Getting it all together in the PD World

Several years ago, the National PD Programme's learning network seemed to be a thoroughly useful and productive way to learn how to set up numerous different services, without the need to follow a recipe first tried in America - or fearing the next flying visit of the compliance police. Sadly, the two or three events per year dwindled to nil as the DH's programme ran out of steam, influence and money before it was finally shut in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.
But if the message at that closure was 'you are on your own now', this event shows that those of us in the field - at least those who believe in genuine co-creation with service users, and a need for different services in different local contexts - are starting to get together, and get it together to make a noise about what good serfvices are.

This might - given a fair wind - all come together under the umbrella of BIGSPD, of which this was the second national event for PD services to come together. It is designed as the 'Community of Practice', and will move between different places across the country - and link in with other active processes such as the Tier 4 specialist commissioning with NHS England, the quality network process at the Royal College of Psychiatrists Centre for Quality Improvement, Enabling Environments and 'Relational Practice', and perhaps some increased political lobbying and public awareness.