Managing challenging conversations between parents and health professionals
9th July 2021, 13.00-17.00
Course description: an interactive, multi-disciplinary virtual half day workshop focused on learning and practising key mediation and communication skills for supporting health professionals to deliver difficult or unexpected news.
Who should attend: health professionals of all disciplines working in acute, community or palliative care settings. Only 20 places available.
Course content:
- Explore the challenges and impact on health professionals of managing difficult conversations with parents
- Understand the triggers and causes of communication breakdown
- Learn different models for delivering difficult or unexpected news
- Practice key mediation and communication skills for managing challenging conversations
- Learn strategies for self-care
Course facilitators:
Sarah Barclay:
Sarah is the founder of The Medical Mediation Foundation, a not for profit organisation providing mediation and conflict resolution training to NHS hospitals. She is an accredited mediator and also Co- Director of The Evelina Resolution Project, which provides mediation and conflict management training to clinical and non-clinical staff at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital. In 2014 Sarah was voted an “NHS Innovator” by The Health Service Journal for her work on the Evelina project. She has a Masters degree in Medical Law and Ethics from King’s College London and is a former award winning BBC social affairs presenter.
Paula Abramson:
Paula is the Founder of Bereavement Training International, a baby and infant loss training consultancy. She is a psychotherapist and training facilitator, specialising in providing bereavement support to families and training for professionals following the death of a baby or child.
Her training covers subjects such as the impact on professionals, breaking bad news, communication skills, theories of grief, memory making, and learning from families. Recognised as an expert in the area of baby loss, Paula has consulted on projects such as the National Bereavement Care Pathway, Baby Loss Awareness Week, NHS England Child Death Booklet, and the Pan London Neonatal Complex and Palliative Care Nurse role. She has also been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss since its inception in 2016. In January 2020 Paula was invited to become an Ambassador for Abigail’s Footsteps, a baby loss charity, providing support to families and professionals.
