Education at The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s – Project ECHO
The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice is proud to be part of Project ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes), empowering our community healthcare teams to deliver the best possible palliative care for the people of Sheffield, while inspiring and educating the care workforce nationwide to do the same.
Project ECHO – Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes
Project ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an innovative approach to learning in healthcare. ECHO is delivered through collaborative online learning and tele-mentoring. It brings together health and care organisations and other services in a supportive virtual learning environment.
ECHO sessions are led by our specialist Hub to multiple other learning sites, for example, care homes and GPs and provide a structured space to share knowledge, best practice and experience. By learning together, participants enhance their health and social care and support better outcomes for people across the country.
Making medical knowledge accessible for people around the world
Current ECHO Courses
The majority of ECHO courses are open to health and social care workers across South Yorkshire.
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.
What you can expect from an ECHO session
A typical ECHO session lasts 60-90 minutes. It begins with a 20-30 minute teaching session from a topic expert, followed by questions and discussion. Participants then offer examples of experiences they’re currently facing and work together to consider the best course of action.
Through real-life scenarios, case-based learning and interactive discussion, Project ECHO fosters a community of practice that encourages shared knowledge, confidence in decision-making and better service delivery for staff and the people they support.
342 Project ECHO sessions delivered in 2024-2025, creating regular, accessible learning opportunities for health and social care professionals across the UK.
6,764 attendees dedicated to improving their knowledge, skills and confidence, helping more people receive the best possible end of life care.
Organisations across Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service trained to deliver ECHO programmes within their own services.
Get involved with Project ECHO at The Wilkes Institute at St Luke’s Hospice
Interested in joining a Project ECHO network or becoming a Hub? Get in touch at echo@hospicesheffield.co.uk to find out how you or your organisation can take part.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X for the latest ECHO updates. #ALLteachALLlearn #movingknowledgenotpeople
Voices from Project ECHO
At St Luke’s, we’re very proud of the work we’re doing to share expertise and support our colleagues in tackling complex issues. By bringing many different people together and attracting different professions to the forum, we can offer the highest level of advice by pooling our knowledge and expertise.
Lynne Ghasemi, ECHO Lead Nurse
It’s rewarding to share stories and learn from others. Every session, you pick up something different, as there is always something new to learn.”
Care Home Staff Member
FAQs about The Wilkes Institute community healthcare training
Project ECHO stands for “Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes” and is a collaborative learning model that brings community healthcare professionals together to share knowledge and work through challenges. Rather than learning in isolation, participants learn from experts and from one another through discussion and real-life case examples.
St Luke’s joined project ECHO in 2016 and is now one of only two ECHO Superhubs in the UK. Through St Luke’s ECHO courses, we deliver ECHO programmes and train other organisations to become Hubs themselves. Our involvement helps extend learning, compassion and expertise across services and communities.
Our courses are for people in South Yorkshire working across community health and social care. This includes clinical and non-clinical roles supporting people with end of life needs, learning disabilities and autism, or those involved in bereavement care and many more.
Project ECHO is designed to be inclusive and supportive, helping people build confidence whatever their role. It’s particularly valuable for those who want to enhance community healthcare resources through shared learning and experience.
ECHO Superhub: A Superhub supports and trains organisations to become ECHO Hubs, helping to grow and sustain Project ECHO delivery.
ECHO Hub: A Hub is a trained multidisciplinary team which delivers Project ECHO programmes.
ECHO Network: A Network is a specific ECHO programme of ECHO sessions delivered by a Hub, focused on a particular audience or topic, such as a Care Home network or the Yorkshire Ambulance Service network.
Project ECHO strengthens the community healthcare workforce by creating space for learning, discussion and mutual support. Participants often tell us they feel less isolated, more confident in their decision-making, and better supported to care for people with complex needs.
You can explore our current Project ECHO courses on this page or get in touch with our team for more information. We’re always happy to help you find learning that fits your role and supports your work in community healthcare.