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SOM Events Code of Conduct
  • 22 January 2025
    Webinar

       

    SPONSORED BY ORCHID LIVE.COM

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    Summary: 

    Prof Greenberg will present data from the NHS CHECK study which is the UK’s largest study of NHS healthcare staff. NHS CHECK began in 2020 and has collected multiple waves of data since that time. The presentation will cover the best estimate of the state of mental health of staff working within the NHS in the UK, the extent and causes of moral injuries as well as other relevant topics including suicidal thoughts and behaviours and Long Covid. 

    Speaker Bios:

    Professor Neil Greenberg is a consultant academic, occupational and forensic psychiatrist based at King’s College London. Neil served in the United Kingdom Armed Forces for more than 23 years and has deployed, as a psychiatrist and researcher, to a number of hostile environments including Afghanistan and Iraq. At King’s Neil leads on a number of military mental health projects and is a principal investigator within a nationally funded Health Protection Research unit. He is a past chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) Special Interest Group in Occupational Psychiatry and led the World Psychiatric Association position statement on mental health in the workplace. Neil has published more than 400 scientific papers and book chapters and has been the Secretary of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society and Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. During the COVID19 pandemic, Neil worked closely with various government organisations and published widely on psychological support for healthcare, and other key workers. As well as running March on Stress Ltd, a psychological health consultancy, Neil is a trustee with the Society and Faculty of Occupational Medicine. In 2023 he was awarded a prestigious honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He is the President Elect of the UK’s Society of Occupational Medicine.

    Chair: Dr Sally Coomber

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

    We'd like to thank our sponsor - Orchid Live. Orchid Live is specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com

  • 28 January 2025
    Webinar

       

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    Summary: 

    This exclusive webinar will cover the following:

    •    Current volumes and the need to scale provision
    •    Transdiagnostic mapping research and the need to move away from label
    •    Focus on functional performance of everyday skills
    •    Current vs triage cost model for provision
    •    Case study from an OH provider how the triage model has affected employee outcomes and employer costs
    •    Q&A

    Speaker Bio:

    Dr Nancy Doyle C. Psychol is a Visiting Professor of Occupational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London and is the founder and Chief Science Officer of Genius Within CIC, an international B-corp and non-profit. Genius Within provides coaching, assessment, training, HR consultancy and scalable digital services to thousands of businesses each year. Genius Within won the Queen’s Award for Business in 2022. Nancy has worked in disability inclusion since the late 1990s and has personally delivered hundreds of diagnostic assessments, workplace needs assessments and coaching programs for neurodivergent people. Nancy is an ADHDer, and her company is a majority disabled business, with around two thirds of the 250 employees and associates identifying as neurodivergent, disabled or both. Nancy therefore has lived experience of both overcoming career barriers, supporting others to do so, and learning how to manage boundaries around reasonableness within a marginalised team.

    Tim Heard: Tim brings two decades of comprehensive experience in occupational health, safety, and wellbeing. His expertise encompasses the management of psychological risk at the organisational level, consultancy, and the implementation of company-wide wellbeing strategies. Tim is adept at providing innovative solutions tailored to support his clients effectively.
    Tim’s role demands agile thinking and an open-minded approach to the diverse challenges companies encounter in enhancing employee wellbeing. He also possesses extensive experience in managing sickness absence across a broad spectrum of medical conditions.
    In the past two years, Tim has focused on enhancing HCML’s support for neurodiversity. His dedication to creating scalable solutions has resulted in robust support systems for individuals facing neurodiversity-related challenges in the workplace.
     

    Chair: Dr Adrienne Barker Corrigall 

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

  • 29 January 2025
    Webinar

    Certificate in OH Case Management

    Wednesday 29th – Friday 31st January 2025, A Virtual Course

    Do you want to develop your case management knowledge and skills? Then join The At Work Partnership for a practical three-day qualification designed to train occupational health and other professionals, in the theory and practice of case management skills.

    Conducted virtually via Zoom, the course will equip you with the theory and practice to improve your case management skills – helping your organisation to reduce the burden of long-term absence by improving return-to-work and job-retention outcomes.

