You may be able to study these modules at Level 6 (BSc level) or Level 7 (Masters level) depending on your academic circumstances. Please contact the CPD Team or the Module Leader for advice if you are unsure which level would be best for you.

This 20 credit module, Enhancing Practice in Palliative Care for Children, Young People and Families, taken at either level 6 or level 7, has been designed in collaboration with practice partners in children's palliative care. 

Our aim is to offer a course to professionals working with children and families with palliative care needs in any setting, that:

• values and builds your existing knowledge and experience
• explores the key issues facing children's palliative care practice
• develops your academic skills and confidence
• creates a supportive space in which sensitive issues can be discussed
• encourages you to share ideas to take back into practice.
• Course sessions will be offered by experts in the field from a range of practice and academic roles.

For more detail on the structure, content and how to apply, check out the further information below.

Careers / Further study

The level 6 module can contribute towards:

• BSc(Hons) Specialist Practice (District Nursing)
• BSc(Hons) Health and Social Care
• MSc Specialist Practice (District Nursing)
• MSc Advanced Practice
• Professional Development Award

The level 7 module can contribute towards:

• MSc Specialist Practice (District Nursing)
• MSc Advanced Practice
• Professional Development Awards

Please contact the module leader, Natalie Michael (Natalie.Michael@uwe.ac.uk) for advice if you have any queries about the suitability of this course.

For all other queries, please see contact details below.

For further information

Email: pd@uwe.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 81158

Content

Themes covered in the module syllabus typically include:

Psychosocial support throughout the palliative care journey

• Accompanying families through grief, loss and bereavement from diagnosis to death and beyond

• Understanding spiritual and cultural aspects of children's palliative care.

• Support and advice on practical, social and emotional issues faced by families and staff at each stage.

• Ethical and legal frameworks in children's palliative care including, but not limited to, best interest decisions such as safeguarding, the withholding or withdrawal of treatment.

Communication

• Handling sensitive and complex information with the child, siblings and other family members.

• Communication when senses and abilities are impaired

• Recognising and responding to emotional distress with empathy.

• Facilitating significant discussions including diagnosis, parallel planning, advance care planning, organ and tissue donation, withholding or withdrawal of treatment and transition.

Multidisciplinary holistic care

• Referral pathways, criteria and access to services.

• Providing collaborative and coordinated partnership working across a range of health, education, and social care settings, including NHS, social enterprise, private and voluntary sector organisations

• The roles of members of the multidisciplinary team involved in assessing, planning, delivering and reviewing care across the life course and after death, including parallel planning, Team Around the Child meetings and the Child Death Overview Process.

• Practice guidelines, polices and their role in informing palliative care delivery.

Collaborative working to promote quality of life

• Working with children, families, and the multi-disciplinary team to monitor and manage symptoms.

• Approaches to assessing, promoting and enriching quality of life, including complementary and music therapies, sensory activities, play and education.

• The nature of the therapeutic role of practitioners in a palliative context, promoting self-care and maintaining boundaries.

• Working together to support transition to adult services.

Learning and Teaching

A variety of teaching methods will be used to facilitate learning in this module including:

• seminars
• workshops
• presentations
• directed and independent learning
• case study discussion through action learning sets

The approach for this module is based upon the model of adult education. Teaching strategies that value your previous learning and placement experiences are applied throughout the module.

The module will be structured around facilitated seminars which will provide opportunities to share experience and consolidate learning.

Study time

A total of 48 hours in the form of face-to-face seminars over six days and self-directed learning over two days.

Assessment

Assessment of this module comprises the following:

For level 6

Maximum 20 minutes overall.

• Poster presentation (10 minutes) 
• Critical questioning/Oral defence (10 minutes)

For level 7 

Maximum 25 minutes overall.

• Poster presentation (10 minutes)
• Critical questioning/Oral defence (15 minutes)

The poster presentation will involving the application of the core concepts of children's palliative care to a real (anonymised) or fictitious case of a child or young person with a life-limiting condition, supported by reference to the evidence base.

Formative assessment will include group work that demonstrates understanding of children's palliative care, including reflective practice, self-assessment and giving feedback.

If you are interested in taking this module as non-assessed, please get in touch at pd@uwe.ac.uk. There may be a reduction in fee in this case depending on the module; the team can confirm this with you. Please be aware this means you would receive no evidence of completion of any kind (no certificate, credit or “confirmation of attendance). Often, employers do not want to sponsor individuals to take a module as non-assessed as you would receive no accreditation.

When you apply for the module, you may need to select the full fee, but if you let us know you would like to take this as non-assessed, we will ensure that the correct fee is raised.