The importance of effective communication is generally recognised in all health and social care settings and relationships – it is part of everyday practice. It has special significance when caring for people at the end of their lives as conversations about death and dying can be the most challenging of all communication scenarios.
Evidence shows that poor communication in end of life care can leave individuals feeling distressed, have a negative effect on symptom control and often can lead to complaints about the quality of care. Additionally, insufficient training and lack of confidence when communicating with people in our care and those important to them can contribute to stress, lack of job satisfaction and emotional burnout in health and social care.
Research has identified critically essential communications skills for holding such conversations can be very beneficial, and there are many tools and protocols to support difficult conversations. Cornwall & Isles of Scilly End of Life Education Group aspires to establish a robust long-lasting Communications Skills Faculty to ensure all health and social care staff working with patients and their families feel supported and confident and have access to the right level of training and education for their individual needs.
One of the ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care which sets a framework for action is that ‘All staff are prepared to care’ aspiring to the vision that patients can confidently state:
‘Wherever I am, health and care staff bring empathy, skills and expertise and give me competent, confident and compassionate care’.
It is recognised that ‘Only well-trained, competent and confident staff can bring professionalism, compassion and skill to the most difficult and intensely delicate physical and psychological caring. It is clear, knowledgeable, responsive and confident professional judgement is the best guarantee of good care’
Our collaborative vision is that through a robust communications skills faculty we can provide a range of training options for a wide range of disciplines, covering all care settings. This will support the End of Life Education strategy and fulfil the appropriate learning outcomes for each staff group, ensuring that education is accessible to all staff in any location and any care setting where End of Life care is delivered.
We have positioned our communications skills framework in 4 levels. It is not necessary to go through each level as it will depend upon your current experience and previous training. But we hope to have something to offer each individual regardless of where you are on your learning journey and the care setting you work in.
Intended learner:
Individuals who have responsibility for communicating with a limited range of people on day-to-day matters. Those who are infrequently involved within end of life care, requiring a basic awareness.
Complete E-learning modules:
Self-directed study:
Complete the learner resource workbook
Intended learner:
Individuals who have responsibility for communicating with a range of people on a range of matters. Those who frequently work within end of life care.
Complete E-learning modules:
Self-directed study:
Complete the learner resource workbook
THEN choose face-to-face options as follows:
Intended learner:
The individual is able to develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations – those who frequently work within end of life care.
Learning method:
Intended learner:
The individual is expected to develop and maintain communication with people on complex matters. e.g. specialist palliative care staff, those work is entirely focused on end of life care.
Learning method:
This self-directed workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource or to consolidate knowledge before undertaking taught sessions at the introduction, foundation, intermediate or advanced levels.
It covers the principles of effective communication and includes: mutual respect, listening, giving space, avoiding distractions and interruptions, eye contact, location and privacy.
Register for eLearning for health then complete the following modules as minimum criteria.
To access the learning modules, register at e-lfh.org.uk
This 2-hour face-to-face session supports the individual to develop confidence in communications skills and knowledge in relation to end of life care. The session focuses on the following learning outcomes:
The SAGE & THYME® foundation level workshop (S&T FL) teaches clinical and non-clinical staff at all levels, evidence-based communication skills to provide person-centred support to someone with emotional concerns using the SAGE & THYME model. The SAGE & THYME model is suitable for talking to anyone: patients and carers, students, colleagues and children – inside and outside of health and social care.
Guidance states that all health and social care staff should be able to:
The SAGE and THYME foundation level workshop reminds staff how to listen and how to respond in a way which empowers the patient. It discourages staff from ‘fixing’ and demonstrates how to work with the patient’s own ideas first. The training is based on research findings on effective communication skills.
The training:
The SAGE & THYME model can be taught to any member of staff (e.g. healthcare assistants, nurses, allied health professionals, doctors, administrators, students, volunteers) in contact with distressed people (not just patients) and in any setting (e.g. hospital, patient’s home, nursing home, hospice, social care). To book your place please email rachel.lloyd20@nhs.net
Coaching skills help to create a culture in which we encourage people to be resourceful. It helps us to work together to find out what motivates people to improve their health and wellbeing.
The coaching conversations accredited training helps you to understand how to use coaching within a clinical or professional role. It shows when and where a coaching approach is effective and how you can use these skills in everyday conversations.
We have designed the workshops to help you to deal with situations that require a behaviour change focus. The training helps professionals to have coaching-oriented conversations with their clients.
Using coaching skills will help focus conversations on what really matters to the individual about their health and to explore what the barriers are to them achieving their desired health outcomes.
Coaching skills will help professionals to support the patient to focus on their own resourcefulness, It will also increase their confidence in managing their health and wellbeing. This, in turn will help people to start to explore how they can change their behaviours to have better health outcomes.
This is a fast-paced, challenging, and interactive workshop. It focuses on skill practice and development. It promotes peer challenge and support to create a community of practice.
To book your place on this 2-day workshop with half day follow-up, please visit NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly website cios.icb.nhs.uk
Set over 2 days delegates will commit to this evidence based Advanced course in Communication Skills devoting themselves to the whole course, not only to gain the benefit of enhancing their own existing skills, but also to contribute to those of all the group participants.
Experience within the field of advanced communication is essential as a base line senior level requirement for this course. The course is open to all healthcare professionals who are constantly dealing with difficult communication scenarios, that require the skills to both support and challenge.
This experiential course will include role play for which all participants will perform to live (and as realistically as possible) to enhance the shared experience.
Building on existing skills, participants will take away fresh and innovative ideas gained through the course, whilst being within the safety of experienced trained facilitators over the 2 days.
This 1-day course will be available shortly – dates to follow.
Intended learner: The individual can develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations – those who frequently work within end of life care.