    Benefits of attending for you and your organisation

    You will gain:

    - A comprehensive understanding of the importance of the role that OH can play as case management coordinator

    - A detailed knowledge of the biopsychosocial model and how it can be used to identify obstacles to job retention or return-to-work

    - A structured approach to case management, from drawing up return-to-work and job-retention plans, to putting these into practice and evaluating their success

    - In-depth comprehension of the theory and practical skills required to manage complex cases, from chronic conditions to mental health

    - Guidance on legal obligations

    Expert speakers

    The course brings together some of the top experts in their fields including Dr Kim Burton, one of the founders of the biopsychosocial and ‘flags’ approach and the course director and leading OH physician, Dr Nerys Williams.

    Click here for full course details and to book online.

    EARLY BIRD RATE OFFER: Book and pay before 12 December 2024 and save £100 + VAT

  • 29 January 2025
    West Midlands

    FOR SOM MEMBERS ONLY £54

    We have secured a special visit to the Emma Bridgewater Pottery Factory in Stoke-on-Trent on Wed 29th January 2025.

    The experience will begin with arrival at 12pm for afternoon tea, followed by a tour of the factory at 1.30pm and finally a pottery decorating session at 3pm. Spaces are limited to 10 people on a first come, first served basis.

    This is an opportunity to meet fellow SOM members and to learn and ask questions on a workplace tour. 

    You can find out more online here https://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/collections/factory-tour-experiences

    SOM Members ONLY. If you are not a member, please join here www.som.org.uk

  • 30 January 2025
    Webinar

       

    SPONSORED BY ORCHID LIVE.COM

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    Webinar summary:

    Running an independent OH service as an independent Nurse

    Kindness – The Foundation for Leadership
    "Like so many occupational health nurses – I fell into this career by accident or to put a more positive spin – through serendipity.  Initially, that may not seem like a helpful cue for those of you looking to set up your own business, however, a significant piece of advice I have always been aware of is ‘when the opportunity arises – be ready’. 
    Whilst I never set out in this career to run my own business, when I saw the opportunity to work in the way I wanted or to put it more holistically – to live the life I wanted, I made it happen.  That included being able to utilise all my skills and knowledge to provide the best possible service to my customers.
    I used to think my story was that I didn’t have a story...... This webinar tells my story of when almost 40 years ago as a newly qualified midwife, I managed to influence significant changes permitting fathers into the scanning room for the first time to share the experience of seeing their newly forming baby on scan. I achieved this through data to influence – by undertaking a survey.  More recently during the COVID pandemic, I returned to the NHS, this time with a more evolved but still innovative style of leadership. At one point someone in senior management suggested I couldn’t and shouldn’t manage my department on kindness – I disagreed – our greatest and most influential leaders led by the osmosis of kindness.  I see the key to building a successful independent business is being honest and transparent to forge collaborative partnerships."

    Speaker Bio:

    Christine Poulter  RGN RM SCPHN BSc BA MSc
     
    Honorary Strategic Clinical Advisor for the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) and Clinical Director of OHCP (an independent Occupational Health Consultancy). 
     
    Following a career as a nurse, midwife, and public health, Christine has around 20 years of experience in Occupational Health.
     
    Her broad range of experience includes NHS, corporate, armed services, manufacturing, higher education and public health.
     
    As an independent practitioner, she focuses on delivering top-quality service to small businesses, SMEs and charities through her own business, which she set up in 2016.
     
    Setting up her own business, gave her the opportunity to offer her time to the SOM as an Editorial Assistant.  When the honorary position of Strategic Clinical Advisor for the Society of Occupational Medicine was advertised, being the successful applicant provided incredible opportunities. This position has offered multiple occasions for collaborative working with some of the country’s top experts in occupational health.
     
    Christine has contributed to several SOM publications, including skin, sleep, mental health, careers, and health surveillance. She is a participant in the SOM’s Sleep, Multidiscipline, Health Surveillance and Leadership Special Interest Groups. She delivers lectures and talks to universities and community charities. Her key focus is on prioritising high-quality and bespoke approaches that serve the client, above financial success.

    Chair: Emma Karagkevrekis, Specialist Practitioner: Occupational Health

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

    We'd like to thank our sponsor - Orchid Live. Orchid Live is specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com

  • 05 February 2025
    Webinar

    21st annual Preview conference from The At Work Partnership

    Preview 2025: OH Legal & Professional Update

    Wednesday 5th February 2025 - A Virtual Event

    Chaired by Dr John Ballard, editor of Occupational Health [at Work]

    Do you know the legal and professional developments that will be affecting your work in occupational health over the next 12 months? How can you prepare for these challenges? Join The At Work Partnership and a hand-picked panel of experts to navigate through some of the most complex and important developments in OH.

