Graduate Outcomes in focus for this year’s SPVS-VMG Congress

Please note: in a subsequent change to the arrangements reported below, we will now be holding the graduate outcomes focus group discussions online. (26/01/19)

At this year’s Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and Veterinary Management Group (VMG) Congress, we will be holding focus groups as part of the Graduate Outcomes consultation, discussing how to develop wellbeing in practice and promoting the College’s Practice Standards Scheme (PSS).

This year’s SPVS-VMG Congress takes place at the Celtic Manor Resort (pictured below right) near Newport in South Wales from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 January 2019.

On Friday 25 January, the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative will be holding a stream of wellbeing-focused sessions throughout the day, chaired by Professor Debbie Cohen, the Director of the Centre for Psychosocial Research and Occupational and Physician Health at the School of Medicine of the University of Cardiff.

Professor Cohen will be launching the stream at 10.40am with a talk on managing emotions in practice and how these can be channelled positively and then, at 11.40am, will be undertaking a further talk on how veterinary workplaces can develop systems that enable staff to feel comfortable in disclosing stress or mental ill-health.

At 1.30pm Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at the mental health charity Mind, will develop on Professor Cohen’s presentations by talking about the crucial role of the line manager in areas such as disclosure, making sure workplaces are conducive to mental health, supporting colleagues who may be experiencing poor mental health and making reasonable adjustments where needed.

The stream will conclude with a panel discussion on innovative approaches to wellbeing in practice, chaired by Professor Cohen and featuring Andy Rose from Vet Fit and some of the winners of this year’s Vet Wellbeing Awards, the joint SPVS and Mind Matters awards programme that recognises veterinary practices that are dedicated to taking a holistic approach to improving wellbeing. The winners of the Wellbeing Awards will be announced at 9am on Friday 25 January.

On Saturday 26 January at 9.55am, we will be hosting a session about the PSS entitled ‘Award-winning examples of outstanding customer care – case studies from the PSS’ featuring Andrew Wallace from Buckingham Equine Vets, Kelly Lowick from Lanes Farm Vets in Garstang, Lancashire, and Charlotte Hartley from Gilliver Vets in Chorley, Lancashire, all of whom will be talking about the PSS awards application process and what it has meant to them to be able to have their excellence in specific areas of veterinary practice recognised.

Throughout the Congress we will also have a stand where it will be promoting the Mind Matters Initiative, the PSS, and the Graduate Outcomes consultation on the future of veterinary education to delegates. In regard to Graduate Outcomes, we will also be holding a series of open focus groups on Thursday 24 January that can be attended by both SPVS-VMG delegates and also those who do not have tickets to the full Congress, but would still like to give their views on this important topic.

Dr Linda Prescott-Clements (pictured right), our Director of Education, said: “The focus groups will build on the results of the online consultation, enabling us to gather more detailed information from members and stakeholders around the various issues and potential impact of any proposed changes to veterinary education.

"This information will be essential to ensure that the action plans developed as a result of the Graduate Outcomes consultation will make a positive difference to the future veterinary profession in the UK.”

For the full programme for SPVS-VMG Congress please visit the SPVS website.

To attend one of the Graduate Outcomes consultation focus groups please visit our dedicated Eventbrite page. Please note that places are limited and are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. All those who register to attend the event will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 National Book Token.