Special interest sessions

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS (PDS) for Advanced Resident Doctors in Psychiatric Specialty Training

The table below details Professional Development opportunities available to advanced resident doctors in the South West and beyond. Please do get in touch with the named contact person to find out more.

Please note that the list is not exhaustive, and there are many other ways in which advanced resident doctors can utilise their PDSs.  It is suggested that you discuss your PDS goals with your educational supervisor.  Your colleagues are also a great resource to know what is out there.

PDS Opportunity

Contact person

and role

Further information

Location

 

Addiction psychiatry

Quality improvement work with CMHT

Dr Alison Battersby Consultant psychiatrist and CMHT lead consultant, Livewell SW

There are opportunities to gain experience in supervised work with people with dual diagnosis. This could be based either in CMHT or the complex needs team. You will learn structured ways to work with substance misuse.

 There are opportunities to learn about further integrating CMHT with primary care. These include deprescribing projects but not limited to that.

Plymouth CMHT complex needs team and primary care

Research in CFT and beyond

Dr Simon Vann Jones

Consultant Psychiatrist in Old Age Psychiatry, CFT and NIHR Specialty Research Lead for Dementia, SW Peninsula

Interested in research? Then contact me! I have supported previous STs to gain exposure to clinical trials from artificial intelligence to cannabis, from medical support through to NIHR Associate Principal Investigator roles. Providing medical support to a research trial is a great way of testing the waters and hugely appreciated by the R&D teams and may help build confidence to encourage you into becoming a Principal Investigator. I am also happy to link you in with research going on in Devon, Somerset and Livewell who are as active and enthusiastic as we are in Cornwall

Various throughout the SW Peninsula region

 

 

 

Digital mental health at CFT 

 

Dr Ellen Wilkinson 

Chief Clinical Information Officer at CFT 

There are plenty of opportunities for a trainee to become involved in digital projects, including new applications, implementation and transformation, records optimisation, using data intelligently and more.  Very flexible time commitment. 

Please get in contact with me to find out more! 

Mostly working remotely, with some workshops and meetings. 

Devon Adult Autism Interventions Team

 

 

Dr  Alexander Hartley

Consultant Psychiatrist, DPT

 

There are few autism services nationally that provide support around placement breakdown, delivering autism informed practice on inpatient wards or solution finding in complex cases for autistic people. Devon Adult Autism Interventions Team (DAAIT) is one of these services and we’re happy to offer experiences in a variety of ways and timeframes or link in with autism assessment and ADHD services more widely for a full neurodiversity programme.

Devon (including Plymouth)

Experience in working with people with LD 

Dr Simon Bonell, Consultant Psychiatrist in Intellectual Disabilities, Plymouth CLDT 

Excellent opportunity for trainees in any subspecialty to gain experience of working with people with LD.  Come and observe clinics, carry out new patient assessments and work with the MDT. This will be a valuable experience, no matter where you end up working! 

Plymouth (Westbourne, Scott Business Park PL2 2PQ) 

 

University Student population

Dr Jason Hancock, consultant psychiatrist University CMHT

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

There is an opportunity to gain clinical skills and experience supporting university students requiring input of the university CMHT. This population consists of people often at a transitional age (18 – 25), with a unique set of challenges and a high proportion of international students. This opportunity can be designed with the trainee in mind. It will likely involve attendance at University MDTs including those attended by University wellbeing services, and closely supervised clinical work. There is also the opportunity to become involved in service development and improvement.

.

MDTs take place online with clinical work taking place face to face at Reed Hall (Streatham campus) Exeter. These can take place online if needed.

 

Research in older adults and dementia

 

Dr Laura Hill, Consultant Psychiatrist and Honorary Senior Lecturer, DPT

 

Please get in touch if you are interested in research or quality improvement projects for older adults and particularly those with dementia. There are opportunities to collaborate with the University of Exeter and local projects on “living well” with dementia and end of life care in dementia.

 Exeter

Forensic Psychiatry

 

Dr Emily Ramsay & Dr Rebekah Bourne, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists, Devon Community Forensic Services

Devon Community Forensic Services offer a range of opportunities for trainees with no past experience in forensic psychiatry to develop their learning and transferrable skills to better inform their usual area of practice. Topics include; developing forensic risk assessment skills, exploring the interplay between mental health services and the Courts, the roles and limitations of the Expert Witness and psychosexual risk and pathology. Trainees will receive 1:1 supervision with a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, and the opportunity to work alongside our specialist MDT.

