Courses and events
The Palliative Care Unit deliver various courses and events throughout the year, offering high quality training for healthcare professionals, and opportunities to share knowledge and expertise.
Courses
For enquiries about courses, or if you would like to be able to pay for a course via invoice or bank transfer please contact course administrator Ali Holcroft at Alison.Holcroft@liverpool.ac.uk. To book directly online click the link below.
Book course.
Advanced Communications Skills Training
Advanced Communication Skills Training (ACST) is a two-day multi-professional course that uses a variety of teaching methods to provide the opportunity for senior, experienced Health Care Professionals to explore the evidence base relating to effective communication within healthcare and to examine the application of specific communication skills strategies to complex healthcare relating interactions.
- Experiential Approach -This course offers you the opportunity to examine complex communication-related topics using actor-based, simulated patient scenarios
- Participant-led -The programme draws upon a participant-led agenda, allowing you time to reflect upon your current expertise, practice newly developed skills with the use of role-play and receive positive, constructive feedback within an interactive, intensive but safe and supportive environment
- Expert Facilitators - Facilitators with a clinical background in healthcare and a wealth of experience in delivering national advanced communication skills training will support your learning on this course. The course is led by Dr Susie Wilkinson and Anita Roberts.
This course can be delivered both in person and virtually via Zoom.
2025 Courses
3–4 March – Liverpool
19–20 May – Liverpool
9–10 June – Virtual
15–16 September – Liverpool
Book course.
Training For Facilitators
Training For Facilitators is a three day multiprofessional course that prepares facilitators to deliver high quality, evidence based Advanced Communication Skills Training. The main aim of the workshop is to enable participants to develop their knowledge and understanding of teaching and assessing communication skills at an advanced level.
Delivered by expert trainers, the course provides an opportunity to gain up to date knowledge of the evidence base surrounding the application of communication skills training and course design. You will explore how to set up and facilitate role play, using video feedback and discussion safely and effectively, understand and manage group dynamics and learn how to work with actors. The course has been used to train facilitators nationally to the standard of the National Advanced Communication Skills Programme (Connected) and is led by Dr Susie Wilkinson and Anita Roberts.
It is open to all senior healthcare professionals who have completed an advanced communication skills training programme such as the Wilkinson ACST programme, the Connected Course or equivalent and who want to be actively involved in teaching communication skills to healthcare professionals. This course is held in person in Liverpool.
2025 Courses
21 -23 January – Liverpool
11-13 June – Liverpool
23-25 September - Liverpool
Book course.
Serious Illness Care Programme – Clinician Training Day
The Serious Illness Care Programme (UK) promotes high quality conversations between clinicians, seriously ill patients, and their families. The intervention provides clinical tools, training, and workflow innovations to help clinicians initiate these conversations in the right way and at the right time.
Morning Only Session - Introduction and overview of the Programme.
Full Training Workshop - Introduction and overview, and experiential learning with simulated patients. This event is a one-day interactive workshop designed for clinicians. The training will provide you with the tools, knowledge, and skills to start having these conversations with the patients for whom you think it is appropriate.
2025 Courses
Dates TBC – contact Alison.Holcroft@liverpool.ac.uk to register interest.
Training the Teachers
This well-established international short course is suitable for healthcare professionals who have more than two years experience of working in palliative and end of life care and who are expected to provide education as part of their role.
A three day multidisciplinary course focusing on modern and effective ways of teaching in palliative and end of life care. The course places an emphasis on how to teach and not just what to teach, providing you with the opportunity to:
- Examine specific teaching formats and consider how they can be applied to teaching practice
- Explore a range of teaching methods and delivery skills
- Discover how the Kolb model can be adapted to enhance Palliative Care teaching
- Design learner centred education aimed at specific groups
The course continues to be run in collaboration with Dr Ruthmarijke Smeding, a senior Educational Psychology consultant from the Netherlands, and aims to equip senior professionals with modern and effective ways of teaching in palliative and end of life care using specific educational theory.
Save the date 23–25 June 2025
For enquiries and to register interest contact course administrator, Ali Holcroft Alison.Holcroft@liverpool.ac.uk
Events
International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person Events
International Collaborative Annual Conference
Porto 13-14 November 2024
The International Collaborative Annual Conference is a two-day programme of professional events designed to potentiate working relationships and disseminate the collaborative’s work.
Registration open. Abstract deadline extended to 15 September 2024
Find out more.
Palliative Care Unit Seminar Series
To be added to the mailing list for the PCU seminar series please contact Jo Davies at davies79@liverpool.ac.uk
Virtual reality in palliative care
Dr Amara Nwosu
8 October 2024 - 13:00-14:00 BST
End of life care for people with Motor Neurone Disease
Professor Peter Allcroft
26 November 2024 - 13:00-14:00 BST
Discharge Planning Conversations
Anita Roberts
10 December 2024 - 13:00-14:00 BST
Webinars
Experiences and preferences of people in the last phase of life: results from the 11-country iLIVE Project
Dr Maria EC Schelin. Chaired by Professor Agnes van der Heide.
International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person Webinar.
5 September 2024 - 12:00-13:00 BST
Find out more.
Don’t forget the children when a parent is dying of cancer
Professor Cherith Semple.
International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person Webinar.
28 November 2024 - 12:00-13:00 BST
Find out more.