About the ACCEnD Programme

The 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 across the four UK nations.

More information

The ACCEnD programme is a cancer career and education development programme that supports aspirant cancer nurses and allied health professionals towards increasing their knowledge, skills, and capability. This will increase and improve the supply of the cancer health care 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 e-learning 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 four pillars of professional practice – clinical practice; leadership and management; research/evidence-based practice and quality improvement; and specialist cancer focused education.

Further information about the ACCEnD programme can be found on the HEE website or at the link below : https://skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/cancer-cns-framework/

Overview of the workstreams

Workstream 1. Aspirant Cancer Professional Student Programme

All health care professionals will be involved with people affected by cancer and thus it is essential that pre-registration health care professional students have fundamental knowledge and understanding of cancer and its consequences. The purpose of this work stream is to:

• increase cancer education within all pre-registration health care programmes
• develop specialist cancer education resources for pre-registration students
• provide pre-registration students who aspire to work in cancer services opportunities to experience cancer care through a bespoke fellowship programme
• inspire the next generation of health care professionals to feel confident to care for those affected by cancer.

Workstream 2. Registered Professional Development Programme

The ACCEnD programme Work Stream 2 aims to support the education, training and development of registered health care professionals who may be new to cancer services or working at or towards an enhanced level of practice. The programme will align to a Career and Education Capabilities Framework, which will be mapped to existing competence frameworks.  The programme will include learning opportunities that align to the four pillars of professional practice: clinical practice; leadership and management; research/evidence-based practice and quality improvement; and specialist education within the context of cancer care. Programmes of learning will additionally include content on self-care and resilience.

Workstream 3 (A and B) Cancer Care Professional Development and Clinical Leadership Programme

3a) Cancer Care Professional Development and Clinical Leadership Programme

The overarching aim of the 3a workstream is to develop a training and education framework for registered level practitioners appointed to enhanced and advanced roles.

This workstream plans to:

• demonstrate the value of both CNS and specialist AHP roles in providing expert care and support to people living with and affected by cancer
• provide clear pathways into both roles and develop innovative additional entry routes for qualified professionals to pursue a cancer speciality
• provide training and development opportunities that enables the specialist workforce to remain resilient and able to continuously professionally develop
• improve retention of our existing nursing and AHP workforce and recruitment of our future specialist workforce.

3b) Advanced Clinical Practice

ACPs can help in reducing workforce gaps, improve recruitment and retention, create prominent and credible career development pathways for the workforce which encompass education, clinical practice, research, and leadership within the roles.

This workstream aims to:

• identify and build on the current ACP work in cancer underway across the UK
• set out and identify clear offers and opportunities, including development of credentials to support the development of ACP roles as part of the ACCEnD cancer career and education pathway
• enable practitioners to practise to their full potential and to optimise their contribution to meeting population and individuals,’ families’ and carers’ needs through different models of service delivery and multidisciplinary working
• link this work with the HEE consultant practitioner framework being developed from ACP through to consultant practitioner
• understand and map the current supervision and mentoring for ACP roles in cancer. Develop a network of facilitators to deliver online professional supervision and facilitate collaboration and networking
• pilot/develop trainee roles in different settings across the country (g. ACP specialist in cancer care with a Primary Care Network, ACP specialist in Cancer Care with a community hub, ACP in cancer care within diagnostic hubs, ACP tumour site specific based in secondary care but boundary spanning with different areas of focus) to establish the effectiveness and provide recommendations for roles to be developed as business as usual.

Workstream 4 – Cancer Strategic Leader Development Programme

The Purpose of workstream 4 is to develop a framework for cancer leadership, identifying competency and capability requirements, and the education and development to achieve them.

The goals of the workstreams are to:

• consider the drivers and deliverables for the overall project and ensure leadership workstream aligns with these.
• develop & agree work-stream project plan.
• complete stakeholder mapping.
• identify existing learning and development opportunities for aspiring leaders
• align to the career and capability framework and identify gaps.
• support development of the career and capability framework to ensure all aspects of leadership are included Set out, agree, and implement a communications and engagement strategy with stakeholders.
• support testing and evaluation of outputs.

Workstream 5 – Cancer Career and Education Framework

This workstream will:

• • 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 (Registered, Enhanced, Advanced, Consultant and Strategic) in specialist cancer roles/services
  • use the agreed career pathway and education framework to ensure the future and existing workforce delivering general and specialist cancer care have access to relevant pre and post-registration education, learning and development opportunities which enable practitioners to achieve the underpinning knowledge, skills and capabilities required for their role/service, wellbeing and career aspirations, and enable their employers to deliver high quality services to people affected by cancer, support workforce transformation and the health and wellbeing of staff
  • enable nursing and allied health professionals to evidence their knowledge, skills and capabilities in a national digital portfolio
  • promote the agreed career pathway and education framework and the range of pre and post-registration education, workplace-based and e-learning development opportunities through the creation of national e-lfh cancer hub.

Meet the team

• Libby Potter, ACCEnD Programme Lead, Head of Portfolio Cancer and Diagnostics, Long Term Conditions and Prevention, Maternity and Children and Young People, Health Education England
• June F Davis, ACCEnD Programme Co-Lead. Allied Health Professional Advisor, Chief Medical Officers Team, Macmillan Cancer Support
• Mark Fores, ACCEnD Programme Co-Lead, Senior Nurse Workforce Delivery, Health Education England
• Julie Armoogum, Macmillan Senior Lecturer, UWE Bristol
• Verna Lavender, Head of Guy’s Cancer Academy UK, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS FT
• Mark Foulkes, Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse and Nurse Consultant in Acute Oncology at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Kim Bowles, Macmillan Head of Professional Engagement
• Suzanne Lilley, Programme Director for Workforce and Education, Greater Manchester Cancer
• Dany Bell, Macmillan Treatment and Genomics Lead Strategic Advisor
• Vanessa Taylor, Deputy Head of School (Students & Teaching)/Prof Learning, Teaching & Professional Practice (Cancer & Palliative Care)
• Ruth Hammond, National Cancer Lead, Circle Health Group and Oncology Clinical Service Manager, Mount Alvernia Hospital
• Graham Stokoe, Communications Programme Manager, Health Education England

How to access

The elearning content for the ACCEnD programme is currently in development.

For further information on the programme please visit the HEE website, or email: accend@hee.nhs.uk