For everyone who wants to develop their communication skills and techniques to better support people with cancer. This course consists of short modules, to enhance your communication skills to better support people living with cancer, including cues, active listening, advice vs information. 

By the end of the programme, you will be able to:

• • Describe why effective communication skills are important
  • Describe what active listening skills are
  • Identify verbal and non-verbal listening skills
  • Identify effective questioning techniques
  • Recognise and respond to cues
  • Recognise barriers to effective communication, blocking behaviours and missed opportunities during a conversation
  • Describe the difference between advice and information
  • Identify good practice when having a difficult conversation

Target audience: All health and social care staff 

Type of learning: Online 

Provider: Macmillan

Associated costs: Free

This course is designed for learners who want to increase their knowledge and understanding of supporting adults living with cancer for either personal or professional reasons. This free online course aims to:

Focus on the study of cancer support in the health and social care sector

Offer breadth and depth of study, incorporating a key core of knowledge

The objective is to give learners knowledge of:

• What cancer is, its diagnosis and treatment
• The support needs of people living with cancer

Target audience: General public (NB you must currently live in England

You must have been resident in the UK/EU for 3+ years, for purposes other than study) You must be over the age of 19. You must not be on an apprenticeship

Type of learning: Online 

Provider: HM Government/Department for Education: Free Courses in England

Associated costs: Free

This module is for all health and social care professionals who wish to develop their skills and knowledge in identifying and managing psychological distress in people living with cancer. 

This enhanced level module offers an overview of working with psychological distress in clinical practice, to support people living with cancer.

The course covers areas of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and safeguarding. Also covers assessment tools and strategies to help modify behaviours, emotions, and feelings to promote better mental health and wellbeing for people living with cancer.

The course will also help to build in sustainable self-care strategies for healthcare professionals, focusing on self-compassion and kindness, connectedness, and mindfulness knowledge and practice.

Target audience: All health and social care staff

Type of learning: Online 

Provider: Macmillan

Associated costs: Free

This course is for a range of professionals in health and social care who regularly support people who are experiencing a range of emotions and distress either face to face or by telephone. Examples of roles include cancer centre staff, information staff, cancer navigators and support workers, and staff working in general care settings such as hospital wards, GP practices and care homes.

This course will explore the challenges of managing heightened emotions and look at ways we might respond effectively with empathy.

At the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Recognise factors that make a conversation challenging
• Respond appropriately to a range of different emotions
• Understand how professional boundaries can help in the management of emotional/difficult conversations
• You will practice skills and techniques to increase your confidence in these situations

Target audience: All health and social care staff

Type of learning: Online 

Provider: Macmillan

Associated costs: Free

Training in advanced communication skills for cancer services Care Navigators dealing with people affected by cancer.

Target audience: These sessions are for Care Navigators (however any spare places available closer to the dates can be opened out to all health and social care staff without a cost – contact helen.teasdale4@nhs.net)

Type of learning: face to face

Provider: South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance

Associated costs: Free

This eLearning programme aims to help health and care professionals who support people with mental health needs by improving their communication skills to de-escalate difficult situations.  It has been developed by Health Education England, eLearning for healthcare (HEE elf) and HEE Global Engagement.

Communication skills for the mental health practitioner was originally developed as a face to face course for nurses in West Bengal, India. The pre-reading materials have been re-designed into 4 online sessions.

Session 1: Principles and strategies in communication
Session 2: Verbal de-escalation techniques
Session 3: Reducing restrictive practice – communication during physical restraint
Session 4: Reducing restrictive practice – communication during chemical restraint
The programme also features workshop materials for learners to access ahead of future face to face workshops.

It is intended that the elearning and teaching materials within this programme are used together to support experienced mental health professionals to deliver a 2 day training session – 1 day elearning and 1 day face to face training.

On completion of the programme, learners will understand the principles of communication and will have made plans about how to use these skills in their workplace.

Target audience: All health and social care staff

Type of learning: Online 

Provider: NHS England – E learning for healthcare

Associated costs: Free

Advocating for people living with cancer is about ensuring that the people living with cancer have their needs, views and concerns addressed. People in social care play a crucial role in advocating for people living with cancer, to help them live as well as possible.

This course will equip staff working in social care with the knowledge and skills to advocate for the people they support. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe what advocacy is and why it is important
• Identify practical ways to advocate for people affected by cancer at different stages of their diagnosis and in different care settings, including signposting to additional help and support services
• Identify where to go for help when advocating for people living with cancer

By completing this course, you will be better prepared to advocate for people living with cancer and provide compassionate support.

Target audience: All health and social care staff

Type of learning: Online 

Provider: Macmillan

Associated costs: Free