Oxfordshire End of Life Care

Placement Opportunities for Health Social Care Staff

Background

The End of Life Care Strategy (2008) identifies ways to improve end of life care andensure better quality of care for patients and their families/carers. TheEnd of Life Care placements have been set up by Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group in collaboration with the Oxfordshire Palliative Care Education Group (OPEG) to offer opportunities for staffto develop their knowledge and skills in EOLCby working alongside specialist palliative care staff.

Educational benefits of EOLC placements

The placements will offer opportunities for those providing end of life care to experience working in specialist palliative care settings with the following potential benefits:

  1. Observing and experiencing different work practices
  2. Learning from working alongside specialist staff
  3. Developing skills, knowledge and confidence in working with patients and their families/carers
  4. Sharing ideas and practices across organisations

Outline

  • Placementsare offered to both qualified and unqualified health and social care staff working in EOLC in Oxfordshire. They areavailable for two days per week for three months (24 days in total).
  • There is £2,000 backfill funding available for registered staff, and £1,000 for non-registered staff. Students can also apply for parking, travel costs etc.
  • Placementsare available across the Oxfordshire specialist palliative care settings:

-Douglas House (Oxford)

-Katharine House (Banbury)

-Sobell House (Oxford)

-Sue Ryder Hospice (Nettlebed)

  • Participants will usually get their choice of placement but may be offered an alternative if that placement does not have the capacity to take them
  • The host organisation will provide a mentor and funds are available to support this
  • Placements will be tailored to individual learning needs
  • Participants will be expected to studya number of e-learning sessions using the e-ELCA sessions. These should be selected in collaboration with mentors
  • Each placement will begin with an induction period of 3-4 days with the host organisation. During this time, participants will meet with their mentors, identify the e-learning modules they will undertake, meet the people they will be working with and become more familiar with the working practices of their host organisation
  • The focus of the placementis to:

-Gain experience of care in specialist palliative care settings

-Develop confidence in communication with patients and families

-Develop understanding of symptom identification, assessment and management

-Develop understanding of end of life care and the patient’s journey

  • Those interested should complete an application form giving information about their experience and what they would like to gain
  • Successful applicants are expected to show evidence of their learning by completing e-learning modules and an end of secondment evaluation form. They will also be expected to report on their experience back in their workplace

Who can apply for a placement?

  • Oxfordshire health or social care practitioners working with people at the endoflife, including staff working in acute settings, care homes and the community.

How will the placements work?

  • Placements will be for 24 days. We encourage people to work for 3-4 days during the first week as an induction period, followed by 2 days/week. In some circumstances e.g. for part-time staff, the equivalent number of days can be taken over a longer period
  • Secondees will remain in their current role for the remainder of their employed hours
  • Placements will be selected by the applicant in negotiation with their current employer but it is expected that they will choose the setting nearest to them
  • Applications will be selected by interview. Interviews will be held once or twice a year
  • There may be advantages for organisations to consider encouraging two staff to apply e.g. both a registered and a non-registered care worker who can support each other in taking their learning back into the workplace
  • The placement will be designed to achieve the intended focus of the scheme:the professional development needs of the applicant, the organisational needs of their employing organisation and enhance end of life care in Oxfordshire.

To discuss placements with the specialist palliative care settings contact:

Douglas House, OxfordSophie Ebeling,

01865 794749

Katharine House Hospice,Srinder Singh,

Banbury

01295 811866

Sobell House, OxfordKate Butcher,

01865 225489

Sue Ryder Hospice, NettlebedJoanna Kerridge

01491 641384

How will applications be processed?

  • Application is by CV and completed application form.
  • Applicants will be selected by interview.
  • Applications and CVs should be submitted to EoLC Placement Opportunities, Sobell House Study Centre, Churchill Hospital, Old Rd, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LE

email

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