Background In response to the COVID-19 pandemic Ayrshire Hospice established a ten-week, live online supportive education programme for Care Homes using Project Echo®. Project Echo® is a widely used model for education, aiming to ‘improve care by gathering a community of practice together for learning and support with the goal of improving decision making by collaborative problem solving’.

Local care homes were asked what educational support they needed, and the hospice responded, using the multidisciplinary team, to specific topic requests. This gave participants an opportunity to build links, increase knowledge, share practices and experiences through supportive facilitation.

Aims To use the hospice team and Project Echo® to connect with and support care home staff dealing with the unprecedented challenges of providing palliative and end of life care during COVID-19.

Methods

• Core facilitation team established.

• Liaison with Highland and Accord hospices regarding their Project Echo® experience.

• Establish links with AAHB and HSCP to determine existing practice, need, create awareness.

• Developed systems required to support the programme.

• Contacted every care home across Ayrshire to determine interest and need

• Evaluation developed.

Outcomes

• Responding to COVID-19, an intended service development was quickly established and implemented, providing access to specialist palliative care/advice and support to care homes.

• Identified learning needs were met, with weekly agendas set by care homes.

• Safe space to share knowledge and experience without needing to travel

• Peer support.

• Established/improved links with the hospice/AAHB/HSCP and care homes across Ayrshire.

• Evaluated extremely well - evidence of shared learning, improved care, links established and a sense of support and understanding.

• Aligned with the NHS Scotland’ Palliative and end of life framework.

• Future plans - Project Echo® to be used as educational model, to improve palliative and end-of-life care in Ayrshire by increasing capacity and capability of community teams.