Brand new Foundation Certificate in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Palliative and End of Life Care launched by Compassionate Communities UK.
Anyone who works in Palliative and End of Life Care in the UK knows that there are ongoing challenges with regards to equity of access.
This is not just for people from ethnically diverse communities but also people with a diagnosis other than cancer, and people who have disabilities. In addition, groups that do get access are reporting not feeling that they or their families are accepted for example people who identify as LGBTQIA+
the benefits of palliative care are not experienced equitably. Many racialized people have suffered discrimination at the hands of the health system and are affected by intergenerational racial trauma. Racialized individuals have less utilization of palliative care services, experience worse symptom control, and are less likely to have their end of life wishes documented or respected[1]
Well, this doctor, a female doctor, stood outside the door saying, ‘I need a chaperone’. I’m lying there, really ill and thinking: what? Why does she need a chaperone? And she must have called out about a dozen times, … then eventually one of the nurses came up to her and said, ‘What do you need a chaperone for?’ She answered, ‘Because she’s a lesbian!’ I can’t tell you how furious I was, but I was just simply too ill to deal with it.” [i]
A public health approach to palliative and end of life care is population based – with no one left behind.
It is also an approach that celebrates diversity, the talents, insights, cultural riches and different approaches to care giving, death, dying and loss. CCUK has gathered together a team of sector specialists to construct and co-deliver a three part programme;
- Part 1- an interactive introductory webinar on the importance of tacking inequity in this field;
- Part 2 – a 6 module Foundation Certificate
- Part 3 – an extension to a Practice Certificate in either care or organisational strategy.
Project ECHO is being used as part of the programme to create communities of practice.
The aim of this programme is to dig into some of the more uncomfortable areas of equity including power and privilege, intersectionality, racism and anti-racism, how to lead change in an organisation, how to be an ally and why the Equalities Act doesn’t go far enough.
As part of the programme and particularly leading into part three, the aim is to provoke thinking and to support practical action.
The development, teaching and assessment team is made up of:-
Balwinder Kaur – Interim Director of Adult Social Care, Surrey County Council
Dr Gurpreet Gupta, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, St Luke’s Hospice Harrow. APM Race Equity Committee Deputy Chair
Stewart O’Callaghan, Founding CEO of Live Through This, the UK’s only LGBTIQ+ cancer charity
Dr Jamilla Hussain, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Senior Research Fellow Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Dr Sabrina Bajwah, Clinical Senior Lecturer, King’s College London and Honorary Consultant Palliative Care King’s Health Partners
Dr Manjula Patel, Trustee of Compassionate Communities UK and CEO of Murray Hall Community Trust
Dr Julian Abel, co-founder of Compassionate Communities UK and retired Palliative Medicine Consultant
Dr Emma Hodges, Development Director of Compassionate Communities UK
Part one is running on 7th June and 26th July 3.30pm until 5pm (please choose one date)
The second part of the programme starts on 13th September, and runs for nine weeks.
Part 1 is £35 per learner. Part 2 is £500 and if you book part 1 and 2 together then you get part 1 included for free.
Part 3 is £225 and has two pathways, one for clinical practice and the other for organisational strategy and management. This programme is based on reflective practice, application of learning and participating in regular communities of practice. An introductory session for Part 3 will take place in the autumn to coincide with the end of Part 2.
Please get in touch with us on info@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk to discuss further OR visit Eventbrite for
7th June introductory webinar – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/632294528957
26th July introductory webinar – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/632294528957
Or view the full certificate and learning objectives, starting 13th September –https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/632297939157
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[1] Silva MD et al, Interpreting at the end of life: a systematic review of the impact of interpreters on the delivery of palliative care services to cancer patients with limited English proficiency.
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2016; 51: 569-580
[i] Marie Curie, Hiding Who I Am
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