Improving end of life care through better integration Melissa Balman Ali Rusbridge

Project Overview Working together: Improving end of life care through better integration project Funded by HE North Central & East London (HENCEL) – covering 13 LA areas Joint working with Skills for Health and National Council for Palliative Care Started Oct 2013, extended until March people involved as champions or in ‘expert reference group’ & virtual network of about 100 developed Over 350 front line workers attending sessions 27 workers achieving level 2 Award in Awareness of End of Life Care Hospice staff trained as assessors and champions trained in action learning facilitation Suite of resources developed Project resources and messages widely disseminated

Project principles and way of working The project: Focused on improving integration at end of life care through supporting people to work differently and concentrating on relationships Took a co-production approach & involved experts by experience Recognised the importance of drawing on and being sensitive to people’s own experience Focused on bringing people in different roles together –every aspect of the project brought workers from health and social care together and was based on the principle that everyone has something to learn and something to teach Worked towards greater synergy – making connections with what else was going on in the area Recognised that you can’t make networks but can only create opportunities for people to build their own networks

Project resources developed 1.Six key messages for people working at the front line, to help them in their everyday practices - developed into an interactive PDF. 2.Session plan, PowerPoint and facilitators guidance for using the resources to run a learning and development session for front line workers. 3.A 26 minute film ‘It Helps to Talk’ illustrating the key messages through the story of Pippa who has Motor Neurone Disease and her family. 4.A second 20 minute film ‘Understanding roles – working together for better end of life care’ divided into 9 sections where different people describe their roles during end of life care 5.A booklet to accompany the film where 19 people describe their roles during end of life care All of the above are available on the website or as a DVD Coming soon – guidance for understanding Jewish end of life requirements and key learning points from the project

Working together: Improving end of life care through better integration To find the project resources go to

Six key messages 1.Listen to the person and their carers; create opportunities for them to express their views and concerns. Understand how their culture and lifestyle affects their choices and how they wish to be treated. 2.Care plans are developed around the stated priorities of the person, kept up to date, and shared across the care and support team. Goals are clear, roles understood, and there is a named co-ordinator. 3.Information important to the person’s care and support is shared as appropriate and up to date. Everyone including the person and their carers, knows and understands about changes and how they affect the care plan. 4.Value and understand everyone’s role and contribution (the person, their family and carers, colleagues) 5.Support each other (the person, their family and carers, colleagues), listen, share expertise, be comfortable asking for support or information. 6.Use ordinary language and speak in ways that are easily understood, taking account of the situation and the person you are talking to.

Understanding roles Primary carer - Person receiving care

Learning from the project This doesn’t have to cost any money it’s about doing things in a different way – if you put the right people in a room together they will learn from each other they will learn about each other, they will begin to understand each other and they will choose to work together The only person who knows the whole picture is the person receiving services and what matters to them is what matters Everyone has something to contribute and everyone’s role is important – understanding that can contribute to people working together more effectively thus improving end of life care through better integration

Working with the principles of workforce integration The Principles of Workforce Integration have been developed through a cross sector partnership with Think Local Act personal, Skills for Health, Local Government Association, the Centre for Workforce Intelligence, NHS Employers and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services The principles take a view that better use of resources and better outcomes for people who need care and support are predicated upon nurturing the workforce, so that all workers have the confidence, knowledge, capability, motivation and enthusiasm to deliver the very best care and support

Links & contact details

Thank you