Background Hospice teams provide care to terminally ill patients, bereaved people and their families. Care teams are comprised of health and non-health professionals from a range of differing disciplines. Within the modern healthcare arena, we are seeing people with ever increasing complexities (Keeble, Scobie & Hutchings. Support at the end of life: The role of hospice services across the UK. 2022). With a view to tailoring services that meet the needs and preferences of those who use them, it is essential to incorporate community-based agencies. Community-based provision offers expertise, additional support and improves working relations (Care Quality Commission, 2022). Fostering collaborative approaches helps facilitate quality care (Gittell, Godfrey, Thistlethwaite. J Interprof Care. 2013;27(3):210–3).

Aims By the integration of collaborative support from the local community, new services have been allowed to develop and grow. Consequently, this has complemented the existing provision for people that better supports their needs. Understanding the benefits of integrated support is creating a culture for continuous improvement.

Methods A thematic analysis was produced from previous collaborative work covering the past three years (Vaismoradi, Jones, Turunen, et al. J Nurs Educ Pract. 2016;6(5): 100–110). Those involved in this work were from external agencies, other charities, local hospitals, specialist community teams.

Results Themes identified: Connection, Control, Choice, Celebration, Community, and Communication.

Conclusion It has been widely noted that these collaborative partnerships have created a positive effect given the high number of people attending and positive feedback. Adopting contemporary approaches, embracing the input of expertise, knowledge and skills, and embracing collaborative partnerships can create a culture that encourages cohesion (Karam, Brault, Van Durme, et al. Int J Nurs Stud. 2018; 79(March): 70–83). These results will enable planning toward future collaborative successes.