Blackpool mother told NHS therapist she bared her soul to was not qualified

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comes in for scrutiny - again

Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.

This week it’s back to healthcare in Blackpool, where at least one person stopped their cognitive behaviour therapy over concerns about the way they were being spoken to.

Months later - it has emerged that the therapist was not qualified to give the care that they were giving.

The trust has apologised, but it’s another error in a long catalogue of serious issues that have seen it slapped across national headlines. Invariably, that reporting has its roots in what we’re doing at The Blackpool Lead.

Blackpool briefing

🚔 A man was arrested at Chris Webb’s Blackpool Jobs Fair this week after reportedly gaining access specifically to target the MP. The Blackpool Lead understands the man was first ejected from the building and warned, before attempting to regain access and ultimately being arrested. Webb said he was grateful to police and his security team for swift action. He added: “As the local MP, I will not be intimidated or deterred by far-right threats.”

👷🏼‍♀️ The biggest ever Blackpool Jobs Fair ever saw thousands of people of all ages connect with prospective employers for up to 2,000 paid positions across the Fylde coast. The huge event at the town’s Winter Gardens today was officially opened by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, who hailed the event as a vital means of connecting local jobseekers to ‘real’ jobs. McFadden was invited to the event by its chief architect, Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, who coordinated the fair as an opportunity to bring local employers, training providers, and community organisations together under one roof. Over 120 employers attended, ranging from BAE Systems to local bar chain Ma Kellys, from training providers Blackpool and The Fylde College to Blackpool Tourism Ltd. At the same time, Mr McFadden was also launching the first Youth Guarantee Jobs and Careers Fair as part of a Government initiative to help tackle unemployment among 16 to 25 year olds.

🚧 Plans for a huge new storage and distribution centre which could bring in extra jobs have been given the green light. Blackpool Council’s planning committee, meeting on Tuesday February 25, unanimously approved the reserved reserved matters application for the construction of the new 1,742sqm facility at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. Applicants Roofing Supplies Group Ltd are looking to expand further, having become one of the leading independent roofing merchants in the North West. The firm already has two existing depots close to the application site and it is intended to amalgamate the operations of both onto the new development with a modern, fit for purpose facility.

Blackpool mother told NHS therapist she bared her soul to was not qualified

A letter sent to one Blackpool mother.

By Michael Holmes

A Blackpool mother says she bared her soul to an NHS therapist - only to later get a letter telling her they were not properly qualified.

The woman was being treated by the Talking Therapies department at the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has told of her horror at sharing “personal traumatic information, some of which I had never spoken about before, to someone who isn’t even qualified”.

In the letter, dated February 16, the trust’s CEO Maggie Oldham said a review of its psychological therapy services had been carried out.

The letter was sent about five months after the trust reported the matter to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the health industry watchdog, The Blackpool Lead can reveal.

“During this review, it has come to our attention that one of the therapists involved in your case did not hold the appropriate qualifications required to deliver the cognitive behavioural therapy you underwent,” Oldham wrote.

CBT is a type of talking therapy used to treat a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and personality disorders.

It can involve one-to-one sessions, guided self-help or group sessions, and can be done in person, online or over the phone.

“Following a comprehensive review of all clinical work performed by this individual, we can confirm that all techniques employed were appropriate,” Oldham said in her letter.

“However, we have found some cases where the techniques used could have been implemented with more structure. By that we mean that the therapy could have been more focused.

“It is not likely that this has impacted you but may have contributed to you discontinuing therapy prematurely or not having confidence in the therapy provided.

“If this is the case, we deeply regret any distress or inconvenience this situation may have caused you. Please be assured that we are taking this matter very seriously and are reviewing our processes thoroughly to identify areas for improvement.

“Our aim is to ensure incidents like this are prevented in the future and that we continue to provide the highest standards of care.”