Step 2 Talking Therapies: Improving Engagement and Recovery

Step 2 Talking Therapies: Improving Engagement and Recovery
5 CPD Hours £199+VAT
Online Forum, 5 CPD hours
Wed 12 Nov 2025 09:00-15:40

Step 2 services: shared solutions and fresh ideas

When PWP teams across the country are in the same boat and facing similar challenges, this study day offers a unique opportunity to come together, share different approaches and take away fresh ideas to help tackle your service's challenges. By focussing on suitability, complexity, recovery and engagement, this structured, informative education will inspire you with shared practices and practical information you can implement in your own role and service.  

Thank you to our meeting sponsor...

Identify new opportunities for improving recovery performance and increasing client engagement

Explore shared challenges and practical solutions to improve client outcomes at Step 2. Book your place to focus on: 

  • Clarify suitability criteria and improve communication around inappropriate referrals
  • Strengthen collaboration with secondary care to reduce escalation and improve pathways
  • Apply practical strategies for managing complexity and bridging to Step 3
  • Refresh recovery techniques and revisit manual MDS for better outcomes
  • Boost client engagement to reduce dropouts and support PWP treatment decisions

Education and networking designed to inspire

Benefit from invaluable networking and best practice sharing. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to:

  • Connect with fellow professionals to share challenges, insights and solutions
  • Refresh your approach with practical ideas to boost engagement and recovery rates 
  • Gain actionable takeaways from expert speakers and like-minded PWP colleagues 
  • Reignite team purpose with ideas that strengthen wellbeing and leadership

Meet your sponsor

SBK would like to thank SilverCloud for sponsoring this educational forum.


Join us as a sponsor

Talking Therapies Networking Forums are designed to enable talking therapies providers to support healthcare professionals. We are pleased to be inviting sponsors for this forum. If this is something you would be interested in exploring please email Vanessa Pearce or call Vanessa on 01732 897788 to find out about all the engagement and branding opportunities available in the full sponsorship package.

9.00
Registration, technical support and networking opportunity
9.30
Introduction, instructions and chair’s opening remarks
Identifying client suitability
9.40
Determining suitability at Step 2: Criteria clarity and communication skills
  • Understanding the markers and flags for inappropriate referrals
  • Establishing the criteria to promote consistency and reduce escalation errors
  • Improving communication and compassionately explaining service limitations to clients
10.10
Navigating and managing inappropriate referrals at step 2: Boundaries and collaboration
  • Exploring different types of unsuitable referrals and how to identify them
  • Building effective collaboration with secondary care to reduce inappropriate step-down cases
  • Setting clinical expectations and establishing communication with GPs, CMHT and secondary care teams
10.40
Questions and answers with your speakers
Industry partner showcase
10.50
SilverCloud by Amwell presentation
11.00
Opportunity to present: sponsorship showcase
11.10
Meet the sponsors
11.20
Screen break
Navigating complexity
11.30
Managing complexity at step 2 assessments: practical solutions
  • Balancing and recognising client scope with professional judgement
  • Basic skills for managing and signposting complexity at assessment
  • Navigating the nuance: bridging the gap between Step 2 and Step 3 complexity
12.00
Questions and answers with your speaker
12.10
Interactive discussion: Overcoming the challenges of navigating complexity at Step 2
  • How do you recognise complexity during assessment? What support systems do you lean on?
  • What assessment tools or frameworks do you use to inform your decisions?
  • How do you signpost clients effectively when they fall outside of PWP provision?
12.30
Feedback from interactive discussion: Overcoming the challenges of navigating complexity at Step 2
12.40
Lunch screen break
Improving recovery rates
1.20
A back-to-basics approach to improving recovery rates
  • Cementing basic skills: encouraging the ‘doing’ element of Talking Therapies
  • Starting all patients at Step 2 before stepping up: improving motivation and engagement
  • Re-introducing manual MDS: improving accuracy of recovery rates
1.50
Questions and answers with your speaker
2.00
Interactive discussion: Implementing strategies to enhance recovery rates in your service
  • What is your service implementing in order to improve recovery rates? How is it working to date?
  • What are the key barriers to improving recovery rates in your service? What are you doing to overcome the barriers?
2.20
Feedback from interactive discussion: Implementing strategies to enhance recovery rates in your service
2.30
Screen break
Boosting engagement and motivation
2.40
Enhancing engagement at Step 2: from assessment to recovery
  • Understanding why clients disengage and how to support them
  • Navigating how to improve engagement: individual sessions, group sessions and homework tasks
  • Establishing when to refuse or end treatment for disengaged clients
3.10
Interactive discussion: Improving engagement in your Step 2 service
  • What are the biggest challenges you face when try to engage clients? What approaches to do you take to encourage and motivate them?
  • What is your service doing to support you to improve engagement across your caseload?
  • Where do you see the most engagement from your clients? How can you replicate this?
3.30
Feedback from interactive discussion: Improving engagement in your Step 2 service
3.40
Chair’s closing remarks and close of day

Invitation to present

This day is being produced by Hope Frost. If you are interested in speaking, please contact Hope at hope.frost@sbk-healthcare.co.uk or by calling her on 01732 897788.

Pricing Structure

  • £199+VAT for NHS, Public Sector and Charity professionals 
  • Bring your team - 4 places for the price of 3
  • Commercial companies are invited to sponsor this day. Please contact vanessa.pearce@sbk-healthcare.co.uk for further details.

Reservations

You can reserve a no-obligation place whilst you apply for funding.