 

Langdon Hospital, Dawlish (Devon) and remotely via MS Teams

Forensic secure care

In-patient Women secure services and In-patient Learning Disability (LD) and Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) secure services

Prison transfer care pathway

 

 

Dr Partha Gangopadhyay

Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist

Former TPD in Forensic Psychiatry (Scotland)

Trainees would have opportunities to gain experience in-

· Inpatient women secure care (medium and low secure)

· In-patient LD and ASC secure care

· Prison transfer care (secure care-pathway for prisoners transferring to secure hospital for treatment)

 

This placement would be most suitable for Forensic trainees looking for experience in the above within a well-established secure hospital. It is also an excellent opportunity for trainees in any subspecialty, to gain experience of working with people requiring in-patient secure care. Please get in touch to discuss further.

 Wellesley hospital

Working with personality disorder and complex emotional needs – service and practice development

 

Dr Dan Beales, Consultant

Medical Psychotherapist, DPT

I am involved in developing treatment pathways for personality disorder and complex emotional need. This provides opportunities for learning about service development and commissioning. I also have extensive experience of working with and understanding complex presentations and comorbidity. This provides opportunities for developing training, developing the role of assessment and formulation, audit, quality improvement and clinical research in this area

Exeter and other locations throughout Devon

Psychosexual medicine

 

Dr Shilpa Sivaraman

Locum Consultant Psychiatrist,

Exeter home treatment team

I had started a QIP on sexual dysfunctions in patients under mental health team with a view to identify the extent of the problem and to see how confident are our clinicians in identifying the sexual difficulties and managing these difficulties. Often sexual difficulties are missed or not prioritised though they are a common side effect of psychotropics. I am hoping to assess this gap in the services with a view to identify the need of a specialist clinic for managing these.

 Various teams in DPT

Nature-based approaches implementation evaluation 

 

Patient participation 

 

Lifestyle Medicine 

Dr Beth Chapman Consultant Psychiatrist CAMHS 

Cornwall is leading the way in innovative approaches to nature-based practice and lifestyle medicine. There will be any number of opportunities to get involved with evaluation of training, implementation, content co-design, QI as this evolves.  

 

These can also be linked with the trust sustainability strategy and meeting carbon net zero targets.   

 

We actively support our children and young people to contribute to other portfolio studies so there are always opportunities in other clinical areas or research.  

 

 Cornwall 

Medical Education opportunities within the MRCPsych course

 

Dr Susan Howson,

Consultant Psychiatrist

Opportunities for Medical Education related leadership, service development, QI, delivery of medical education, or related projects, within the MRCPsych course.  In the past trainees have used the MRCPsych course as a way of having a ready-made audience for medical education developments, for example, trainees undertaking MedEd higher qualification.  There is scope to take on a leadership role with delivering part of the course to developing something new within the course.

 

 

Flexible across the trusts.
Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme  Royal College of Psychiatrists  

“Through the combination of a high impact leadership development programme, with a local apprenticeship model, fellows proactively engage in leadership projects and are mentored by senior medical leaders within their organisations.”

Please see the Royal College of Psychiatrists website for full information:
https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/training/your-training/leadership-management-fellow-scheme/scheme-overview		  

Post Graduate Certificates (PG certs) in:

  • Clinical education
  • Healthcare leadership and management
  • Global Health
  • Health research methods
  • Genomic medicine
  • Health data science
  • Public health
  • Clinical practice, management and education
 

These courses can be accessed through a number of universities. Please see their websites for details.

 

Please note HESW offer bursaries for the PgCert courses at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and with the Medics Academy in collaboration with the University of Lancashire. Please see the bursary funding page on the Peninsula Deanery website for more information

https://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/professional-education-and-development/education/bursary-funding/show/bursary-pgce
 
Diploma in Geriatric Medicine 
 
 

This is a credential awarded by the Royal college of Physicians, and comprises 2 examination components with self directed learning.
https://www.bgs.org.uk/DGM
 
 
Mentoring
  

There are mentoring opportunities within the school of psychiatry. Please get in touch with the school to find out more. In the past trainees have completed mentoring courses.
 
 
Psychological Therapies
  

There are numerous opportunities to use your PDS time to further develop your skills and experience in psychotherapies.

You may wish to contact the psychotherapy lead for your trust to enquire regarding opportunities.

In the past trainees have completed post graduate qualifications in specific psychological therapies.

Please note that you are not expected to use you PDS time to complete the psychotherapy competencies required within your training.
 
