As part of an Introduction to Advance Care Planning course, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust includes No Barriers Here workshops within their education programme, sharing No Barriers Here with health and social care professionals across the county. Amy Giles, Advance Care Planning Lead, explains more about why they have taken this approach to use the arts-based workshops within the course.
“It is an effective method to get people to think about their own advance care plans and what is important to them in order to support others to think about planning ahead. We have noted good outcomes with health and social care workers expressing a better understanding of advance care planning and it has made the training so much more engaging. Educating staff about advance care planning is fundamental to everyone and staff need to understand why it is important to have clear discussions with others and to truly understand advance care planning. It has highlighted the need for more advance care planning conversations and promotes an awareness of why it is important, on a personal level and for the people we support through health and social care organisations. It also ensures that staff are passionate about championing planning ahead and sharing their knowledge with others.”
In September 2023, the Somerset End of Life Care Programme Board hosted their second annual conference ‘Reaching the Forgotten’. The day involved hearing from keynote speakers, sharing best practice and the delivery of innovative workshops, including a No Barriers Here taster workshop for delegates and later the creation of a conference No Barriers Here quilt.
So what are the next steps? In January 2024, Amy and members of her team, are commencing a pilot using No Barriers Here with people with learning disabilities and autism, working in collaboration with Hana Kennerley and a Somerset care home with the overarching goal of rolling it out across Somerset.
For further information about Somerset EOLC, please contact:
Amy Giles, Advance Care Planning Lead. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
