Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, in collaboration with Hospice of the Valleys (HoV), presented a ground-breaking approach to palliative and end-of-life care at the Hospice UK National Conference, held at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow from 26th to 28th November 2024.
The presentation, titled “Palliative Pioneers: Developing Two Centres of Excellence in Partnership between Hospice of the Valleys and Hallmark Luxury Care Homes,” was delivered during the session “Discovering and Developing Hospice Care Careers”. Julie Rayner, Care Quality, Governance, and Compliance Director at Hallmark, joined Nicola Kearney, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Hospice of the Valleys, to discuss their innovative partnership and its impact on enhancing care within Hallmark Luxury Care Homes’ 22 homes.
This project is unique because it goes beyond conventional palliative care models by adapting to the specific dynamics of care homes, focusing on proactive education, comprehensive resident and family engagement, and a strong emphasis on team support and recognition. It aims to create a transformative impact not only for residents and families but also for the care home staff, setting a new standard for excellence in long-term palliative care.
The presentation focused on several key aspects of their collaboration:
Developing Centres of Excellence: Hallmark and HoV have created two Centres of Excellence, aiming to raise the standards of palliative and end-of-life care across Hallmark’s homes. These Centres serve as models for best practices in the sector.
Support for End-of-Life Leads: Hallmark’s End of Life Leads benefit from specialised training, mentorship, and shadowing opportunities with HoV’s Palliative Care Consultant, ensuring that the leadership team is fully equipped to deliver compassionate, high-quality care.
Training for Care Teams: Hospice of the Valleys provides ongoing training and support to Hallmark’s wider care team, including nurses and care team, ensuring they have the expertise to provide exceptional palliative care for residents at the end of life.
Innovative Training Package: Together, Hallmark and HoV have developed an innovative palliative care and end-of-life training package, combining HoV’s specialist knowledge with Hallmark’s advanced virtual learning tools. This training is available to Hallmark’s team and will also be shared with other care homes supported by HoV.
Evaluating and Expanding the Initiative: The partnership is actively evaluating its outcomes, with plans to expand its reach and influence best practices in the broader care sector.
Our Care Quality, Governance, and Compliance Director at Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, Julie Rayner, said, “Our collaboration with Hospice of the Valleys has allowed us to elevate the care we provide to our residents at the end of life. By developing these Centres of Excellence, we are not only enhancing the expertise of our team but also setting a new standard for palliative care in the sector.”
The presentation was met with positive feedback from delegates, underscoring the importance of collaboration, innovation, and continuous development in advancing palliative care across the UK.