    The 21st annual Preview 2025 conference will provide a comprehensive update on crucial developments in OH law and professional practice. This year’s exciting programme includes a key note session on Women's Health at Work from the UK woman's health ambassador, Prof Dame Lesley Regan, a session with Chief Executive of Carers UK, Helen Walker, on supporting the health of unpaid working carers and a talk on how to manage complaints against OH professionals with Dr Deirdre Gleeson. The legal updates feature an overview of the new Employment Rights Bill 2024 with Prof Diana Kloss, and a look at the implications of the new s.19A of the Equality Act 2010 with Emily Yeardley as well as updates on the latest legal and ethical hot topics!

    For further detail on the programme visit the event page at the website link below.

    Testimonials from past delegates:

    “A must attend for OH managers.”
    Head of occupational health and wellbeing

    “Like rolling in magical OH dust. I leave feeling sparkly with knowledge and ideas that I can use in my role.”
    Occupational health advisor

    “An essential diary entry each year.”
    Medical services manager

    EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFERS AVAILABLE NOW:

    Book by Wednesday 18th December 2024 and save up to £60 + VAT!

    Self-funded delegates from only £175 + VAT!

    Secure your place here.

  • 10 February 2025
    Webinar

    Expert Training by Occupational Health Specialists - £3000 per Participant (VAT not applicable)

    The next intake starts Monday 10th February 2025.

    Faculty of Occupational Medicine approved online course designed by experienced OH clinicians and academics at the University of Glasgow.

    - Unique university standard distance learning modules providing flexible online learning opportunities.

    - Designed to facilitate Learning and Revision at learners' convenience.

    - Quality teaching, expert academic engagement, and dedicated candidate admin support.

    Online Teaching & Learning Structure

    - Short interactive live & recorded sessions

    - Dedicated online learning resource

    - Interactive activities/assessments including:

         о Bespoke workplace videos focused on hazard identification & risk assessment skills.

         о Occupational Health consultations stimulating practical insight.

    - Dedicated Exam Preparation Support

         о Mock Portfolio development

         о Multiple-choice questions (MCQ) summative assessments

    View the full advert here.

    Click here to register now.

     

  • 11 February 2025
    Webinar

       

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    This exclusive webinar will cover
    •    Living and working on board – worse things do happen at sea
    •    Medical care on board ships
    •    Guidelines for the medical examination of seafarers – national and international.
         o    How are they developed?
         o    Why are they important? 
         o    Current review process
    •    Individual risk assessment of fitness to work at sea
    •    The UK position
    •    International Maritime Health
         o    IMHA
         o    IMH and IMHF

    Speakers:

    Dr Sue Stannard was appointed as Chief Medical Advisor to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in the UK in February 2022. Sue has a clinical background in Acute Medicine, Anaesthetics/ITU and Paediatrics. She worked as a Ship’s Doctor for P&O Princess and was later Medical Director at Carnival (UK). Sue was also Medical Director (Assistance) at International SOS in London overseeing all medical assistance cases. These included evacuation and repatriation flights, monitoring of medical cases overseas and providing medical advice to leisure and business travellers, expats and companies. She has worked as a Consultant at the Norwegian Centre of Maritime and Diving Medicine in Bergen and more recently as an Independent Consultant in Maritime Medicine, working closely with the maritime industry on a number of publications. She is currently studying for her Masters in Maritime Health. Sue is also an appraiser of UK Independent Doctors. 

    Her talk:

    Worse things do happen at sea and the maritime environment is unique in many ways. For some seafarers working at sea, it is their living and working environment for many months at time, often remote from medical care and support. It is therefore key that seafarers are both physically and mentally fit to manage the challenges of life at sea to manage the risk to themselves, others on boar, the operation of the ship and the environment. This presentation will review the current UK Guidelines for fitness to work at sea and the ENG1 medical system for assessing fitness on an individual basis. As the maritime industry is a global entity, we will also look at the international perspective including ongoing work to ensure that the medical guidelines are up to date and how you can contribute to this and other work within the maritime industry.

