The Cancer Academy – a new, comprehensive learning and education platform for cancer professionals – has been launched to enhance cancer care training in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) has launched the Academy to provide learning to any person involved in cancer-related work through courses, seminars, webinars and online resources.

The Cancer Academy will provide a learning experience which encompasses the whole patient cancer 'journey', from prevention to earlier detection of cancer, diagnosis, referral, treatment and on to supporting patients living with and beyond the disease.

The aims of The Cancer Academy are to provide:

• Accessible education and training to the cancer workforce
• Improved workforce confidence, skills and knowledge to support delivery of services and care
• A standardised approach to cancer education delivery in collaboration with educational partners
• A high standard of education and user experience
• A platform to effectively deliver training and support learning
• A library of information – which will be a 'learning directory' for cancer professionals
• Training to address educational gaps in new and existing roles
• Training in a variety of formats to suit different learning styles and to ensure its accessibility

It is the latest initiative from CMCA, which brings together key organisations and partners across Cheshire and Merseyside, co-ordinating cancer services and ensuring best practice is spread throughout healthcare providers so that people receive the best possible treatment, care and outcomes.

One of the main focus areas of the site is for those working in non-clinical, supportive cancer care roles. The Cancer Academy will support them with a learning programme for the growing number of Cancer Support Workers (CSWs). CSWs are now integral to cancer teams across Cheshire and Merseyside, and beyond, and their development is crucial in improving how cancer patients respond to their treatment and aftercare.

Rachel Burns, a Cancer Support Worker at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, in Liverpool, is delighted that The Cancer Academy has a section specifically for her role with useful information and resources. 

Rachel Burns

Rachel said: "The Cancer Academy has a section specifically for Cancer Support Workers/ Navigators/Coordinators. It contains useful information and resources that will support us and help us to develop in our role. 

"There is a notebook which provides a convenient place to store useful contacts and information. There is also the ePortfolio, which will save me so much time when it comes to preparing for my yearly appraisal. I will have all of my learning stored in one place ready for it. 

"The Academy's learn and share forum will be great for Cancer Support Workers who are new to the role, to ask questions, and for those of us with more experience in the post to be able to respond wherever we can. That peer support is really important and will benefit us all."

Sharon Rowe, CMCA Workforce Transformation and Education Lead

Sharon Rowe, CMCA Workforce Transformation and Education Lead, said: "The Cancer Academy will effectively deliver training and support the learning of the growing teams of cancer care professionals in healthcare and community settings.

"Many organisations and professionals have voiced the need for a standardised approach to training and education in cancer treatment, care and planning – and we are delighted that we can now provide it through The Cancer Academy.

"The resources the Academy can provide will grow over time and we have no doubt that it will become a very important platform, especially for primary care and Cancer Support Workers, who are now a vital part of healthcare."

Jon Hayes, Managing Director of CMCA, said: "We are delighted to be able to launch The Cancer Academy, which will deliver well-structured, relevant and standardised training and education to our talented workforce of cancer professionals.

"If we are going to realise the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan for cancer, we need well-resourced, highly skilled and immensely motivated healthcare professionals. The Cancer Academy is part of our strategy to achieve this."

For more information about the Cancer Academy, please click or tap here.

Jon Hayes