Background / Context Medical advances have led to more children with life-limiting conditions surviving into adulthood with an increasing number accessing adult Specialist Palliative Care (SPC) services. These young adults often have conditions unfamiliar to adult SPC professionals, who may be inexperienced in caring for their complex needs. Results from previous research carried out by the same team, identified a need for a training/education programme for adult SPC professionals and provided recommendations regarding content and delivery.

Aim To develop a training programme to help up skill and build confidence in adult SPC professionals regarding the care of young adults with life-limiting conditions.

Approach Used A project team, consisting of children’s and adult palliative care providers, researchers and the All Wales Palliative Care Transition Lead, was convened to design a purposeful and effective training. The training was specifically created such that it would be suitable for a multi-disciplinary audience which would provide a comprehensive grounding if completed, but could also be delivered piecemeal so that participants had as much flexibility as possible regarding attendance. The content was informed by previous research.

Outcomes A series of six linked study days was designed such that each day could be attended as standalone, but those attending all of the days would have a comprehensive grounding in young adult care. Each study day includes a balance of clinical, practical and psychosocial topics suitable for a multi-disciplinary audience. Training will be delivered between June 2013 and June 2014.

Application to Hospice Practice The study day series is open to all professionals working in adult hospices who may increasingly be called upon to care for young people with life-limiting conditions. By improving the knowledge and skill base of these professionals, professional confidence will increase and lead to an improvement of care for these young people.