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Enhancing Patient Experience and
Staff Well-Being

Medical staff listening

NHS Framework Approved Training Programmes    

Are you wanting to:

  • Confidently engaging empathically and compassionately with families and loved one's post incidents (PSIRF)

  • Prevent prolonged psychological harm (Duty of Candour)?

  • Develop a deeper understanding of human-focused and ethical leadership?

  • Foster civility and psychological safety in communication

  • Promote staff and personal well-being, resilience, emotional intelligence and resilience?

 

These NHS Framework approved courses, (Lot 2 and 4C of the National Framework) worth between 4 and 7 CPD hours, are specifically aimed at all health and social care professionals looking to learn more about how further incorporating  empathy, compassionate engagement and emotional awareness to improve the experience of patients and loved ones, but go beyond compliance and have a positive impact on outcomes, staff well-being, meaningful involvement and patient safety.

Courses and
Development Programmes

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A Journey Through Complaints & Incidents Using Empathy and Compassionate Engagement

Linking into PSIRF, Complaints Standards Framework and the Duty of Candour

Delivered face to face, virtually, or unique E-learning version (Anytime Anywhere Training)

IDEAL FOR:

All healthcare and social care professionals including executive teams, wishing to improve how they communicate in complaints and incidents and create a just fair and learning culture (Complaints Standards Framework), as well as recognising the importance of preventing prolonged psychological harm (Duty of Candour) and compassionate engagement (PSIRF) and achieve meaningful involvement, and resolutions to minimise harm. Particularly useful for complaints managers, PALS and patient experience teams, lead investigators and those involved in the implementation of PSIRF, Complaints Standards Framework,  quality and improvement and the Duty of Candour.

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WHY ATTEND:

The new national framework Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) places strong emphasis on 'Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents'  While the National Quality Board identified 8 key principles concerning bereaved families and carers in the National Guidance on Learning from Deaths guidelines, which Trust Boards are now accountable for ensuring compliance with. Part of this compliance is ensuring training for staff to be able to support bereaved parties Providers should review and, if necessary, enhance skills and training to support this agenda' (National Guidance on Learning from Deaths March '17)

 'Investigation teams must be compromised of staff who have the skills to apply the Duty of Candour compassionately, and the skills to support individuals at a time of complex bereavement' CQC Learning Accountability and Candour.

 

The Complaints Standards Framework is in place to support "being a just, fair and learning organisation {...] With understanding of the emotional complexity around making a complaint and having a complaint made against you"

DESCRIPTION: This emotionally explorative one-day course is for healthcare professionals who wish to gain confidence and insight into handling complaints and incidents in an empathetic and compassionate way. They will improve how they approach emotive and difficult conversations with patients loved ones and the bereaved, learning how to recognise and gain vital 'emotional data' to support compassionate engagement and involvement inline with the training requirements highlighted in PSIRF, the Complaints Standards Framework and others. From the perspective of real life case study told with candour and honesty, along with the science compassionate empathy and psychology, delegates will develop confidence and knowledge to work with bereaved families and to positively improve how patients and loved ones experience their organisation, whilst looking after their own important well-being.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Understanding a thought-provoking journey through a complaint and incident, understanding 'emotional data', for true learning.

  • Build confidence in compassionately engaging and involving bereaved and vulnerable people

  • Identifying and understanding empathic and emotionally focused thinking to understand the emotional complexities and systems in complaints

  • Understand how a lack of empathy and compassion has the potential to cause psychological harm, negatively impacting on being a just culture and preventing complying meaningfully with the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework.

  • Understanding what gets in the way and develop, manage and optimise reasoned empathy in complaints

  • How to help achieve meaningful resolutions, optimum outcomes and reach a 'Safeguarded Personal Resolution' ® to be just, fair and a learn culture

  • Understand yourself better to safeguard your own mental health and personal well-being. 

 

FEEDBACK: "Carolyn led a session for a group of Senior Clinical Leaders at Northumbria Healthcare on Empathetic Leadership. The session was so powerful and engaging with an open and honest account of personal experience that deeply impacted the group. The various formats of delivery and the consistent patient story running throughout the day made this an extremely reflective session, particularly those who are responsible for responding to incidents, complaints and claims."

