Education and Learning

Learn with Rowcroft Hospice’s award-winning Education Team – experts in palliative and end of life care learning and development.

Rowcroft is committed to sharing expertise, knowledge, and best practice through our outstanding education offer.

The Rowcroft Education Programme offers both online and classroom learning events and includes the successful End of Life care Ambassadors programme.

“It’s been really fantastic. It’s been above my level of expectation. The team that taught us have taught us so much.”

-Rebecca, Student

Are you passionate about improving end of life care and work in the Torbay and South Devon area?

The End of Life Care Ambassador Programme supports health and social care professionals to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to lead positive change within their workplace. Through specialist-led training, mentorship and peer support you will lead your own workplace improvement project and Dying Matters event. Join our growing community and help make a lasting difference to the people you care for and enhance the experience of people living with progressive illness and those approaching the end of life.

Find out more Programme flyer Apply here

Watch this short video to hear from other End of Life Care Ambassadors – it’s two minutes of joyful feedback.

Essential Training for Senior Healthcare Professionals

Our Advanced Level Communication Skills in Palliative & End of Life Care course is a nationally benchmarked two-day course designed to help you confidently support challenging communication. With expert facilitation, in small groups this course uses skills based practice with common scenarios e.g. breaking bad news and responding to distress or uncertainty.

“I thought it was excellent; it should be rolled out to every GP practice!”

– GP

View the Course Programme

We welcome commissioning of this course in your workplace. For more information, please email the Education Team: [email protected]

Are you a health or social care professional who would like to learn more about Rowcroft Hospice by attending an ‘Insight Visit’ with us?

This visit is for health & social care professionals who would like to experience what we offer at Rowcroft Hospice. You may be looking to spend time in our Inpatient Unit (IPU), Hospice at Home team or Community team, or you may like to experience time in each area.

To enable us to provide you with the best experience, please complete this form. Once received, we can process your request and if we are able to accommodate you, we will email you with confirmation of your visit. We will contact you even if we are unable to accommodate your request on this occasion, therefore if you have not heard back from us within 3 weeks of your application, please contact us – [email protected]

Coordinating Insight Visits takes time and involves liaising with multiple teams and managing complex schedules, so the more notice you are able to give us, the greater the chance of a successful application. Please do make every effort to attend on the dates arranged, as opportunities are limited and demand is high and we may not be able to offer you further dates.

Apply for an Insight Visit

A free e-learning resource.

More than 180 interactive training sessions are available, covering areas such as advance care planning, social care and symptom management. While the site is aimed at health and social care professionals, it’s open to everyone. Please visit the e-ELCA website to find out more.

End of Life Care for All Online Courses

Meet Rowcroft’s Award-Winning Education Team

Kerry Macnish, Registered Nurse (RN) BSc (Hons) Cert Ed

Kerry Macnish is Rowcroft’s Head of Education. Kerry’s career as a community palliative clinical nurse began in 1987 in Exeter. She published a chapter on palliative nursing in Palliative Care for People with Cancer in 2002 and was awarded International Journal of Palliative Nursing Educationalist of the Year in 2007. She has been a hospice educator since 2008 in Exeter and Torbay, is a lead facilitator for the Advanced Communication Skills programmes, a L2 Restorative Justice facilitator and a L3 CMI coach and mentor.

Catherine Hughes, Registered Nurse (RN)

Catherine Hughes RN started her career working as a hospice nurse in Texas in 1992. She has worked in oncology and joined Rowcroft Hospice in 2007, working in the Inpatient Unit, Day Services and the Education Team. While working in the Education Team has led projects for care homes in South Devon and testing the Advance care planning Brief intervention in practice. Catherine has been part of the Advanced Communication Skills facilitation team since 2018 and is a L1 Restorative Justice facilitator.

Jo Powell, Education Administrator and Co-ordinator

Jo Powell is Rowcroft’s Education Administrator and Co-ordinator. Jo is your first point of contact for booking applications and enquiries to the Education Team and is always happy to help. To contact the team please email: [email protected]

Jo has been at Rowcroft since 2013, starting off as a volunteer before joining the Education Team in 2014.

Rowcroft Passionately believes that good education leads to good care.

We provide as many learning events and opportunities as possible, funded through grants and donations to those within the South Devon locality.

“You can tell in their manner how passionate they are and how invested they are in learning.”

– Victoria, Student