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The Foundations programme is made from 3 core days which provide the introduction to key concepts and knowledge aimed at the novice or those in need of update. These days provide the understanding of cancer and its treatment and the supportive care needed by this group of patient’s. There is also an emphasis of the core communication skills that practioners need to develop in order to improve our responses to distressed patients and their relatives. There are a series of site specific days that complement the core days and follow a typical patient pathway. This includes the specifics of care and treatment for that site. Core days are repeated between 5-6 times a year. Most site specific days a 1-2 a year depending on demand. 
This web site/pages provide you and your staff with information relating to oncology and palliative care education available locally. The aims of the programme are to provide nursing and allied healthcare professionals from across the primary and secondary health care settings with the following:

1. Accessible courses and workshops at a foundation level (new to speciality, as a refresher course, to fill gaps in knowledge)
2. Candidates accepted from multidisciplinary teams, the community and others who work with cancer patients and their families.  With the group work there are opportunities to engage in complex problem solving scenarios with colleagues,  gaining knowledge in the process from each other’s  experience and contribution to the patient pathway
3. Up to date research based study days/workshops
4. Led by experts in the field utilising a variety of methods including problem solving, experiential and holistic approaches to care
5. Flexibility – allowing managers and their workforce to develop a tailor made course by attending the days appropriate to your field of practice
6. The opportunity to study with other health care professionals from a variety of backgrounds and settings.  This allows learners to share their practice and experiences with others and to form networks that will continue to support good practice in Cancer and Palliative care in the workplace
7. The knowledge skills framework is used, in most cases, to indicate the learning outcomes for each study day, allowing managers to identify development needs in workforce and individuals and match them with the relevant study days on offer.  Please see below for the applications of the KSF framework¹
8. Courses/ study days led by the hospital oncology education team will be certificated with the KSF level and content indicated.  There is no academic assessment for individual days but they can form the basis for practice development modules or as the knowledge to underpin clinical skills teaching & assessment

N.B. Please note that this is a rolling programme. We will be adding further study days throughout the coming year.  If you have any feedback or requests for oncology/palliative care education not covered here let a member of the team know.

 

¹Agenda for Change Project Team, The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development Review Process, Department of Health, October 2004.