 Rachel Carter, Director of Patient Safety, Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust

HC Complaints

A Journey Through Leadership Using Empathy - linking to psychological safety

IDEAL FOR: All those working in health or social care and wanting to improve their empathic and compassionate leadership to enhance their interactions skills and human connection skills with their workforce, nurture well-being and improve their own self care

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“Studies comparing superb leaders with mediocre ones have found that the competencies that distinguish the best form the worst in human services have little or nothing to do with medical knowledge or technical skill and everything to do with social and emotional intelligence. Of course, medical knowledge matters for healthcare leaders – but it’s a given. What distinguishes leaders in medicine, goes far beyond that knowledge, into interpersonal skills like empathy, conflict resolutions and people development.”

Daniel Goldman. 

A study by Development Dimensions International found that of more than 15,000 leaders in 18 countries workers who master empathy make the most successful leaders.  It cited empathy as the No. 1 skill of a great leader.

During challenging times or when dealing with stress or burnout, cultivating happiness at work becomes crucial. Empathetic leadership, fostering a psychologically safe environment where individuals feel comfortable being vulnerable, holds significant importance

DESCRIPTION: This one-day course examines, in a unique, thought provoking and human way, the important role empathy and emotional awareness plays in inclusive leadership, staff well-being and productivity, and what erodes it. Delegates will develop understanding of the psychology of emotionally focused thinking and outcomes and learn essential skills to understand and implement effective relationship focused work, underpinned with empathy and emotional development.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Who are we? Understanding & developing the human connection

  • How to identify and understand emotionally focused thinking and practice and people focused leadership

  • Explore how a lack of empathy in one-on-one encounters has the potential to cause psychological harm, how to respond to others using empathy

  • How to cultivate empathy and inclusive leadership- communicate at a deeper level

  • Reinforce your existing empathy and gain the confidence to use your new skills to enhance the human connection and handle difficult conversations

  • Understand reflexive leadership and develop skills for staff well- being and productivity. Explore the concept of Safeguarded Personal Communication (SPC®)

  • Recognise how to manage empathy to prevent burn out and improve your own self care and staff retention and productivity

" Fantastic! I walked away with increased knowledge on empathy and how it affects us and those around us. Thought -provoking and emotive – in a good way!"

Senior clinician NHFT

HC leadership

A Journey Through Empathy and Emotional Awareness in Communication
 

IDEAL FOR: The course is ideal for all health and social care professionals, student nurses and junior doctors, advocacy staff, receptionists, social workers and all public facing professionals within health and social care that wish to understand more about empathy, how we communicate.

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“...tuning in to another person does more than give us an understanding of their view – it tells us how best to communicate with that person: what matters most to them, their models of the world...” Daniel Goleman

 

'It’s easy for people to feel that they give up all control of their lives once they enter the health system....Losing control can make people feel helpless and hopeless, which isn’t good for boosting their chances of recovery from illness. But good communication can avoid these feelings – it can help people to see that they still have a say and are still in charge of their own lives.'  Royal College of Nursing

DESCRIPTION:  This one-day experiential learning session goes beyond identifying what empathy is; it explores how empathy serves as the foundation for effective communication and aligns with various initiatives, guidance, and frameworks Participants not only ‘feel’ empathy but also analyse and comprehend it on a profound level. The goal is to understand why empathy holds such significance in healthcare settings, impacting patients, loved ones, colleagues, and personal well-being.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Experience empathy within the context of a real life event and healthcare incident narrative

  • Recognise the impact of the funnel of life and how this impacts on our emapthic abilities

  • Identify and understand empathically focused thinking, power imbalances  and communicating with care

  • Evaluate the detrimental effects of a lack of empathy and emotional awareness on patient experience and safety, emphasising the potential for psychological harm and the importance of cultivating empathetic practices.

  • Develop empathic thinking to understand the stories behind communication and the systems at play potentially affecting communication along with a fun look at personalities. 

  • Explore the concept of Safeguarded Personal Communication (SPC®) and managing empathy to prevent burn out and improve well-being and the importance of this for resilience.

 

" Very honest and relevant. Carolyn has a lovely way of explaining a difficult situation and feelings."

Health Support Worker, Derby and Burton University Hospital

HC Communication

Bridging Civility: Exploring Emotional Pathways for Lasting Workplace Change

IDEAL FOR: Ideal for those seeking to understand, foster, and champion a culture of civility within teams and service interactions, emphasising empathy, emotional intelligence, and personal well-being as cornerstones for positive organisational change.

