Largest end of life care training programme wins national recognition

The National Gold Standards Framework Centre, the provider of the UK’s largest end of life care training programme for care homes, has welcomed news of its endorsement by the National Skills Academy for Social Care.

Almost 2,000 care homes have completed the GSF Care Homes (GSFCH) training programme since its launch in 2004. GSF accredited homes have experienced a halving of hospital deaths and decreased crisis admissions, enabling more to live well and die well in their place of choice.

The National GSF Centre is the countrywide training and coordinating centre for all GSF programmes, enabling generalist frontline staff to provide quality care for people nearing the end of life. GSF improves the quality, coordination and organisation of care leading to better patient outcomes in line with their needs and preferences and greater cost efficiency through reducing hospitalisation.

Maggie Stobbart-Rowlands, GSFCH programme manager said: “Recognition by the National Skills Academy is a great honour and the natural next step for the National GSF Centre. In 2011 we will be working towards the Excellence award – giving commissioners and providers even greater faith in what we do.”

Maggie Challis, Head of Quality Assurance at the National Skills Academy for Social Care said: “One of our key aims is to ensure that excellent training and development are available to those working in adult social care.

“At a time when budgets are being squeezed, the need for an assurance that they are getting training that meets their specific needs as social care providers is greater than ever. The Skills Academy’s endorsement gives them just that and I’m very pleased that the National GSF Centre’s training for end of life care has been recognised in this way.”