Advanced Communication Skills Training for experienced clinicians
Led by Dr Ros Marvin, Consultant in Palliative Medicine | Tier 3 Advanced Level
St Clare Hospice offers a comprehensive Advanced Communication Skills Training course designed for experienced clinicians across all healthcare settings. This two-day, advanced programme blends theory, reflection and live experiential learning to help experienced professionals communicate confidently and compassionately in the most complex clinical situations.
Why choose this Tier 3 training?
Senior and/or experienced clinicians often face conversations involving uncertainty, emotion, conflict, decision-making and risk. This Tier 3 Advanced Communication Skills Training provides a safe, structured and expertly facilitated environment to strengthen the ability to manage complex, sensitive and high-stakes conversations with patients, families and colleagues.
The training is led by experienced senior clinicians from St Clare Hospice’s specialist team:
- Dr Ros Marvin – Consultant in Palliative Medicine
- Dr Helen Saxena – Specialist Doctor
Supported by:
- Caroline Hockett – Head of Nursing for Specialist Palliative Care, Princess Alexandra Hospital
Their extensive clinical expertise across diverse, complex healthcare scenarios ensures that the training is grounded in real-world scenarios, best practice guidance and the nuanced communication challenges senior clinicians face daily.
Unlike standard communication courses, this training includes live role plays with professional actors, giving participants the rare opportunity to practice complex conversations in a safe, supported setting.
Who is this course for?
This advanced training is designed for senior clinicians of any specialty who regularly manage complex interactions and want to strengthen their advanced communication skills, including:
- Doctors of all grades
- Registered nurses
- Advanced clinical practitioners
- Allied health professionals
- Team leaders and clinical managers
Whether you work in acute care, community services, mental health, primary care, long-term conditions, urgent care or any specialist field, this course will help you navigate high-complexity conversations with greater clarity, confidence and compassion.
As a Tier 3 course, it is most suitable for clinicians with previous communication training or substantial experience who regularly engage in challenging discussions involving prognosis, uncertainty, conflict, distress and shared decision-making and who wish to build advanced capability.
About the course
Duration: Two full days
Format: Onsite session at St Clare Hospice, Hastingwood
Time: 8.30am to 4.30pm each day (tea, coffee and lunch will be provided. Please let us know of any dietary requirements when booking)
This two-day advanced course combines insight, reflection and immersive practice with professional actors to build confidence and skill in handling the conversations that matter most. Participants will work on real-life scenarios drawn from their own experiences, making the learning practical, personal and immediately relevant. Each attendee will be invited to attend a one-to-one pre-course session with a facilitator and complete a pre-course workbook ahead of the training, ensuring a highly focused and impactful learning experience.
What makes this training valuable?
Senior clinicians frequently face situations that require skill, sensitivity and confidence – from discussing complex treatment decisions to supporting distressed families and addressing uncertainty.
This course equips professionals to:
- Communicate with clarity, empathy and authority
- Navigate emotionally charged or high-stakes conversations
- Handle conflict or differing expectations with confidence
- Support patients and families through difficult decision-making
- Strengthen therapeutic relationships and reduce miscommunication
Benefits for senior clinicians
Attending this advanced training provides significant professional and personal benefits, including:
- Greater confidence in managing complex and challenging conversations
- Improved patient, family and team communication outcomes
- Enhanced emotional resilience and reflective practice
- Practical, transferable skills applicable to any clinical setting
- A stronger foundation for leadership roles in palliative and end-of-life care
- Expert feedback from highly experienced palliative care clinicians
How to book your place on St Clare’s Advanced Communication Skills Training
If you would like to pay by invoice, please email us at education@stclarehospice.org.uk with your full contact details (name, organisation, address and telephone number). Your place will be reserved once we receive your email.
Alternatively, you can secure your place today by completing the online form below and making payment online.
For further information about this course, please contact our Education Team by emailing them at education@stclarehospice.org.uk.