about transgender people in the media and sport and how transgender people are recognised around the world. Also in the final book you will find a whole host of references and links in case you want to find out more. There are no confirmation questions for this book.

Notes for Colleagues in Wales

During the development of this resource we went to great lengths to check the information was correct. Despite this, things do change and we have been made aware of a few details which are now incorrect.

Number of Gender Identity Clinics

Reference 'Understanding Trans People' (Book 1), Page 26

The toolkit states there are seven gender identity clinics in England, with one due to open in Wales. Since completion of the resource the Welsh Gender Service opened in July 2019 and is based at St David’s Hospital in Cardiff.

Use of Pathways in NHS 111

Reference 'Better Care to Trans Patients' (Book 2), Page 11

It is noted that the Welsh NHS 111 service does not use the Pathways system that is described in this section. This does not impact on any of the confirmation questions.

Nodiadau ar gyfer Cydweithwyr yng Nghymru

Yn ystod datblygiad yr adnodd hwn aethom i drafferth mawr i wirio bod y wybodaeth yn gywir. Er gwaethaf hyn, mae pethau'n newid ac rydym wedi cael gwybod am ychydig o fanylion sydd bellach yn anghywir.

Nifer y Clinigau Hunaniaeth Rhyw

Cyfeirnod 'Deall Pobl Draws' (Llyfr 1), Tudalen 26

Mae'r pecyn cymorth yn nodi bod saith clinig hunaniaeth rhywedd yn Lloegr, ac un i fod i agor yng Nghymru. Ers cwblhau’r adnodd agorodd Gwasanaeth Rhyw Cymru ym mis Gorffennaf 2019 ac mae wedi’i leoli yn Ysbyty Dewi Sant yng Nghaerdydd.

Defnyddio Llwybrau yn GIG 111

Cyfeirnod 'Gwell Gofal i Gleifion Traws' (Llyfr 2), Tudalen 11

Nodir nad yw gwasanaeth GIG Cymru 111 yn defnyddio'r system Llwybrau a ddisgrifir yn yr adran hon. Nid yw hyn yn effeithio ar unrhyw un o'r cwestiynau cadarnhau.

Endorsements

Kath Lavery, Chairperson, Yorkshire Ambulance Service

'My sincere congratulations to everyone who’s been involved in the design and development of this very important suite of resources. I read them with real pleasure. Obviously their subject content is incredibly important to both the Ambulance Service and indeed the wider NHS as we champion inclusion and diversity, not just because it’s the right thing to do but because not to do so would mean we miss out on so much talent in our workforce.

'This suite of documents are notable for their brilliant design as well as their content. I get to read a huge amount of material, it’s fundamental to the role of Chair, and I can honestly say these were a pleasure and that’s not something I say very often!'

Helen Ray, Chief Executive, North East Ambulance Service

'It’s a real pleasure to add my voice to the endorsements of this excellent suite of resources. As always the team at the National Ambulance LGBT Network have delivered something that is thought provoking and practical.

'We will be sharing this widely across teams and I know our local network will be using these resources to support our continuous drive for complete inclusivity. The lived experiences shared are, for me, particularly helpful in stimulating personal reflection as I continue my journey to be a great ally.

'Well done and thank you.'

Helen Seymour, Education Consultant

'I found the material presented in these resources extremely informative and presented in an exceptionally engaging and accessible manner. The case histories and personal experiences were thought provoking and a very useful prompt for reflective learning. These resources are incredibly useful in all areas of the service and beyond.'

Sue Tucker, EOC Head of Clinical Governance and Safety, North East Ambulance Service

After completing both of the new resources Sue wrote on Twitter:

'Brilliant resources. Highly recommended.'

Simon Davies, Head of Investigations and Learning, Yorkshire Ambulance Service

'The pack developed by the National Ambulance LGBT Network around delivering good care to patients with a HIV diagnosis is such a useful tool in terms of up to date guidance and support to front line clinicians, and to tackle health inequalities/challenge misinformation or discriminative behaviours.

'We have recently used the pack to aid front line understanding of these issues during clinical feedback and it was received very positively with the colleagues involved commenting that they had found it insightful and something akin to the situation which can be described as ‘not knowing what you don’t know’ around a particular topic. I’m so grateful to the national group for developing this learning aid and look forward to seeing what they can come up with next!'

Jane Abdulla, Assistant Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust held an Equality Talk on Better Care for Trans Patients as part of its International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Programme 2021, and invited Joshua Barraclough and Alistair Gunn to present the National Ambulance LGBT Network’s Trans Tool Kit to our 27,000+ staff, as well as engage in a Q&A with our staff. Joshua and Alistair presentation was very informative and practical, and was very well received. We are thankful to Joshua and Alistair, not only for coming to our virtual event to present their resources, but also for the resources which have been shared with all our staff who have found them accessible and and really useful.

If you would like to add you voice to our endorsement page, we would love to hear from you. Please write to info@nationalambulancelgbt.com

CPDme

CPD Portfolio Building Made Simple!

CPDme have been instrumental in helping us get our work out, everything on our resources page can be found and logged as certified CPD on their website *click here*

At the heart of what CPDme provides is a website and mobile app that allows you to build, record and maintain an accurate record of your continuing professional development (CPD) that is dynamic and meets the demands of the busy modern day professional.

Check them out by clicking their logo.