    Dr Imogen Stilz
    Imogen is an accredited specialist in occupational medicine and a portfolio occupational physician. She’s working for Southwestern Railways (2021), University College London Hospital (2020), and Shell (2011). She is medical advisor for Shell’s commercial shipping operations. Imogen’s work has included research reports, presentations, and publications on occupational health quality indicators, industrial injuries compensation schemes, mental health and resilience training in seafarers, and remote health care off-shore.

    Her talk is entitled “Joining the dots – occupational health in an international commercial shipping fleet"
    There are regulatory & industry standards and recommendations for many different elements of maritime health and wellbeing, covering medical fitness, health promotion, human factors, health hazards for physical & mental health, and medical care on board ship. Whilst the common goal is supporting the health and wellbeing of seafarers, these standards and recommendations often address only one element in isolation. There is however a complex interplay between these different elements, the ship’s environment, and seafarers’ health. The presentation shows where and how these elements connect and what organisational factors are important to make it all work.

    Michelle Johnson is Specialist OH Nurse Practitioner and has worked in OH since 1993, working across a broad spectrum of manufacturing, logistics, retail, defence and aviation, joining the world of OH from a fascination of differing industries and their effects on individual’s health. 
    In 2005, she completed a Masters degree in Strategic Management at Bristol University which has enabled her to take a more strategic view of how OH can provide a fundamental piece of the jigsaw puzzle for workers health and wellbeing within the wider aspect of organisational capability. 
    She has always been an avid supporter of the RNLI, herself being a sailor and was fortunate to obtain the OH and Wellbeing Manager’s role with the RNLI just over a year ago.  Her feet hasn’t touched the ground since, taking her back to her roots of the fascination with workers and volunteers health. 

    Her talk:

    The RNLI has developed it’s own Medical Standards from a conglomeration of CAA, DVLA, MCA and various military standards, as Lifeboat Crews do not strictly fall into the definition of a Seafarer in accordance with the MCA. Whilst the RNLI is not considered an Emergency Service either, the fact remains that we have employees and volunteers who have search and rescue capability and go to sea to save lives in conditions that are unpredictable and challenging. Volunteers in particular love their role, so challenges exist where someone doesn’t meet the standards and they are ‘stood down’ which has led to mistrust of the OH service and a feeling that ‘if you get sent to OH you’ll be off the boat’
    We are in the process of reviewing the ‘standards’ and their relation to ‘fitness to serve’ from a functional capability perspective, enabling more people to fulfil the role they love safely and effectively. 
    The talk looks at this unique group of people (and we mustn’t forget lifeguards who have a different set of standards) and the standards that have developed over the years to where we are today
     

    Chair: Nancy Hey

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

  • 12 February 2025
    S Wales and W of England

    Cheddar Gorge Cheese Workplace Visit

    Date: Wednesday 12th February, 2pm

    Location: The Cliffs, Cheddar BS27 3QA

    There are 13 spaces available to join a workplace visit to the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co. There will be a tour which will include trying samples of cheese.

    The Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co are the only traditional Cheddar makers in the village of Cheddar. Their cheeses are made using raw milk and matured in the Cheddar Gorge caves.  

    Places will be allocated on a first serve first come basis.

  • 25 February 2025
    West Midlands

    Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th February 2025

    Venue: Best Western Manor Hotel, Meriden, Coventry

    Course Overview

    This 2-day course offers training to those working in respiratory physiology/medicine with an interest in occupational asthma, or those currently working in occupational health. It covers the core investigations into occupational asthma, how to do them and interpret them, with a case-based approach throughout.

    Learning Outcomes

    By the end of the course delegates will:

    - Understand the definitions of occupational asthma

    - Be competent in the initial methods for the diagnosis of occupational asthma

    - Be knowledgeable about the investigations that can be performed to diagnose occupational asthma

    - Understand the different methods of measuring peak expiratory flow, and the strengths and weaknesses of different manual and logging meters

    - Understand spirometry and how to interpret data

    - Be able to train workers to complete serial peak expiratory flows (PEFs) successfully

    - Be proficient in using the Oasys program for plotting serial PEF measurements

    - Know how to carry out surveillance for occupational asthma including analysis of serial lung function

    - Understand what to do when a worker has abnormal spirometry or screening questionnaire results  

    - Be knowledgeable about legal aspects of occupational asthma and compensation.

    Cost: £450; ARTP members £375.

    Full details and booking form here.

    Contact Vicky Moore at vicky.moore@uhcw.nhs.uk for further details/queries.

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