Education and Courses at The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice
End of life care involves complex clinical, ethical and emotional challenges. Through education and training, The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice helps healthcare professionals develop skills, understanding and confidence in their practice.
Advancing palliative care through learning and collaboration
Compassionate care is at the heart of what we do at St Luke’s – but we are just as committed to continually improving that care. With that comes a responsibility to learn, question, share and progress how care is delivered for people living with a terminal illness and those close to them.
Through the Wilkes Institute, St Luke’s brings together education and research to support this ambition. We offer a growing programme of palliative care training for our own staff and the wider healthcare community, helping professionals improve their knowledge and confidence in palliative and end of life care.
We continue to introduce new courses and add dates throughout the year, responding to the changing needs of practice. Whether you’re looking to build specific clinical skills, learn alongside others, or explore new ways of working, you can apply online or contact us to find the right opportunity for you.
Palliative care courses available now
We offer a mix of paid and free palliative care courses, mainly delivered in person at The Institute at our Sheffield Hospice. They focus on many aspects of palliative care practice, including clinical decision-making, managing complexity, and coordinating care across settings and services.
Complex Needs, Compassionate Care: A Palliative Skills Training Day
This one-day, in-person training event is designed to support the afore-mentioned target audience who work with patients with palliative care needs and those at the end of life on a regular basis. With a blended format combining didactic teaching, clinical updates and immersive scenario-based learning, the day develops knowledge, confidence and interprofessional collaboration in managing complex and urgent situations in palliative care.
Location:
St Luke's Hospice,
Little Common Lane,
Sheffield,
S11 9NE
Cost:
£175 per person (including VAT)
Dementia Carers Workshops
These workshops aim to equip you with knowledge, skills and the emotional resilience to support you as a dementia carer. Come along and meet other dementia carers and gain peer support. Each interactive workshop will last for 2 hours and will be delivered over 6 consecutive weeks.
Location:
Cost:
Free
Focused Abdominal Sonography in Palliative Care (FASP)
Join us for an exciting and informative two-day introduction to point-of-care ultrasound for the palliative care physician and learn how it can enhance your clinical assessment and practice!
Location:
St Luke's Hospice,
Little Common Lane,
Sheffield,
S11 9NE
Cost:
£500 per person. Lunch and refreshments are included in course fees.
Palliative and End of Life Care Education: Transition Simulation Course
This one-day, in-person training is designed to support healthcare professionals who work with children and young people with life-limiting conditions as they move from paediatric to adult services. Through a blended format combining focused teaching, clinical updates and immersive scenario-based learning, the day strengthens knowledge, confidence and interprofessional collaboration in managing complex situations during this transition period.
Location:
St Luke's Hospice,
Little Common Lane,
Sheffield,
S11 9NE
Cost:
Free
Project ECHO
We are immensely proud to be a Project ECHO Superhub (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes), connecting healthcare professionals in South Yorkshire through free, online learning. ECHO programmes bring people together in a collaborative virtual environment, educating and inspiring the care workforce nationwide.
Project ECHO programmes open now
SHEFFIELD St Luke's ECHO courses
| Course Name | Start Date | Start Time | End Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeDeR Oral Health Awareness ECHO | 19/05/2026 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Book Now |
| LeDeR Oral Health Awareness ECHO | 28/07/2026 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Book Now |
| LeDeR Oral Health Awareness ECHO | 29/09/2026 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Book Now |
| LeDeR Oral Health Awareness ECHO | 24/11/2026 | 13:00 | 14:30 | Book Now |
Doncaster & Rotherham ECHO courses
Additional learning opportunities
Oliver McGowan Tier 1
For:
Health and Social Care Staff (South Yorkshire)
Course Details:
This mandatory training builds understanding of learning disability and autism to support safe, compassionate and informed care. Named in memory of Oliver McGowan, it highlights the importance of improving knowledge in this area. Sessions are delivered online weekly; please contact your organisation’s L&D team for dates.
Verification of Death
For:
Registered Care / Nursing Home Nurses and Managers (Sheffield)
Course Details:
This ECHO session covers the theory and professional responsibilities involved in verifying a resident’s death. On completion, participants must be formally assessed and signed off by a registered GP before independently verifying death in practice.
