Foundation - Doula Training

The Foundation training is made up of 10 sessions which are delivered in one of the following formats:

• A five day face to face course
• Blended 3 day face to face followed by 4 online sessions
• 10 session online course
• 5 or 6 night residential training (3 nights + 2 or 3 nights)

The Foundation course explores many of the issues in relation to death, dying and the end of life of which, as citizens, we all should be aware. Learners may take the Foundation as a stand-alone CPD course, which holds the Crossfields Quality Mark, to become more knowledgeable and aware of the emotional, psychological, practical and socio-legal aspects of death and dying in support of family or friends or as a volunteer.  All learners receive a CPD (Continuous Professional Development) certificate on completion of the 10 sessions.

The course is an introduction to Living Well Dying Well’s person-centred approach to being with death and dying, and the first part of the whole Diploma course.  Learners can complete an assignment to progress onto the Diploma course.

Themes covered in the Foundation Course include:

• understanding grief
• emotional and spiritual responses to death
• physical changes at the end of life
• increasing comfort, integrative health and supportive therapies
• rituals and practices within cultural and faith groups
• socio-legal requirements
• spiritual and self-care practices
• funeral directors’ practices.

Booking a place represents a commitment to attend the every day or session of the course booked. Before booking a place please ensure that you can commit to all dates and keep them free of other commitments.  It is important that you complete the course in one cohort as it is experiential learning.

Once your booking is confirmed for the Foundation course we will be sent details of how to enrol, which includes a request for a personal statement to explain your motivation for joining the course and we also request a photo for our records.  The Learner's Handbook and Crossfields Programme Guide are issued to each Learner before the course.  There are no entry requirements, although if you have been recently bereaved we would want to discuss the timing of your entry on the course. Our FAQs should be able to answer most questions but do feel free to contact us if you require further information.

We have found that learners drawn to these courses are often on a personal or vocational journey and may include:

• lay people with a special feeling for being with the dying, who want to support friends, family or colleagues
• people with a professional background, such as nurses, complementary therapists, counsellors, clergy or nursing home staff, who want to develop skills in end of life support.

We ask that participants are over 18 years old and have:

• an affinity for this subject
• a willingness to embark upon a personal journey
• maturity, sensitivity, adaptability, empathy and good communication skills
• an awareness of, and are open to, spirituality in all its forms
• a wish to expand their knowledge and become more confident with death and dying.

The Foundation course will cover sensitive material and may bring to the forefront personal experiences and memories of illness, death and bereavement. It is important that learners are aware of the emotional demands of the course and are prepared to manage these. For this reason we ask participants to complete a short personal statement on our enrolment form, which will be sent to you once you have booked online.  If you have very recently been bereaved, please contact us before booking a place so that we can discuss with you the timing of your entry to the course.

You may wish to use the Foundation course to discover if training as an End of Life Doula feels right for you.  This role requires a high level of self-awareness, reflection, empathy and communication skills, all of which are personal qualities that are common to a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. A commitment to personal development is essential and many people find the programme life-changing.

For those who wish to progress further with the training, we require the successful completion of a progression assignment based on the learning from the Foundation course. We also discuss with each learner how the course is meeting their expectations, as well as their suitability for progressing to the Diploma.