Building Blocks and Care Shields: The role of knowledge, qualifications, and accumulated wisdom

27 December 2023, 1:13 pm

I wish I had started my career as a soul companion 15 years ago. There I said it.  I know one must not regret; this is not a regret. More like a lament.  But perhaps I should know better. I have always been a late bloomer. I was the one that had to repeat school years (twice) for whatever reason. Having taken a rather extended ‘gap year’ living in a religious community in Israel, I was the one that graduated and started a career as an academic at least a decade after my old school friends were entering senior posts. Children? It took nearly two decades and multiple miscarriages for my beautiful son to come into my life in my 40s.  In my 50s, I am finally comfortable enough in my own skin to really love and be happy with myself and so with my lover. So perhaps I should not be surprised that I am coming to death doula work late in life.  

What’s the rub?

If I had started out earlier, I would have more time. I feel I should have been doing this all my life. If I had, I think I would have accumulated by now years or decades of experience, wisdom, practical knowledge and understanding on how to hold space and walk with people on their dying journey. I would be established, with a sound set of credentials as a soul companion.

Lament over.

As there is another view.

I bring to my death doula work a sense of anxiety and excitement that you get when you start something you really want to do. My sense of inexperience blends with my passion to work with people at end of life. My years of experience as a lecturer and researcher-activist in the field of health and social inequality, diasporic studies and public policy provides approaches, conceptual and theoretical underpinnings, practical research skill sets, and knowledge of health and social systems that can be linked to Thanatology (the study of death and dying) in general, and the evidence-base underpinning the death doula sector more specifically.

 I bring my working knowledge of the health and social care systems in Wales and the policy and legislative framings. I bring also my experience of having worked with multiple communities of practice (e.g., nurses, social service providers, policy makers, social workers), multiple communities of interest (e.g., minority, migrant and marginalized population, and experience of operating in multiple research settings when conducting health and social research in Wales.

So, I am a late bloomer with a body of knowledge, understanding and experience from which to ground my death doula career.

Death Doula Building Blocks

I can draw on my professional practice as a researcher-activist to ground my work as a death doula.  Mindful of both the importance of evidence-based practice and the fact that the death doula sector is both emergent and currently not regulated (and thus formal accreditation is not in place), my plan is to build up my credentials initially via formal training and internships.  Hence the Soul Companion course. What drew me to this course (I did try a few others) was the teaching format (much like lectures), it’s focus on linking with end-of-life standards and policies – and thus knowledge of the wider context in which we work – and finally, it’s focus a core set of skills via an approved online care training platform.

Care Shield

Care Shield provides online health and social education modules that meet UK national standards and legislation. The ten online short modules that I took as part of the Soul Companions Death Doula Training programme were mandatory.  The modules are courses many in the health and social sector would have to take. The modules cover processes and ‘ways of doing things’ within systems - all of which are useful in understanding how to navigate and provide care and support in multiple, complex settings.

What did I learn?

The table below provides an overview of what was covered.   But there are highlights:

• Touch:  learning how to position people is vital – be it a small shift (fluffing of pillows) to knowing when a movement is too much for one person to handle.  

• Care: I must admit I was dreading the health and safety module but as I took this module it occurred to me that I need to re-set and change my view. The health, safety and wellbeing of my clients has to be paramount, and this policy embodied the care framing my work.

• Self-care:  the Lone walker module was a gentle reminder to be as smart and aware as one is compassionate and open

• Equality and Diversity: I took this module first because of my strong background in the area. What is most important is that the programme deemed this a mandatory requirement. Understanding humans in all their complexity and diversity remains key to person-centred care, as does understanding how societal inequities impact on dying journeys.

• Oral health: this was not a mandatory module, but I found it very important.  Small but significant.

Modules

Handling Complaints

In this course, learners will study effective complaint handling. The course is designed to provide the learner with the 

Conflict Management

This course acts as an introduction to conflict management. It explains the causes and signs of conflict, as well as behavioural patterns and the stages of conflict. This course will explain the importance of effective communication and the use of de-escalation techniques.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework, the Care Certificate and the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care.

Dementia Awareness

Currently in the UK there are 850,000 people living with dementia; this figure is set to increase to 1 million by 2025.

This course will enable the learner to gain an understanding of the different types of dementia, early symptoms and current treatments. Learners will be given information about their role in caring for an individual with dementia and will gain an awareness of the different support agencies.

This course is mapped to Dementia Core Skills, Education and Training Framework, Health and Social Care Diploma Level 2.

Equality and Diversity

This course explains what equality and diversity means and their importance; how equality and diversity is supported by both the law and organisational policies; applying equality and diversity within a care setting and how to complain or raise a concern.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework, the Care Certificate and the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care.

Health and Safety

This course explains to learners how following health and safety guidance will help keep them, their colleagues and those they care for safe. They will find out about the laws and policies that govern health and safety, as well as learning about the differences between a hazard and a risk, how to handle hazardous substances and how to work securely. 

This course also looks at the dangers of slips, trips and falls and the effects of stress. By the end of this course, learners will have a good understanding of both their employer’s and their own responsibilities in relation to health and safety.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework, the Care Certificate and the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care.

Information Governance Healthcare

This course explains Information Governance with an overview of its main points. It explores what is meant by the term ‘Information Governance’, while detailing the relevant laws and terminology. 

The course also covers the Data Protection Act 2018, the seven principles of the GDPR and goes over the steps to take to ensure confidentiality and security.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework and the Care Certificate.

Lone Worker

This course looks at the legislation surrounding lone working. It also addresses the potential risks associated with lone working and how to deal with them, both from an organisational and individual viewpoint. 

The course follows the guidance of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the Health and Safety Executive.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework, the Care Certificate and the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care.

MCA and DoLs (Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards)

This course will provide the learner with an understanding of the legislation and responsibilities surrounding the Mental Capacity Act. 

By the end of the course, learners will be able to recognise how a person could lack capacity, be aware of the decisions that cannot be made on behalf of another individual and be able to differentiate between a lawful and unlawful deprivation of liberty.

Moving and Positioning People

The moving and handling of people, many of whom are often frail and incapacitated, continues to be an important part of care and nursing activities.  This course raises the importance of safer handling practice, with learners finding out about the musculoskeletal system, relevant legislation, policies and procedures, risk assessment and the different types of equipment available. 

This course will also help learners to understand their employer’s responsibilities and their own responsibilities in this area.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework, the Care Certificate and the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care.

Safeguarding People at Risk

This course will explain the importance of adult safeguarding and give learners a good understanding of how to keep those under their care safe. 

Learners will be advised on the different types of abuse, as well as their possible signs. This course will also update learners on the current safeguarding legislation, while also teaching them what to do if they encounter a safeguarding situation.

Mapped to the UK Core Skills Training Framework, the Care Certificate and the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care.

It took me ages to complete the 10 modules; longer than I expected. Also, the pass rate had to be 80% and above so it was a challenge.

However, this late bloomer persisted.

I have the paperwork!

Care Shield Certificates 2023.pdf

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