Available on the Learning Hub
This programme is available on the NHS Learning Hub. We recommend you read the information on this webpage to find out more about the programme before you access the learning (https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/ACCEND).
More information about the Learning Hub and the migration of elfh programmes can be found here.
About the ACCEND Programme
The Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development (ACCEND) programme provides guidance on the knowledge, skills and capabilities required by all nurses and allied health professionals who care for people living with cancer in generalist and specialist cancer services and roles as part of multi-professional teams.
This programme will increase and improve the supply of the cancer healthcare professional workforce in the future. It also provides the existing cancer workforce with access to the education and training needed to match the competencies required for their role.
Using a range of learning opportunities, including this elearning programme, ACCEND provides a definitive career and development pathway for those aspiring to work in cancer care.
ACCEND is underpinned by learning related to the 4 pillars of professional practice – clinical practice; leadership and management; research/evidence-based practice and quality improvement; and specialist cancer focused education.
We know that significant parts of the workforce are under pressure now and, unless we act, we risk being without the right number of health professionals with the right knowledge, skills, and capabilities to effectively deliver the NHS Long Term Plan (NHS England, 2019) ambitions for cancer and the independent Cancer Taskforce Strategy (CRUK, 2015).
The aims of the ACCEND programme are to:
- Attract registered nurses and allied health professionals into a career in cancer care to secure the future specialist workforce
- Develop and promote a nationally agreed, multi-level education framework and career pathway for those nursing and allied health professionals aspiring to work at all levels in specialist cancer roles/services.
- Reduce attrition and loss of the skilled cancer workforce by providing an exciting and rewarding career pathway for all aspiring to be cancer professionals.
- Develop, design and provide access to contemporary pre- and post-registration education, learning and development opportunities that will underpin the knowledge, skills and competencies required for their role/service, wellbeing and career aspirations.
- Enable employers to deliver high quality services to people affected by cancer, support workforce transformation and the health and wellbeing of staff.
- Host the creation of a national e-learning for healthcare (elfh) cancer hub that will host the ACCEND programme providing a ‘go-to’ place for the cancer workforce.
- Develop workforce capabilities that are fit for the future in an era of rapid change and advancement in diagnosis, treatment and management of care.
Overview of the workstreams
The ACCEND programme covers; cancer support workers, aspirant cancer professional student programmes, registered professionals development programmes, cancer care professional development and clinical leadership programmes, cancer strategic leaders development programmes and provides a framework which underpins it all.
The overall purpose is to address some elements that we know we are really missing such as transformation and reform in education and training and career pathways for professionals supporting patients at all points of their cancer pathway.
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Supportive and assistive workstream
Supportive and assistive workers are a diverse group within nursing, allied health, administrative, and pharmacy teams, providing clinical, navigational, and administrative support across various settings like GP surgeries, hospitals, community centers, and patients’ homes. Roles include Cancer Support Workers, Cancer Care Coordinators, Cancer Navigators, Allied Health Support Workers, Healthcare Assistants, Therapy Assistants, and Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinators, all offering tailored expertise to improve care, streamline services, and strengthen team collaboration. Resources like ACCEND enhance staff morale, define job roles, and ensure their vital contributions benefit staff, employers, and patients alike.
For more information on supportive and assistive please click here.
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The Registered Enhanced Towards Advanced (RETA) workstream
The Registered Enhanced Towards Advanced (RETA) workstream in the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development (ACCEND) project provides a career pathway as well as an education framework and resources for registered health care professionals working at enhanced level. These are underpinned by Core Capabilities in Practice (CiPs).
A Registered Healthcare Professional refers to any person who has received special training or education in a health-related field and is required by law to hold, a valid licence to practice in the relevant specialty. For most roles in cancer care a practitioner must be registered with certain professional bodies, as well as having relevant qualifications and or special training.
Registered professionals might choose to concentrate their career within cancer care and may move progress to working at an enhanced level.
- Enhanced practice in cancer care covers the graduate professional workforce delivering most of the clinical activity who have moved beyond novice/competent but are not yet working at the level of advanced practice. This is a highly valued, broad and essential level of practice within the workforce.
- Training and development for this group is the basis of safe and effective services for service users with cancer and their carers and families as well as workforce productivity and retaining staff.
- People working at enhanced level practice undertake complex work and manage day-to-day risk and work across multiple settings including secondary, community and primary care.
- The enhanced practice workforce in cancer care have many job titles and roles across many different professions and usually work as part of a multidisciplinary cancer team.
- Although they work across different settings, they will often have a skill set and depth of knowledge related to their professional background in cancer care.
Information and support for professionals at registered, enhanced towards advanced levels will be available soon.
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Leadership, Advanced and Consultant practice Education and development (LACE)
Who it is for:
Nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, and psychologists either in post or aspiring to be advanced or consultant practitioners. As well as people in clinical, educator, research or academic strategic leadership roles or aspiring to be.
What is incorporated:
Information and support to inform and develop you’re Cancer clinical leadership skills, knowledge, and core capabilities. Education opportunities to help develop core capabilities in practice at advanced and consultant level of practice and ideas and opportunities for career pathways.
Specific information available includes:
- The ACCEND framework and user guide for advanced and consultant practice to enable self-assessment against the core capabilities in practice, identify gaps and inform a personal development plan to develop core capabilities identified.
- Non-Surgical Oncology Framework (current sitting for approval at the Centre for Advancing Practice)
- Signposting to educational programmes of study and other useful resources which can facilitate continuous development of knowledge, skills, and capabilities within cancer care at advanced and consultant level of practice.
- Links to the NHS Leadership Academy and the School of Change agents’ programmes
- A range of personas for different professionals that illustrate development and career opportunities at advanced and consultant level.
Information and support for professionals at Leadership, Advanced and Consultant levels will be available soon.
The ACCEND Framework
The nationally agreed multi-level education framework and career pathway for nurses and can support workers and allied health professionals has been created for those aspiring to move along that career pathway, but also to apply to those who wish to stay put, but to be the best you can be to provide the very best care, to support people living with cancer.
The framework is for the supportive, assistive, nursing and allied health professions workforce who provide care to people affected by cancer in general and specialist cancer settings, services and roles across the UK.
Please click here to view the framework and the implementation guides
Please click here to view the framework simplified.
How to access
To access this elfh programme, you will require a Learning Hub account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below. Note that if you hold a full elfh account, you can sign into the Learning Hub using your existing login credentials.
To view the ACCEND programme, select the View button below. If you already have a Learning Hub account, you will also be able to login and access the resources within the programme .
View > >
NHS healthcare staff in England – ESR
The ACCEND programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this e-learning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.
Not an NHS organisation?
If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access to the Learning Hub, you may be able to access the service if you have an existing OpenAthens account. Please go to Learning Hub and sign in with your existing credentials.
If you do not have an existing OpenAthens account, please contact elfh directly to check whether you may be eligible for access.
Registering large numbers of users
If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the ACCEND programme, please contact elfh directly.
Organisations wishing to use their own LMS
For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.
More information
Please select the following link for more information on how to use the Learning Hub