Developing the end of life carer (NToW28)
Background
Increasingly it has been recognised, both on a local and national level, that the needs of people dying in care are not always met due to a lack of knowledge, skills or confidence within the workforce.
The aim of this project was to improve the care offered to the dying client by developing a training programme for a new type of worker - the 'end of life carer'.
The framework for the project was closely aligned to the emerging Department of Health (2008) End of Life Care Strategy and the National Council for Palliative Care (2006) Introductory Guide to End of Life Care in Care Homes. The facilitated learning programme also met the skills vision outlined in The Leitch Review (2006).
Aims/Objectives
The aim of this project was to develop a structured learning programme in order to produce a confident and competent worker, skilled in understanding and meeting the needs of the dying client.
The objectives of the project were to:
- Identify the needs of local people and the workforce in end of life care
- Create and deliver a facilitated learning package to meet the skills vision
- Support the workforce in their learning and the completion of a portfolio of evidence to guide their future practice
- Evaluate benefits to stakeholders
- Identify key messages for stakeholders emerging through the above activities
What happened?
The structured learning programme was delivered to a group of health care workers in a care home setting. The project team included teaching staff from the University of Hull.
Staff members from all areas of the care home, including carers, kitchen staff and managers were consulted about their learning needs in order to develop a relevant training programme. The training then took place and staff completed a questionnaire before and after the programme.
Outcomes
Carers were encouraged to talk to clients, their friends and families and to be honest and open about their feelings and fears about death and dying.
Activities were successfully completed and each carer attending the sessions completed a portfolio of evidence which could be used in the future within the home to help peers' knowledge and understanding.
A learning package was developed in response to learners' needs and this is a powerful tool that can be used in future end of life courses.
The end of life care training package is now incorporated into a university certificate module in practice skills for health and social care programme: end of life care.
Impact on workforce development and how you can use the learning
A number of conclusions were drawn from this project with the following recommendations:
- More end of life training is needed
- Opportunities for open and frank exploration of difficult topics or issues through facilitated discussion groups are essential
- Workplace learning provides an important opportunity for the discussion of issues, however, learning at work is often disrupted due to client needs taking priority
- One of the most important factors in delivering good end of life care is having the opportunity to gain confidence through knowledge and skills development
Additional materials
NToW28 - Developing the end of life carer final report
NToW28 - Developing the end of life carer presentation
