O10 Cancer & palliative healthcare professionals (HCP) training: ‘no conversation too tough, preparing children for parental cancer death’

<h3>Introduction</h3> In the UK, 46,300 children face parental death each year, with cancer causing 167,000 deaths annually. Despite a rising cancer incidence in adults 25–49 who are most likely to have young or teenage children, a quarter of hospices lack formal processes to identify patients with children. Parents living with incurable cancer frequently seek guidance from trusted HCPs, and when supported, feel better equipped to help their children cope. However, cancer and palliative HCP often avoid end of life conversations involving children because of low confidence and fear of making situations worse. This reluctance represents a significant gap in comprehensive support for families facing incurable cancer. <h3>Method</h3> The Ruth Strauss Foundation have developed and delivered CPD-accredited ‘No Conversation Too Tough’ training for UK cancer and palliative HCP, co-designed with bereaved families, researchers, and clinicians. Training comprises e-learning covering grief theories, barriers, and family dynamics, followed by facilitated in-person practice with actors focusing on communication skills and self-care. Free training has been delivered regionally or at individual healthcare sites. In-house data has been collected to assess uptake and response. FrontLine Communications hosts the eLearning and provides trained actors. <h3>Results</h3> Since 2022, 1,449 professionals have been trained, with 1,229 completing post-training surveys across 150+ UK sites. Of those trained, 43% worked in hospices. Nearly half of all nurses and ninety-five percent of doctors worked in palliative care. Feedback highlighted increased confidence, improved communication strategies, a deeper understanding of emotional impact, and greater capacity for team support. Many valued the demonstrations and role-play for skill integration. Participants commented that the content was perfectly pitched, the mix of professionals was informative, and the workshop was outstanding and memorable. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This training improves HCP confidence, skills, and knowledge. A more comprehensive, University-led evaluation examining the impact of the training on clinical practice has been completed and is pre-publication.