Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme (ACCEND)

The Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development (ACCEND) programme provides guidance on the knowledge, skills and capabilities required by all nurses and allied health professionals who care for people living with cancer in generalist and specialist cancer services and roles as part of multi-professional teams. The ACCEND programme covers: cancer support workers; aspirant cancer professional student programmes; registered professionals development programmes; cancer care professional development and clinical leadership programmes; cancer strategic leaders development programmes, and a framework which underpins it all.

The overall purpose is to address some things that we know we are really missing: transformation and reform in education and training and career pathways for people supporting patients at all points of their cancer pathway.

This programme will increase and improve the supply of the cancer healthcare professional workforce in the future. It also provides the existing cancer workforce with access to the education and training needed to match the competencies required for their role.

Using a range of learning opportunities, including this elearning programme, ACCEND provides a definitive career and development pathway for those aspiring to work in cancer care.

ACCEND is underpinned by learning related to the 4 pillars of professional practice: clinical practice; leadership and management; research and evidence-based practice and quality improvement, and specialist cancer focused education.