Dear All,
Welcome to our Spring SSHA Newsletter! We hope you like the new and improved style layout.
We are also working on updating and streamlining our SSHA Website to make it more user friendly and easier to find information. Keep checking SSHA – Society of Sexual Health Advisers and let us know what you think. Huge thanks to Kevin from Blue Light who is leading us through all these changes and working magic!
There are plenty of exciting things happening for Sexual Health Advisers currently and in the near future:
- We have our joint conference with BASHH/SHAN (Sexual Health Advisers and Nurses) in November 2026.
- We have a writing group working with BASSHH Sexually transmitted foundation (STIF) on developing a set of SHA Core Competencies aimed at SHAs new to the role. This would then lead naturally on to a person completing the STIF Sexual Health Adviser Competencies. We hope to have this ready for presentation at the BASHH/SSHA Conference in November.
- SSHA is looking to strengthen its links with other organisations including RCN (Royal College of nursing) and NHIVNA (National HIV Nurses association) by offering training/teaching around Partner Notification, Motivational Interviewing and Vicarious Trauma
- SSHA would also love to be able to offer in person or virtual training on these topics to SSHAs/clinic staff all over the UK – do let us know if you feel your clinic or service would benefit from some training and we can discuss how we can make this happen.
Do keep in touch and let us know of any exciting projects/services/ventures that you are providing in your clinics and we can feature them in the next SSHA Newsletter.
SSHA is trying to ensure that all SSHA/UNITE members are in the same SSHA branch so that we are able to contact you more easily, ensure that we have an accurate record of SSHA members and also to receive a percentage of your yearly UNITE subscription.
Historically, when you joined UNITE, you were added to your local UNITE branch. This has meant we have had great difficulty in identifying SSHA Members. We are now working with UNITE to consolidate SSHA members into one branch. This is quite a complex procedure, so you may receive an email asking if you are happy to be moved out of your local branch and into the SSHA branch (which is based in London/East).
This does NOT affect your UNITE rights in any way, but if you prefer to stay linked to your local branch then please just decline the offer when you receive it.
As always, SSHA is here for you – we want to promote the essential role of SHAs in Sexual Health Services in the four Nations. We want services to recognise that having SHAs as part of the multi-disciplinary team is integral to a successful patient centred service.
Being part of SSHA will help you be heard and help SHAs be seen as a viable and necessary specialist job.
Please do contact me if SSHA can be of any help or support – we will always do as much as we can.
Sending resilience and fortitude, as always.
Ceri ceri.evan4@nhs.net
President of The Society of Sexual Health Advisers (SSHA)
Senior Sexual Health Adviser
10 Hammersmith Broadway
London W6 7AL