On this page you can find a growing library of self care resources, from DH guidance papers to online toolkits to help patients directly or those caring for people living with long term health conditions. Most of the documents will open as PDFs, files that can be stored to your own computer or printed, but not amended. Some are links to external websites. They will all open in separate windows, if you need any assistance opening the files, please visit our help pages.
Published by EPPCIC in 2008, the aim of this programme of work is to develop a competences framework for trainers in chronic disease self management learning (CDSML). Typically these trainers tutor groups of 10-15 people with long term health conditions to manage their lives with chronic disease better. This may mean helping them to deal better with chronic fatigue, depression, tiredness or pain, but also may help them to manage their condition better in the context of family life, work, or dealing more effectively with clinical or social care services. The programmes also induct participants to the possibility of life-long self directed learning.
Read the full report here Competences for Training in self management for people with long term health conditions
The Kings Fund have published a paper that sets out 10 priorities for commissioners including active support for self-management, promoting prevention and care co-ordination.
Read the full report here- Transforming our healthcare system: 10 priorites for commissioners
NHS Hammersmith and Fulham have produced a report that will provoke discussion about the broad and ‘big picture’ challenges related to health and illness. In particular, this report responds to the current context of major structural change and reform to the NHS; a large public deficit; and forthcoming cuts to a number of health and local government services.
Read the full report - Annual Public Health Report 2010/11 - NHS Hammersmith and Fulham - February 2011
The Department of Health, in collaboration with Expert Patients Programme CIC, have developed a new tool to help make the local business case for self care education. This analysis tool allows the published findings to be calculated for given GP practices, PCTs, SHAs or GP commissioning pathfinders with their own characteristics in terms of current service levels, prevalence of the long term condition and costs. The tool, based on an excel workbook, contains default costs and benefits of self care courses based on public research. It also allows data based on local knowledge and circumstances to be entered to check where the breakeven point is. It can suggest the most cost effective way of providing self care education based on local population characteristics and total budget available.
There are two documents to download, a detailed user guide and the analysis tool itself, which is based on a Excel workbook.
It is advisable to open the user guide first as you may have to alter some settings on your computer to ensure that the macors in the spreadsheet work correctly.
Open the User Guide: Self Care Local Business Case Tool User Guide
Open the Analysis Tool: Making the Case for Self Care Education
Skills for Health and Skills for Care have worked with key stakeholders to develop a set of "Common Core Principles to Support Self Care". This is intended to be a resource for reflection, challenge and practice change. Their purpose is to enable organisations and all those who work in health and social care, whether as commissioners, service providers or educators, to make personalised services, enablement and early intervention to promote independence a reality.
Read the full document: Common Core Principles in Self Care - Skills for Health - 2008
The Pain Toolkit, created by Pete Moore and Dr Francis Cole, is for people who live with persistent pain. A persistent pain problem can be difficult to understand and manage on an everyday basis. The Pain toolkit is a simple information booklet that could provide you with some handy tips and skills to support you along the way to manage your pain. For more information go to www.paintoolkit.org. German, Italian and French versions can be found at www.change-pain.ch.
Read the full booklet: Pain Toolkit Booklet by Pete Moore and Dr Francis Cole Oct 2010
The Self Care Toolkit is for people who live with persistent health conditions. This self-management toolkit is a simple information booklet that could provide you with some handy tips and skills to support you along the way to manage your health and your condition.
Read the full booklet: Self Care Toolkit Booklet - Pete Moore and Dr. Francis Cole - May 2010
A series of E- Learning tools to support the NHS and Social Care workforce deliver improved care to people living with Long Term Conditions. Please note, when you click on the link you will be taken to an external website that will open in a sep[arate window. You will need to register with the site provider to access these toolkits.
Care Planning E-Toolkit
A 90 minutes introduction in 3 modules to personalised care planning – what it is, how it can benefit patients and staff and the skills, approaches and behaviours needed for effective delivery. The tool also uses case studies to illustrate and has a separate workbook. It concludes with a learning assessment.
Open the toolkit: Care Planning E-Toolkit
Self Care E-learning Toolkit
These 3 short modules are designed as an introduction to supporting people with long term conditions to self care. By the end of the learning, healthcare professionals will be able to understand their role in supporting people to self care, and the types of support that help people manage their condition and make informed choices about their health and care.
Open the toolkit: Self Care E-Learning Toolkit
Information Prescriptions E-learning Toolkit
E-learning for Staff– A 90 minute introduction to Information Prescriptions, and how they support people with LTCs to manage their condition. The 4 modules focus in the skills and competencies needed to asses and respond to individual patients’ needs for information through an information prescription.
Open the toolkit: Information Prescriptions E-Learning Toolkit
End of Life Care E-Learning Toolkit
Aims to enhance the training and education of all those involved in delivering end of life care to people, so that well-informed high quality care can be delivered by confident and competent staff and volunteers, across health and social care.
Open the toolkit: End of Life Care E-Learning Toolkit