Syringe Driver Training
For:
Registered Care Home Nurses (Sheffield)
Course Details:
This face-to-face practical session covers the safe use of syringe drivers in a community healthcare setting, including equipment, operation, clinical application and required documentation. Training is delivered by experienced ECHO Nurses.
The Wilkes Institute - Learning & Development Team (L&D)
Connor Browne
Lead for Learning & Development
Connor Browne
Connor qualified as a nurse in 2012 and has over a decade of experience in specialist palliative care, working across community and inpatient settings. His clinical background underpins a strong commitment to person-centred care. Passionate about education in healthcare, he is currently completing an MSc in Clinical Education, with a focus on interprofessional learning.
For the past four years, Connor has led Learning & Development at St Luke’s, driving workforce development through clinical skills programmes and collaborative training. Combining clinical insight with educational leadership, Connor champions a culture of continuous learning to ensure staff are equipped to deliver high-quality care across St Luke’s and the wider health system.
Leigh Evans
Clinical Facilitator
Leigh Evans
Leigh qualified as a nurse in 2012 and has worked across a range of clinical settings. She has specialised in palliative care for the past ten years and joined St Luke’s four and a half years ago. During this time, she has supported the Community Team, contributed to Project ECHO, and spent the last three years as a Clinical Facilitator within the Learning and Development Team.
Leigh is passionate about sharing knowledge and encouraging colleagues to grow in confidence and skill. She works closely with clinical teams and remains involved in direct patient care, which continues to inform her practice. Committed to lifelong learning, Leigh regularly engages with training and research to ensure her teaching reflects current, evidence-based practice.
Rachel Whelan
Clinical Facilitator & Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
Rachel Whelan
Rachel qualified as a nurse in 2010 and began her career in haematology before joining St Luke’s almost ten years ago. She has worked across several services, including the In-Patient Centre, where she cared for patients and their families during some of the most challenging times of their lives, and the Community Team, providing triage and helpline services for patients, families and professionals.
Rachel now works within the Learning and Development Team, delivering up-to-date, evidence-based education for both clinical and non-clinical colleagues. Alongside this, she is St Luke’s Freedom to Speak Up (F2SU) Guardian, offering a safe and confidential route for staff to raise concerns. Throughout her career, Rachel has remained committed to openness, collaboration, and compassionate, person-centred care.
Get involved with The Wilkes Institute Learning and Development
If you’re interested in the Wilkes Institute, partnering on a new course, or supporting the delivery of our training programmes, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at wilkes@hospicesheffield.co.uk to get in touch.
Research at The Wilkes Institute
Through the Wilkes Institute, we lead and take part in palliative and end of life research that helps shape better practice, supports evidence-based decision-making, and influences care locally, nationally and internationally.
FAQs about The Wilkes Institute palliative care courses
We ask that all palliative care course fees are paid before you attend. Once you book, we’ll send an invoice with standard payment terms of 30 days. If your course starts sooner than that, payment will need to be made before the course begins.
If you have questions about payment or need support with the process, please get in touch at wilkes@hospicesheffield.co.uk.
We understand that plans can change.
Candidates can receive a full refund (minus deposits and a 10% admin fee) if they cancel in writing more than 30 days before the course starts. 50% is refundable for cancellations 15–30 days prior, and no refund is given within 14 days or for non-attendance.
Substitute attendees may attend a booked course at no extra cost if requested in writing at least 7 days before the start date.
The Wilkes Institute may cancel or reschedule courses due to circumstances beyond its control, offering either a full refund or transfer to a future date, but is not liable for consequential costs such as travel or accommodation. All refund requests must be submitted by email and approved refunds are processed within 14 business days.
All refund requests must be made in writing via email to The Wilkes Institute (wilkes@hospicesheffield.co.uk). Approved refunds will be processed within 14 business days of receipt.
Yes. Many of our courses contribute towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Any CPD credits available will be clearly shown in the individual course description, so you can see what’s included before you book.
Most of our courses take place in person at The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield. Learning in this environment allows for discussion, reflection, and shared experience with others working in palliative and end of life care.
We also offer some training online. If you’re looking for a more flexible option, you may want to explore our Project ECHO programmes, which connect healthcare professionals through a supportive virtual learning environment.