Professional development

The FSRH Diploma is aimed at doctors (DFSRH) and nurses (NDFSRH) who are already working in general practice, community and integrated sexual health services. The Diploma has three stages:
1. Theoretical knowledge – this is based on the Faculty’s clinical guidelines. Trainees must pass an online knowledge assessment (the ‘eKA in SRH’)
2. Course of 5 – five hours of small group-assessed workshops
3. Clinical experience & assessments in seven topics

At SHiP we offer clinical placements for the ‘clinical experience and assessments’ stage of the Diploma.

For further information, please email tracie.doyle@nhs.net or visit the FSRH website.

The FSRH LoCs are training programmes aimed at doctors and nurses already working in general practice, community and integrated sexual health services who wish to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to support women seeking contraception. It will enable them to hold consultations, provide intrauterine (LoC IUT) or subdermal (LoC SDI) contraception competently, and manage any complications or side-effects that may occur.

At SHiP we offer clinical placements for the ‘clinical training and assessments’ stage.

For further information, please email tracie.doyle@nhs.net or visit the FSRH website.

Medical students at Plymouth University, PSMD rotate through our department for 1 week in their 3rd year. Further tutorials on STIs, sexual history taking and HIV are delivered in years 2, 3 and 4.

If you are a medical student and would like to arrange a placement or taster day at Sexual Health in Plymouth contraception service please email tracie.doyle@nhs.net.

If you want to discuss organising an SSU within sexual health please contact Dr Laura Mitchell lauramitchell8@nhs.net

We offer placements in contraception and sexual health care to pre-registration student nurses at the end of their 2nd year or in their 3rd year of training.

Placements with either SHiP @ Cumberland Centre Livewell Southwest or SHiP @ UHP NHS Trust Derriford Hospital can be arranged via the placement co-coordinators at UOP.

If you are a health professional and would like to spend some time with us to enhance your awareness and competencies around contraception and sexual health, in the first instance please contact:

Emma Collins, nurse consultant emma.collins73@nhs.net

We offer an annual bespoke training session to pharmacists in Plymouth who have signed up with Public Health to deliver an enhanced service involving provision of emergency contraception and chlamydia screening and treatment.

For those who are not signed up but wish to be, email ​odph@plymouth.gov.uk.

For updates and initial training once signed up, contact the Chlamydia Screening Office on 01752 434865 or email mariagilbert@nhs.net 

If you would like to organise a teaching session on STIs or HIV for your professional group we would be happy to discuss and accommodate this. Please contact Dr Laura Mitchell lauramitchell8@nhs.net

E-learning for health programme on sexual health and HIV.

E-learning for health programme on sexual and reproductive healthcare.

RCGP e-learning course on contraception.

Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Update

We run an annual clinical update day aimed at primary care health professionals and those with an interest in sexual and reproductive health.​

For further information please email Sandra Philips at sandra.phillips7@nhs.net.

The Eddystone Trust provides a funded training programme that is aimed at professionals working with people across education, health, social care and youth sectors. This consists of 8 half-day modules:

• Contraception Choices
• The Internet, and Media: impact and influences of sexual behaviour
• Sex, the law and safeguarding
• Delay – Ru Ready?
• HIV – not just an 80’s thing
• Hepatitis awareness
• Let’s talk about sex
• Teenage Pregnancy: everybody’s business

Completion of specific modules ensure compliance and forms part of the process to becoming a C-Card registration site and the Safe scheme. Completion of all 8 modules result in an ITOL accredited Award in Sexual Health Promotion.

Alongside the rolling training programme, Eddystone offer bespoke training sessions for organisations wanting to upskill their workforce to be able to inform their own client groups about good sexual health and relationships, including working with organisations who work with people with learning disabilities.

Please visit the Eddystone training pages for more information or call 01752 254406 to discuss your training needs.

The Zone provides in-depth training to their own staff and volunteers that covers:

• Outdoor team building
• Reflective practice
• Confidentiality and safeguarding
• Child protection
• Child Sexual exploitation
• Equality and diversity
• Introduction to mental health
• Alcohol screening tool
• General support
• Paperwork
• Fraser Guidelines, Sex Offences Act
• Condoms
• Chlamydia Screening & STIs
• Bodyworks
• Contraceptives
• Pregnancy Testing
• Emergency contraception
• Termination referrals
• Healthy/unhealthy relationships
• Pornography, sexting and pressures

We are occasionally able to accept workers from other agencies or services onto parts of this training if space permits, as this allows these workers to better understand holistic work with young people around sexual health, though we may levy a small charge for their attendance.

The Zone also provides training to schools. We can provide bespoke training to pupils and teachers that cover many different aspects of sexual health and relationships (including, relationships, consent, condoms, contraception, STIs, LGBT, pornography). We are able to tailor the work to the individual school/teachers to enable them to get the appropriate training for their specific needs.

Please contact The Zone for further information.