If your funding has not yet been secured or you would like to hold your place with no obligation whilst waiting for your study leave to be approved, you can reserve your place with us. Please email the reservations team at SBK Healthcare with your details:

  •  Booking contact: name, job title, department, email and telephone number
  •  Event(s) to reserve for: title and date
  •  Delegate details (for each delegate): name, job title, department, email and telephone number
  •  Organisation details: name and address

Alternatively you can make a confirmed booking by emailing the above information to the bookings team

How this online forum will work

Once you have booked your place, SBK Healthcare will correspond with you using the email address you provided at the time of booking. Within one week of the online training taking place, you will be sent final details of the course including a full agenda, programme timings and your Zoom joining instructions. This email will include a joining link that can be used to access the course.

If you have not received your email two days before your event, do check your junk folder then contact SBK Healthcare on 01732 897788.

Practice sessions are available. If you would like to attend a zoom practice session before the event takes place, please let us know by emailing bookings@sbk-healthcare.co.uk. You will have the opportunity to meet an SBK Healthcare staff member who will ensure you are able to access zoom, that your camera and microphone work and you are fully set-up for the day. This is optional but if you do wish to attend, please use the same device that you plan to use on the day.

On the day, when registration starts, you will be able to join the course by initially entering a waiting room when there may be a short wait. The forum will include screen breaks, as well as topic themed interactive sessions which will take place in the breakout rooms.

Click here to view the specially created 5-minute video that will walk you through how to get the most out of attending your SBK Healthcare interactive online forum.

Terms and conditions

Registration fees

You will be sent an instant payment option or invoice on registration. Your payment is required in advance. If your fee has not been received prior to the event, and you are not able to provide a PO or proof of payment, you will be asked to make a credit or debit card payment on the day.

Modifying your regsitration

To let us know if your details are not correct when you have already registered, please email the bookings team.

Cancellations and substitutions

A full refund of fees will be made only for cancellations received within the first 48 hours of the booking being made. Notice of cancellation must be received in writing by emailing the bookings team at SBK Healthcare. Should you need to cancel your registration after this date, the registration fee remains payable in its entirety although a substitution will be accepted and conference documentation will be provided. Substitution attendees for delegates unable to attend after registering are acceptable at any time.

Event changes

It may be necessary for reasons beyond the control of the conference organisers to alter the content, speakers or the timing of the programme. We will endeavour to keep you abreast of such changes but any unavoidable change to the format will not constitute a reason to refund the fee. Should the event be postponed, we will endeavour to reschedule the event. If, for reasons beyond the control of the conference organiser, the event is cancelled, a full refund will be made. We do not accept any liability for any incurred costs resulting from a postponement or cancellation.

Certification of attendance

A certificate for Continuing Professional Development will be given to every fully registered participant who completes the course, as a record of your continuing professional training and development.

Privacy notice

To view the details on how your data is being collected and used, please view our Privacy policy.

Expected attendees

This online forum has been designed for professionals working at Step 2 across NHS Talking Therapies services. Book your place to join fellow: 

  • Lead PWPs, Senior PWPs and PWPs
  • Service Managers 
  • Team Leaders 
  • Clinical Leads 

Audience feedback

We having been delivering successful PWP events for many years now and have received excellent feedback. But don’t take our word for it, take a look at how attendees have described our online events:

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"It's been incredibly interesting to gain insight into how other services work and what they can offer to diversify the PWP role"
- Everyturn (NHS Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies), PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Lovely to mix with services in each corner of the country and to hear suggestions for improving our working"
- Steps 2 Wellbeing - Dorset healthcare, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Very useful and recommended"
- NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"The presentations were really insightful and interesting. It was great to build my knowledge base"
- Barnsley Talking Therapies, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Very inspiring, great to have some time just to think about career direction, and not just about getting through the day and a long list of appointments"
- Nottingham Talking Therapies, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Professionally presented, well organised and interesting discussions/topics"
- NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight NHS Trust, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Really useful topics covered, great speakers who shared a lot of passion and insight"
- Blackpool Talking Therapies, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Great day talking about some of the hot topics"
- Steps 2 Wellbeing, PWP National Networking Forum 2024
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"Well presented and informative forum providing lots of opportunity for reflection on the poignant parts of the PWP role"
- Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Talking Therapies Service, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
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"Really inspiring for PWPs to hear about the passion and possibilities in the role"
- Greenwich Time to Talk - NHS Talking Therapies, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
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"I found it really inspiring and it has made me feel more positive and empowered about my role as a PWP, and how as a SPWP I can pass these messages onto other PWPs"
- Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
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"Really great event, so interesting, so much to take away and think about"
- Bedfordshire Talking Therapies, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
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"It was incredibly valuable to share, and witness my colleague present on, my experience as a Step 2 Clinical Lead and also hear from other leaders in services about what we can do to develop the PWP role"
- We Are With You, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023
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"Really knowledgeable"
- Pennine Care NHS Talking Therapies, PWP Professional Development Forum 2023

Adding their unique perspectives, we are pleased to welcome our industry partner

SilverCloud by Amwell a leading provider of evidence-based digital mental and behavioural healthcare solutions. Supporting 80% of NHS Talking Therapies Services, with up to 70% clinical recovery rates.

Why sponsor a Talking Therapies National Networking Forum

Our role at SBK Healthcare is to bring industry together with healthcare professionals so that you can educate and inform your audience. These trail-blazing talking therapies forums offer dedicated presentations, Q&A, networking and discussion time, each sponsor will be fully  immersed into the event and able to effectively engage with your NHS audience.

Interested in having your own event, managed by us?

SBK Healthcare also provides in-house forums. Working closely with you as the client we can research, produce, market and deliver the conference or online forum that best suits the audience and meets your goals.

Reach out today

If you would like more information on our sponsorship options an in-house forum or if you wish to discuss your needs and what solutions may be appropriate for your business, please contact: 

Vanessa Pearce
Contact: 01732 897788
Email: Vanessa.Pearce@sbk-healthcare.co.uk