 
Medical Student Teaching 
  

Please contact the medical student teaching lead for your trust to enquire regarding opportunities for teaching, leadership and service development roles with regards to medical student teaching.
 
 
Roles within the Royal College of Psychiatrists
  

The Psychiatric Training Committee (PTC) represents Psychiatry trainees within the UK.  There are many ways you can get involved and support the PTC and fellow trainees.

Please look at the PTC page on the RCPsych website for more information:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/training/your-training/psychiatric-trainees-committee-supporting-you/how-you-can-get-involved
 
Local Representative Roles
  

There are a number of local advanced training representative roles including the advanced trainee representative, less than full time trainee representative and the IGM representative.

Please enquire with the deanery and your colleagues regarding these roles.
 

Trauma Recovery and Addiction within a Therapeutic Community. Develop hands-on skills in trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches to addiction and complex trauma recovery. Based at Hamoaze House— a therapeutic community rooted in structure, co-production, and relational safety—this placement supports deep learning beyond diagnostic and prescribing models.

Primary – Andy Maguire, CEO Hamoaze House: amaguire@hamoazehouse.org.uk
Secondary – Dr Alison Battersby, Consultant Psychiatrist and Hamoaze

Trustee: alison.battersby@gmail.com

This is a rare opportunity to become part of—not merely observe—a recovery community that challenges the myth that “nothing works” for addiction and trauma. You’ll gain confidence using psychological and relational skills as powerful tools in themselves, which will enhance your wider psychiatric practice. Alison’s own experience of a similar
placement as a fifth-year trainee profoundly shaped her career and demonstrated how psychiatry can empower people without always relying on the prescription pad. Taster sessions at other national centres of excellence can be arranged.

 
 

Hamoaze House, Devonport, Plymouth
Optional taster sessions by agreement
Complex psychosis and rehabilitation, assessment and management.

Dr Charles Dixon, consultant psychiatrist for the Eastern Rehabilitation service. Feel free to email or call me, charlesdixon@nhs.net 

M:07870576590

 This is an opportunity to gain invaluable experience of complex psychosis and rehabilitation, assessment and management. There would be a particular emphasis on use of the mental health act, complex prescribing especially the use of clozapine and long acting injections and you could also get involved with the new clozapine community initiation pilot; though we could of course be flexible in meeting your learning needs.  

Exeter – Wonford House Hospital

The RISE Mood Disorders Clinic offers a specialist training opportunity for higher psychiatry trainees interested in developing advanced skills in the assessment and management of complex mood disorders, including treatment-resistant depression and bipolar affective disorder. There will be opportunities to become involved with the delivery of clinical research in an official capacity (as sub-or primary-investigators) as a part of the placement.

The RISE Mood Disorder Research Clinic is part of a UK-wide network of research clinics that make up the Mood Disorders workstream of the MH-TRC Mission (a NIHR project coordinated via the University of Oxford). This aims for clinical and academic institutions within the UK to work collaboratively to advance research and improve outcomes for people affected by mood disorders. As a network of clinics country-wide, there will be opportunities for trainees to get involved with cross-site partnerships and teaching sessions regarding innovative treatments for affective disorder.

Contact person and role

Dr Adam Monsell, consultant psychiatrist, RISE Clinic email: adam.monsell2@nhs.net

Dr Merryn Anderson, consultant psychiatrists, RISE Clinic email:  merryn.anderson@nhs.net

Please also cc in dpt.riseresearchclinic@nhs.net into email correspondence about the post.

  

Further information (in no more than 100 words please)

Higher trainees undertaking a special interest or professional development placement within the RISE Mood Disorders Clinic will contribute one day (either per week or fortnightly, depending on availability) to the clinical and academic work of the service. During their special interest sessions trainees can:

-          Participate in the assessment, formulation, and ongoing management of patients with complex mood disorders under consultant supervision.

-          Contribute to multidisciplinary discussions regarding diagnostic, therapeutic, and service-planning considerations.

-          Engage with the clinic’s research activity, with opportunities to become formally involved in academic or industry-sponsored clinical studies.

-          Attend relevant academic meetings, case discussions and contribute to service-based teaching where appropriate.

-          Work collaboratively within the research department, alongside research assistants, clinicians, and academics with diverse clinical and research backgrounds.

This placement enables higher trainees to develop specialist expertise in mood disorders, gain exposure to translational research, and enhance skills in leadership, supervision, and academic collaboration.

  

Location

RISE Mood Disorder Research Clinic

This page was last updated November 26th 2025 (6 months ago)