Review of End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework (End of Life Care Core Capabilities Framework)

Introduction and background

Skills for Health is working in partnership with Skills for Care to review the End of Life Care (EoLC) Core Skills Education and Training Framework – a key national framework that supports high-quality, compassionate end of life care.

Initially commissioned by Health Education England and first published in 2017, the framework was developed in collaboration with Skills for Health and Skills for Care. The Department for Health and Social Care has commissioned Skills for Care to undertake a review of the framework to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and continues to reflect best practice in the delivery of care for adults at the end of life.

Purpose and scope of framework

The revised core capabilities framework will:

• Provide a consistent, accessible, and up-to-date framework for end of life care, allowing for the development of a ‘shared’ language to describe core skills, knowledge and behaviours, and support training and development across sectors
• Support the currency and content of training and education programmes, and qualification design, as appropriate
• Support the development of job descriptions, or role profiles for people working in health, adult social care, public services, and within the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sectors. This will enable consistency, and support the development of shared standards
• Support commissioners in conversations about service development and/or design of new services.

Review of the framework

On behalf of Skills for Care, Skills for Health will facilitate the review of the framework, and work with a multi-professional, multi-sector Expert Reference Group (ERG). Together they will guide the review process and provide specialist expertise and experience on behalf of their sector, organisation or role.

The revised EoLC Core Capabilities Framework identifies common, transferable skills, required for the delivery of high quality and compassionate end of life care across both health and adult social care settings.

A first iteration of the revised content of the EoLC framework has been drafted by the EoLC expert reference group, ahead of its anticipated publication in spring next year. This public consultation survey is inviting wider input from a wider range of stakeholders.

Consultation open

The draft framework is now available for consultation until 30 January 2026.