Our clinical education team

One hour workshop

15th December 2021 at 2pm

Register Now!

What can I gain from attending?
More understanding around history and the taboo of death. Confidence to explore conversations around death and dying and preparation for future uncertainties.

Who can attend?
Any member of the public who wishes to learn more about death and dying

Monday 13 December 2021 - 2-3.30pm

Monday 17 January 2022 - 10-11.30am

Register your FREE place now

What can I gain from attending?
The course is aimed at staff who wish to develop knowledge and skills in recognising death and the process of verifying an expected death.

Who can attend?
This verification of expected death training is suitable for registered and unregistered health care staff who are interested in taking on the extended role of verification of expected death.

Wednesday 8 December 2021 - 8.45am - 4pm

Register your FREE place now

What can I gain from attending?
This Intermediate Communication Skills training will enable you to enhance communication skills in difficult or challenging situations.

The training explores barriers to communication, strategies to manage conversations in difficult scenarios, how to explore conversations in ceilings of treatment or end of life care as wells as tools and skills to help you develop confidence.

Who can attend?

If you are from the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes area and are either:

• A specialist palliative and end of life care practitioner

• Any NHS, allied health or social care professionals who regularly work with life-limiting illness of uncertain prognosis
• Social worker, care home manager or social care manager

• Registered professionals wishing to explore more challenging conversations and communication skills.

Whether you are a neighbour, friend, colleague, or family member do you want to start making a difference in your community?

Sign up for the Compassionate Friends workshop

Register your free place

Wednesday 26 January 2022 - 10.30am - 12.30pm 

Thursday 24 February 2022 - 10.30am - 12.30pm 

Wednesday 23 March 2022 - 2-4pm 

Tuesday 26 April 2022 - 10.30am - 12.30pm 

Wednesday 25 May 2022 - 6-8pm 

Wednesday 22 June 2022 - 2-4pm 

A compassionate community is one in which everyone recognises that we all have a role in supporting each other, particularly during periods of crisis and loss. We want to create a community of Compassionate Friends across the areas where we deliver care to help dispel the myths about dying and bereavement, helping communities to be better informed and more confident in a having these conversations. Through this workshop you will learn more about body language, the spoken word and how taking the time to listen can make a real difference and turn that understanding into action.

The main areas covered :-

• Explaining what a Compassionate Community is.
• Interpersonal skills – how to use your listening skills, body language, spoken word and empathy.
• Dispelling the myths and taboos around talking about death and dying.
• How to start a conversation – questions to ask and potential responses to help you deal with the conversation.
• Considering your own networks within your community and how you could tap into these.
• Looking after yourself.
• Useful resources.
• Making your pledge to your community.  
   

What can I gain from attending?

The session will provide practical advice on subjects including listening, body language and the spoken word to help enhance your interpersonal skills and increase your confidence to have conversations to help support others affected by life limiting illnesses, bereavement, and loss in your community.

Who can attend?

Any healthcare professional or member of the public in the Luton, Bedfordshire, and Milton Keynes areas.

Thursday 6 January 2022
6.30-8pm

Register your free place now

Guest speaker:

Jonathan Ellis
Director of Policy and Advocacy with Hospice UK

Overview

The last two years have been profoundly challenging for hospices and seen, along with the rest of the NHS, rapid change. However, this has brought some exciting opportunities. It’s almost like a giant boulder has been thrown into the hospice sector, creating huge ripples, coinciding with national changes. What are these waves looking like? What are their implications? Where might they take us? Jonathan will address these themes in what will be a visionary and strategic session, with time to question and discuss.

2022 - EOL Programme

This is a free 10 week rolling programme.

This is a weekly rolling programme, giving you the flexibility to choose dates and times that suit you. You can book onto individual sessions or sign up for a whole programme. 

What can I gain from attending?

An in-depth overview of the key areas associated with palliative and end of life care (EoLC). Opportunity for Q&A and discussion are included within each session along with principles of how to look after yourself as a healthcare professional.

Who can attend?

Any registered health and social care professional (such as nurses, doctors, paramedics, social workers etc) wishing to gain more confidence for the care of patients with a palliative and end of life care diagnosis.

