Training for Professionals
If you are interested in being more confident in supporting your patients who are parents and would like to explore how to become more parent-centred in the care you provide, book our CPD-accredited training.
Why is this training needed?
33%
of cancer patients are PARENTS of dependent children.
80%
of patients want to discuss parenting concerns but wait for their healthcare professionals to raise the subject.
Unaddressed, this drives higher patient anxiety and higher rates of child depression, self-harm and school refusal and influences a patient’s treatment decision-making and adherence to treatment plans.
Testimonials
“This training day will give you a deeper understanding of what is needed to be effective in your role. It will give you courage to bring about change at work and to educate colleagues. Thank you Fruitfly Collective. Amazing day.”
— Lead Nurse
“Attending this course has been truly inspiring. As a cancer wellbeing nurse, I now feel even more empowered to support patients in navigating the hardest conversations — helping them find the strength and language to guide their children through uncertainty with compassion, honesty, and hope.”
— Cancer Wellbeing Nurse
“Well-presented and good use of example cases to understand how different needs of children and parents can be met. I’ve genuinely enjoyed the session and found it really useful. I will be sharing the resources with my colleagues to support patients that are parents.”
— Clinical Nurse Specialist
“A brilliant training day, as a CNS I feel that attending this day will enhance the care and support I give patients who are parents. The support, resource, group engagement and leadership of course was amazing - thank you.”
— Clinical Nurse Specialist
Training sessions
Lunch and learn - 1 hr
Online for 1 hour
Up to 100 participants
Copy of the slide deck
CPD certificate
Focuses on:
Children’s understand of cancer
Telling children about a diagnosis
Tips to support parents as inpatients
Tips to support parents as outpatients
Props, resources & signposting
half day - 3 hrs
3 hours online or in person
Up to 16 people
Case study scenarios
Copy of slide deck
CPD certificate
Access to resource hub
Focuses on topics covered in lunch & learn as well as:
Parenting throughout treatment
Key family coping strategies
Changes in children’s behaviour
Talking about death and dying
full day - 7 hrs
7 hours in person
Up 40 people
Case study scenarios
Copy of slide deck
CPD certificate
Access to resource hub
Focuses on topics covered in half day session as well as:
Challenging scenarios
Parenting with metastatic disease
Parenting in palliative care
Best practice in parental support
Outcomes
Staff
Greater confidence opening conversations about parenting; a repeatable parenting-history framework; CPD-certified evidence for appraisal and revalidation.
Patients
Proactively asked about their children rather than having to raise it themselves; reduced guilt and isolation; practical, age-appropriate tools to use with their families.
Children
Honest, age-appropriate communication reduces self-blame, hypervigilance and behavioural regression; protected routines support better long-term coping.
resources
We are growing this bank of resources to support health and social care professionals to support their patients around their family needs. Get in touch if you have a good resource and we will share it here.
The Talking, Telling and Sharing Framework: End of Life.
Excellent evidence-based resource to help communicate with children when their parent is at the end of their life. (Family-Centred Cancer Care Conversations. Ulster University. C. Semple et al.) For videos and more support, click here.
Here is our postcard to give to patients. When you download the file the reverse gives all the information (email us if you’d like us send you some in the post).
Mummy’s Star Share the care resource for healthcare professionals caring for pregnant or recently pregnant people approaching end of life. Key takeaways from experts into a handy resource.
Parenting with Cancer Conference 2024
The first Parenting with Cancer conference was a huge success, demonstrating that difficult subjects can be discussed in gentle but inspiring ways. It was a mix of academic, clinical information and family stories.
Have a browse through the conference programme, or view the amazing graphic that captured the key moments. Anyone who wants to sponsor the next one, please get in touch!
