Workforce and Education

Our Local Workforce and Education Programme

The Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance Workforce Team are shaping the future of the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Workforce.

We will collaborate to equip and educate the cancer workforce by delivering on transformational and innovative programmes of work to achieve the aims of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. We will do this by training, retaining, and reforming the cancer workforce, whilst simultaneously inspiring a future workforce to enable Better Cancer Services, Better Cancer Care and Better Cancer Outcomes.

The Workforce programme aims to implement the ACCEND framework locally for career pathways, core cancer capabilities, and education for nursing, AHP, and support worker roles in cancer across the region. The programme will also continue workforce modelling to describe a high-functioning cancer services team, resulting in a service specification linked to the Long Term Workforce Plan. Additionally, it will engage the future workforce through the Inspiring the Future Workforce project, targeting areas of deprivation and addressing high attrition areas. The programme will develop comprehensive training and education for the cancer workforce, including The Cancer Academy website, which offers training materials, resources, e-learning, and webinars.

Founded in 2021, The Cancer Academy initially supported the cancer workforce in Cheshire and Merseyside. We now offer online courses, webinars, and news for the entire UK. Our team includes clinical leads, facilitators, project managers, and cancer care experts. We aim to be a trusted resource and community for the cancer workforce nationwide. See: https://www.canceracademy.nhs.uk/

Our four main ambitions are:

• Providing outstanding training and education for the current and future workforce
• Leading in collaboration and partnership, offering relevant education across the system
• Attracting, recruiting, and retaining skilled individuals for the future
• Supporting workforce transformation to meet new challenges and deliver excellent patient care.

The workforce and education programme for 2025/26 includes the following projects:

• Produce Level 2 psychological skills bitesize refresher and specialist training
• Create and offer a local cancer induction programme, mapped to the ACCEND framework and Capabilities in Practice
• Create a central education provision that supports providers and enhances wider education institution offers. This will support and guide the workforce in accessing relevant education with the national funding offer, creating a seamless process
• Immunotherapy toxicities: In collaboration with CCC, develop and produce a learning package on The Cancer Academy focusing on immunotherapy toxicities and their management, to address current inequalities in service provision
• Tumour specific secondary care education development and e-Learning, to be hosted on The Cancer Academy
• Cancer Services Workforce Modelling: produce standard service specifications and outline recommendations for training, retaining and developing the workforce.
• Local ACCEND implementation: For further details go to The Cancer Academy, https://www.canceracademy.nhs.uk/
• To Inspire the Future NHS Workforce: if you would like to read the evaluation report form our latest event, please contact Deb Spearing on deborah.spearing@nhs.net
• Focus on MDT Coordinators training and development needs, linking with national initiates to support this vital workforce group. Information on our upcoming MDTC event can be accessed on The Cancer Academy here.

For more information on any of the above please contact a member of the Workforce team.

Workforce and Education Team and wider initiatives:

• Lynn Atkinson, Senior Programme Manager

The Cancer Academy Team:

• Vickie Stirling, Project Manager
• Aimee Hooton, Senior Project Officer
• Lisa Monaghan, The Cancer Academy Content Admin and Project Support
• Beca Williams, Undergraduate Student Placement

Education Delivery and Support (including PCCP):

• Jo Kinsey, Clinical Senior Project Manager, PCCP Lead and Clinical Lead for ACCEND implementation
• Sandra Rowlands, Clinical Facilitator
• Dawn Hickman, Project and Admin Support

Workforce Modelling:

• Isobel Wenn, Senior Project Manager and Lead for The Cancer Academy
• Lucie Conway, Workforce Modelling Project Support

ACCEND and Inspire the Future NHS Workforce:

• Lucy Irwin, Senior Project Manager
• Deborah Spearing, Project Manager
• Katie Farrington, Workforce ACCEND Project Support

Last updated July 2025