End of Life Awareness
Course Overview
End of life care is the most human thing a care worker will ever do. It is also the area where the gaps in training are most acutely felt, and where the consequences of those gaps land most heavily, on the person who is dying, on their family, and on the staff member who is left holding something they were never given the tools to process.
This course does not teach clinical intervention. What it does is give care workers the understanding, the frameworks, and the permission to show up fully in one of the most significant moments in another person’s life. That means knowing what the physical signs of approaching death look like and how to respond with calm and care. It means knowing how to communicate with a family that is frightened. It means understanding what a DNAR order or a ReSPECT form actually covers, and critically, what it does not.
That last point matters more than most care workers realise. A DNAR or DNACPR order, and a ReSPECT form recommending no CPR, does not mean withhold all care. It does not prevent a care worker from responding to a choking emergency. It does not suspend first aid. A care worker who believes otherwise, and who stands back from a choking individual because a DNAR order is in place, has fundamentally misunderstood what that document means. This course addresses that misunderstanding directly, clearly, and at an awareness level appropriate to the care worker role.
It also addresses something that care settings rarely make space for: the grief that care workers carry. Losing someone you have supported, sometimes for months or years, is a loss. Expecting staff to move on without acknowledgement or support is neither realistic nor kind. This course permits staff to grieve, helps them understand the difference between professional boundaries and suppressing emotion, and ensures they know how to access support, both within their organisation and externally.
This course is aligned with NHS England’s End of Life Care framework, NICE guideline NG142 (Care of dying adults in the last days of life), and the Skills for Health End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework, commissioned by Health Education England and developed in collaboration with Skills for Care. It reflects the expectations of the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care) and Regulation 10 (Dignity and Respect), and the legal framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Care Act 2014.
Course Details
- Duration: Half day or full day, depending on requirements
- Delivery: In-person at your venue, or live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams
- Certificate: CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in End of Life Awareness
- Refresher: Every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following significant changes in practice, guidance, or the care needs of individuals being supported
- Group size: Flexible for team training
Who This Course Is For
This course is right for any care worker whose role involves supporting individuals who may be approaching the end of life, including:
- Care assistants and support workers in care homes, supported living, and domiciliary care
- Senior carers and team leaders
- Residential and nursing home staff
- Domiciliary care workers supporting individuals with progressive or life-limiting conditions
- Managers and supervisors responsible for supporting care teams
- Volunteers working with vulnerable adults in care settings
- New starters whose induction includes end-of-life care responsibilities
This course is also valuable for experienced staff who have supported many people at the end of life but have never had a structured space to process what that involves or to examine the assumptions and uncertainties they carry.
Why This End-of-Life Training Matters
The Skills for Health End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework sets out clearly that all staff who may encounter individuals approaching the end of life in their working environment, regardless of whether end of life care is their primary role, need a structured grounding in the knowledge, skills, and values that underpin good practice. This course delivers that grounding.
The Care Act 2014 places wellbeing at the heart of all care and support. For someone approaching the end of life, well-being means dignity, comfort, choice, and being cared for by people who understand and respect what this moment means. NICE guideline NG142 provides detailed clinical guidance on care in the last days of life, and while this course does not deliver clinical training, it ensures that care workers understand their role within the wider care framework and know when and how to escalate clinical concerns appropriately.
Under CQC Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care) and Regulation 10 (Dignity and Respect), providers are required to ensure that individuals receive care that is genuinely centred on their needs, preferences, and wishes, and that treats them with dignity at all times. End-of-life care is the most direct test of both of these requirements, and CQC inspectors look carefully at how it is delivered.
There are two gaps this course closes that are worth naming specifically, because they are common and consequential.
The first is around DNAR and ReSPECT forms. A DNAR or DNACPR order means do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It does not mean do not treat. It does not suspend first aid obligations. A care worker who responds to a choking emergency by stepping back because a DNAR order is in place has misread the document, and that misreading can cost a life. This course addresses the scope and limits of these documents clearly and at an appropriate awareness level, so that care workers understand what they mean and, equally, what they do not mean.
The second is around grief. Care workers lose people. When a resident or service user they have known and supported for months or years dies, that is a loss. Treating it as otherwise, expecting staff to move from one task to the next without acknowledgement, creates an accumulation of unprocessed grief that affects practice, well-being, and retention. This course makes space for that. It gives staff permission to feel, and it gives them a pathway to support.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, learners will be able to:
- Explain what end-of-life care involves and describe the care worker’s role within the wider multidisciplinary team
- Recognise the physical and emotional signs that an individual may be approaching the end of life
- Provide compassionate, person-centred support that places the individual’s wishes, comfort, and dignity at the centre of every interaction
- Explain what a DNAR or DNACPR order means in practice, what a ReSPECT form covers, and critically, the circumstances in which first aid remains appropriate regardless of these documents
- Understand Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment (ADRT) at an awareness level and know when to escalate questions or concerns about documentation to a senior colleague
- Communicate sensitively with individuals and families during a deeply personal time, including being present with someone who is distressed without feeling the need to fill the silence
- Understand cultural, spiritual, and religious considerations in end-of-life care and respond to individual needs with respect and without assumption
- Support families and loved ones before and after a death, including knowing how to signpost to bereavement support
- Understand their own grief response, recognise when they need support, and know how to access it both within their organisation and externally
- Apply practical self-care strategies to maintain their own well-being when regularly working with people at the end of life
Course Content
Content is adapted to your setting and team, but typically covers:
- What end-of-life care means and how it is defined, including the distinction between end of life, palliative care, and the last days of life
- The care worker’s role and professional boundaries within the multidisciplinary team
- Recognising physical and emotional changes as someone approaches death
- Dignity, comfort, and person-centred support
- DNAR, DNACPR, and ReSPECT forms at an awareness level
- Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment
- Advance Care Planning
- Communication at the end of life
- Cultural, spiritual, and religious diversity in end-of-life care
- Supporting families and loved ones
- Care after death: respecting the individual’s dignity, following organisational procedures, and supporting colleagues through the immediate aftermath
- Staff grief and emotional well-being
- Self-care in practice
How the Course Is Delivered
Sessions are delivered with the care and sensitivity the subject demands. This is not a topic that responds well to lectures, and we do not deliver it that way. The approach is reflective, discussion-based, and built around the real experiences care workers bring into the room.
