Review of End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework
Introduction and background
Skills for Health is working in partnership with Skills for Care to review the End of Life Care 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 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 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.
Process for Review
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.
Once the ERG and Skills for Health have a first draft of the revised framework, by early January 2026, there will be an on-line consultation. This will give people working across health, adult social care, public and voluntary services, as well as patients, their carers and families, an opportunity to contribute to the review and revision of the final framework.
Registration of interest
If you wish to receive updates on this exciting project, ensure you have the opportunity to participate in the consultation, and be directly notified when the framework is published, please enter your details here: