Publish date: 31 January 2023
Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance has been involved with the creation of a new framework to help the development of the cancer care workforce across the UK.
Alliance Programme Manager John Gale and Project Officer Lucie Conway led the way in the Supportive and Assistive Workstream of the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development Programme (ACCEND), which produced the new framework.
ACCEND aims to provide transformational reform for the career pathways and associated education, training, learning and development opportunities for the workforce providing care to people affected by cancer and its Career Pathway, Core Cancer Capabilities in Practice and Education Framework for the Nursing and Allied Health Professions Workforce, has now been launched by Health Education England (HEE).
The framework creates a common language to aid the careers of cancer care professionals, including cancer support workers, nurses and allied health professionals.
CMCA was one of the organisations involved with the report, which provides guidance on:
- routes to working and career progression in cancer care
- the core cancer-related knowledge and capabilities in practice for pre-registration nursing and allied health professions providing general cancer care and specialist services/roles across the UK nations
- the range of learning, development, training and education opportunities to meet the requirements and aspirations of the cancer workforce
- enabling and supporting employers and systems to deliver high quality services to people affected by cancer by supporting workforce transformation
John explained: “The collaboration of so many stakeholders has been instrumental in the development of this framework and I am so pleased that the supportive and assistive workforce are proudly part of this transformational workforce programme, alongside all nurses and aligned health professionals working in cancer.
“I would like to give a special thanks to all the members of the Supportive and Assistive Steering Group, and advisory groups, for all the support and contribution to the public consultation during summer 2022.”
Maggie Tween, Supportive and Assistive Advisory Group Lead for the framework, said: “The collaborative style of its development has really supported co-production of the framework with the supportive and assistive community, which will support its implementation and positive impact moving forward.”
John would also like to give a special thank you to Vanessa Taylor (School Director of Practice and Care Partnerships and Professor of Cancer and Palliative Care) for writing the famework; co-lead of the ACCEND Programme June Davis for chairing the Supportive and Assistive steering group; the three advisory group leads: Professor Richard Griffin (King Collage London), Maggie Tween (NHS Norfolk and Waveney & North EOE Cancer Alliance) and Molly Pipping (Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance), and Sharon Rowe (Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance) for their expertise and dedication to the supportive and assistive workstream.
You can read the new framework here: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/cancer-diagnostics/aspirant-cancer-career-education-development-programme/accend-framework?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo
Download the implementation guide for the Supportive & Assistive workforce here: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Supportive-Assistive%20ACCEND%20Framework%20User%20Implementation%20Guide.pdf
Listen to a podcast regarding the ACCEND programme here: New professional framework launched could help boost cancer workforce | Health Education England (hee.nhs.uk)
Or watch this short presentation recording by Professor Vanessa Taylor, author of the Framework