Delivery includes:
- Discussion of real end-of-life care situations drawn from care settings, including the scenarios around DNAR documents and staff grief that consistently surface in delivery
- Reflective exercises that invite learners to examine their own feelings, assumptions, and responses with honesty and without judgment
- Practical conversation about cultural and spiritual diversity, including how to ask rather than assume
- Space for questions about difficult and uncertain situations, because end-of-life care raises them in abundance
- Discussion of signposting and support routes, both for the individuals and families being supported and for the staff doing the supporting
This course is available both in-person and live online. For particularly sensitive or mixed-experience groups, in-person delivery is recommended where possible, as the shared physical space supports the kind of reflective conversation this topic needs.
Certification and Validity
On completion, learners receive a CPD-accredited certificate of achievement in End of Life Awareness.
A refresher is recommended every 2 to 3 years, or sooner following significant changes to guidance, organisational policy, or the care needs of individuals being supported. For services where end-of-life care is a regular and significant part of the work, building refresher training into the annual CPD cycle is good practice, both for compliance and for staff wellbeing.
In-House and Bespoke Training
We adapt delivery to your setting, your team, and the specific end-of-life care challenges your staff face.
We can build content around:
- The types of conditions and care journeys most common in your service, including dementia, cancer, frailty, or neurological conditions
- Your internal procedures for care after death, documentation, and escalation
- The specific cultural or spiritual diversity present in your service user group
- Management-level sessions focused on supporting teams through the emotional demands of end-of-life work and building a culture where staff grief is acknowledged rather than suppressed
- Combined delivery with Dementia Awareness, Mental Capacity Act, or Dignity in Care for a joined-up programme
Course Location and Service Areas
We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.
For teams in multiple locations or with remote workers, this course is available live online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Every trainer holds an Enhanced DBS certificate.
FAQs
Does a DNAR order mean a care worker should not provide first aid?
No. This is one of the most important things this course addresses. A DNAR or DNACPR order means do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It applies specifically to CPR. It does not mean withhold all care. It does not prevent a care worker from responding to a choking emergency, providing comfort care, or any other form of first aid or personal care. A ReSPECT form recommending no CPR carries the same scope. If a care worker is uncertain about what a document means in a specific situation, the correct response is to seek senior guidance immediately, not to withhold care. This course ensures care workers understand that distinction clearly.
Is this a clinical course?
No. This is an awareness course designed for care workers, not clinicians. It does not cover clinical procedures, prescribing, or specialist palliative care interventions. It covers the knowledge, communication skills, and emotional understanding that care workers need to support individuals and families at the end of life within their role, and to know when to escalate concerns to the appropriate professional.
Does this course meet CQC expectations?
Yes. The course supports compliance with CQC Regulation 9 (Person-Centred Care) and Regulation 10 (Dignity and Respect), both of which apply directly to end-of-life care delivery. It also aligns with the Skills for Health End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework at Tier 2, which sets the standard for health and social care staff who regularly encounter individuals approaching the end of life.
Is this course suitable for mixed groups with different experience levels?
Yes. The reflective, discussion-based format means experienced staff bring depth to the conversation while newer staff gain the foundational understanding they need. Both groups consistently find value in having a structured space to discuss end-of-life care, because it is a subject that many organisations rarely address directly.
Related Courses
Book or Enquire
To book End of Life Awareness Training or request a quote for your team, use the enquiry form on this page or contact us directly.
Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance
At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice.
All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.
This course is reviewed against updates from NHS England, NICE, the Care Quality Commission, Skills for Care, and current UK legislation, including the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Course content aligns with NICE guideline NG142 (Care of dying adults in the last days of life) and the Skills for Health End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework.
You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.
Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: April 2026 | Next review: April 2027
This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK legislation, NICE guidance, and sector best practice as of the date of review. It does not constitute clinical, legal, or medical advice. End-of-Life Awareness Training is an awareness-level course for care workers and does not replace clinical assessment, specialist palliative care intervention, or the advice of appropriately qualified healthcare professionals. Information in this course about DNAR, DNACPR, ReSPECT forms, and Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment is provided at an awareness level only. Care workers must always seek senior guidance when uncertain about the scope or application of any end-of-life documentation, and must act within their role and in accordance with their organisation’s policies and procedures. This course does not authorise care workers to make, advise on, or interpret clinical or legal end-of-life decisions. Where individuals or families require support regarding end-of-life planning, advance decisions, or legal matters, they should be referred to their GP, a specialist palliative care team, or an appropriate legal professional.