Programme 1 - Register now

Runs from Tuesday 11 January - Tuesday 15 March 2022
2-3pm

Programme 2 - Register now

Runs from Tuesday 26 April - Tuesday 28 June 2022 10.30-11.30am

Programme 3 - Register now

Runs from Tuesday 19 July - Tuesday 20 September 2022 2-3pm

Programme 4 - Register now

Runs from Tuesday 11 October - Tuesday 13 December 2022 10.30-11.30am

Week 1 - Essential Conversations 

Exploring conversations face to face, via video link and telephone.  Gives a structure and builds confidence in communication.

Week 2 - Essential Advanced Care Planning 

What does Advanced Care Planning entail?  When should it be done?  How should it be approached?  Who should commence these conversations?

Week 3 - Essential Recognition of the Dying Patient

This session explores the complexity of the topic and gives helpful insight into the dying process and what to look for.

Week 4 - Essential End of Life Care Anticipatory Medication 

What are the essential drugs used, and why?  What are the principles involved?  Includes setting up a Syringe Driver and it’s maintenance.

Week 5 - Essential Pain Management 

How should pain be assessed in a palliative/EOLC context?  What about types of pain we do not always consider – spiritual pain for example?  Can all pain be alleviated?   Includes pharmacological/non-pharmacological approaches.

Week 6 - Essential Nausea and Vomiting Management 

How to assess patients with increasing symptoms, how receptors work in recognising nausea and vomiting, pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to management.

Week 7 - Essential Breathlessness & Secretion Management 

Explores the range of conditions that may experience breathlessness, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of breathlessness and secretions, alleviation methods for breathlessness and secretions.

Week 8 - Essential Agitation and Delirium Symptom Control 

Explores techniques to recognise agitation and delirium in end of life patients, traditional and alternative methods of symptom management.

Week 9 - Essential Nutrition, Hydration and Mouth Care 

How to be aware of the need for nutrition and hydration management in palliative care, ethics surrounding hydration in the dying patient, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of mouth care.

Week 10 - Essential Loss and Bereavement 

An understanding of loss and bereavement, how to manage approaches to loss, strategies of recognising complexities of grief.  How to look after yourself.

2022 - EOL Programme

This is a free 5 session rolling programme.

This is a fortnightly rolling programme, giving you the flexibility to choose dates and times that suit you. You can book onto individual sessions or sign up for a whole programme. 

What can I again from attending?

An overview of the key areas associated with palliative and end of life care (EoLC). Opportunity for Q&A and discussion are included wihtin each session along with principles of how to look after yourself as someone looking after a dying patient.

Who can attend?

Any unregistered health care professional (such as health care assistants, carer, support worker etc.) wishing to gain more confidence for the care of patients with a palliative and end of life care diagnosis.

Programme 1 - Register now

Runs from Thursday 13 January - Thursday 10 March 2022 2-3pm

Programme 2 - Register now

Runs from Thursday 28 April - Thursday 23 June 2022 10.30-11.30am

Programme 3 - Register now

Runs from Thursday 21 July - Thursday 15 September 2022 2-3pm

Programme 4 - Register now

Runs from Thursday 13 October - Thursday 8 December 2022 10.30-11.30am

Week 1 - Principles of Palliative Care

What is Palliative Care? How does it differ from EOLC or other types of care? How should I interact with these patients? What do these patients want from me? Are there principles that can help me?

Week 2 - Principles of Essential Communication

Conversations with palliative/Dying patients are often perceived as ‘difficult’. Is this true? What do I need to consider? Are there principles that can help me engage effectively with this patient group? This session will build your confidence in your communication skills.

Week 3 - Principles of Advance Care Planning

What is Advanced Care Planning? Is it important? When should it be done? How should it be approached? Who should commence these conversations?

Week 4 - Principles of care in the last days

How to recognise the dying patient, what care in the last days looks like, principles of managing the patient at end of life, recognition of aftercare.

Week 5 - Principles of Loss & Bereavement

How to recognise loss and bereavement and gaining understanding of helping those affected during their loss.