Case study:

21 April 2011

End of life care training for care workers in Tees Valley

Key points

Over 700 domiciliary and care home staff in the Tees Valley area have attended special one-day training courses on end of life care since they were launched in June 2010.

The course, specifically designed for care workers in the adult sector, is a collaborative venture between Tees Valley Alliance, the Tees Workforce (NHS) Collaborative on behalf of the Strategic Health Authority and five local further education colleges. Thirty places are allocated per course and sessions are held across the area.

The training, which was developed and delivered by the Practice Development and Quality Nurse from Hartlepool and District Hospice, covers all aspects outlined in the Gold Standard Framework. It includes an end of day assessment and following successful completion, learners are issued with a certificate.

Learners are provided with a resource pack containing a power point presentation and additional articles relating to cultural and religious beliefs, normal grief reactions, disease trajectories, GSF and last offices.

Successful learners are then offered the opportunity to complete one or more of the three Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) units linked to end of life care at their local FE college.

Group members have shown a willingness to talk about their own personal experiences involving loss and how they have coped. One learner explained, “It was really powerful that we had people sharing emotive things, such as when their mother died. It’s not just about working with clients – it’s so important to bring your personal thoughts, feelings and emotions into it.” Having two people deliver the training is crucial because this is such a sensitive topic.

Learners complete an evaluation at the end of the day while FE facilitators and managers complete evaluations at the end of each cohort. Comments from managers include: “My employee enjoyed the course and is using the knowledge in her practice, she is more confident in handling her role in end of life care. More staff are now coming to me and asking if they can be put forward for future end of life care training.”

As a result of the training care staff are more aware of how to provide support and care to someone who is dying and have an increased understanding of bereavement issues for family and carers.

The SHA made a significant commitment to funding end of life care in 2011-2012 which has allowed not only the continuation of the care worker training but also the development of the same model for dementia, learning disabilities, domiciliary care, social workers, registered nurses and children.