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This one day course will explore civility, the impact of it being present and the impact of it not being. Moreover, it will delve into understanding the underlying causes of incivility, highlighting how empathy, emotional intelligence, and personal well-being form the cornerstone for cultivating a culture of civility on an individual level, within teams, and in interactions with service users.


It is well known statistic that people who even just witness incivility towards another are 50% less likely to help another person. (Civility Saves Lives) There is also a clear link to patient safety. Often, we avoid visiting difficult emotions in others, as well as ourselves, because we don’t feel confident, or skilled. We are feeling hurt by another’s incivility to us, or, we simply don’t have the emotional reserves. Understanding the emotional dimensions and stories, acknowledging our collective humanity and vulnerabilities, brings the human focus towards colleagues, patients, and loved ones, to enable authentic learning around civility. Emphasising that personal well-being stands as the most potent antidote to incivility.

Understanding the profound repercussions of incivility and acknowledging the crucial role of emotional intelligence in fostering civility, facilitates introspection and motivates individuals to cultivate an environment grounded in respect, support, transparency, and continuous learning. In a supportive and relaxed environment, delegates, will have the opportunity to gain in depth knowledge of the emotional component, relate to, analyse, and realise the significance of civility, building confidence in their own abilities, to make positive culture changes in organisations.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Emotional Insight: Sensing incivility’s Impact on Patient Safety, Life, and Trauma, comprehending the ‘Funnel of Life and our shared humanity and fallibility

  • Civility’s Impact: Understand the significance of civility and its effects on workplace culture, patient safety, and relationships.

  • Understanding Emotional Perspectives: Recognise and perceive perspectives, comprehend emotional positioning and motivations, and recognise vulnerability in oneself and others.

  • Roots of Incivility: Identify underlying causes of incivility, emphasising empathy, emotional intelligence, and personal well-being in nurturing respectful environments.

  • Emotional Intelligence: Develop emotional intelligence to navigate and mitigate the impact of incivility, fostering resilience and managing difficult emotions.

  • Culture of Respect: Foster environments grounded in respect, support, transparency, and continual learning, driving positive cultural changes within organisations.

  • Confidence in Change: Gain confidence in analysing and enacting positive shifts, contributing to authentic learning and supportive workplace cultures.

FEEDBACK: What was your overall impression of the session? - "I really enjoyed the day and was so grateful to all those who shared stories. Its a real reality check that this is everyday life and how words and behaviours can impact the day. The inclusion of very personal subject matter allows a very genuine approach, and I am very appreciative that was shared with us to assist us in our future."  Practice Development Midwife

HC Civility

Emotional Intelligence

IDEAL FOR: For anyone wanting to understand more about themselves, the human brain and how to develop their emotional intelligence

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In this immersive one-day session, the primary focus is on unlocking the transformative power of Emotional Intelligence with a strong emphasis on developing emotional awareness and incorporating principles of positive psychology. The training aims to create an experiential learning environment, fostering the cultivation of empathy, kindness, and personal well-being.

Emotional Intelligence, defined as our mind’s ability to perceive, manage, and express emotions effectively in real life, takes centre stage in this journey. The immersive training acknowledges the individual variations in emotional intelligence and recognises the potential for growth in understanding and dealing with emotions, emphasising how well-being and psychological safety can either enhance or hijack our abilities in this realm.

Through this experiential approach, participants are empowered to not only develop their emotional intelligence but also to deepen their emotional awareness. This emphasis on heightened emotional awareness, combined with principles of positive psychology, provides a comprehensive framework for personal growth. The training equips individuals with the skills to make emotionally intelligent decisions, fostering psychological safety, building trust, enhancing creativity, and embodying the qualities of a positive and emotionally intelligent person.

  • Transformative Emotional Intelligence: Understand and apply Emotional Intelligence, emphasising awareness and positive psychology.

  • Cultivate Empathy and Kindness: Equip for empathy, kindness, and personal well-being in interactions.

  • Acknowledge Emotional Variations: Recognise and appreciate diversity in emotional intelligence, fostering growth.

  • Navigate Well-being: Explore well-being’s impact, gaining resilience strategies for diverse environments.

  • Deepen Emotional Awareness: Cultivate holistic personal growth through experiential emotional learning.

  • Apply Positive Psychology: Integrate positive psychology for a comprehensive approach to personal growth.

  • Harnessing Success: Explore how recognising successes becomes a powerful tool for making positive and emotionally intelligent decisions, fostering trust and creativity.

HCEI
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