Alison has over 20 years experience as a counsellor, social worker and educator in palliative care. She has completed doctoral research with patients and health care professionals on the impact of receiving and giving bad news.

Andrew qualified from The Guy’s and Lewisham School of Nursing, London, in 1993 and has worked in various hospice settings, including Sir Michael Sobell House and Compton Hospice, since 1994. He has a keen interest in symptom management and effective multi-professional team work.

After gaining a degree in psychology, Terri went on to qualify as a nurse from Guy’s Hospital, London, in 1985, where she then worked in oncology until 1989. She spent the subsequent five years working in hospice inpatient units, including St Christopher’s Hospice, before becoming a Macmillan Palliative Care CNS in a large university teaching hospital for several years. She then became a lecturer in adult nursing at Keele University for the four years prior to her current role. Terri’s main areas of interest are aspects of ethics and psychology, as they relate to end of life care patients.

Nikki  undertook her nurse training at Walsgrave hospital , Coventry and qualified in 1996. She has worked in Oncology and Haematology over the last 14 years, both within the acute inpatient and day case setting, providing nursing care for patients and their families from diagnosis, through chemotherapy, surgery and palliative care. Having recently joined the education team at Compton hospice, Nikki for the last 5 years had been in post as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Upper Gastrointestinal cancers.  Nikki has completed her PGCE and PGDE with NMC teacher qualification at Wolverhampton university, focusing on the educational theoretical knowledge required to develop effective educational programmes. Nikki has a keen interest in the continuing educational needs for health and social care staff working in palliative and end of life care.

For over 19 years Dodie has counselled, supervised and trained in the private and voluntary sectors and within the NHS. She has written a book for those who are working with bereaved people in a voluntary capacity or as professionals, entitled “Talking with Bereaved People: An Approach for Structured and Sensitive Communication”.

After qualifying in 2004 Stacy worked as a Staff Nurse on the hospice inpatient unit for just over two years. Whilst there Stacy developed an interest in lymphoedema and applied to work in the clinic where she has worked since 2006.

Since qualifying as a staff nurse seven years ago Samantha has had experience in both the acute and primary sector.  It was during Samantha’s three years experience as a community staff nurse that she became interested in lymphoedema management and applied to join the team at the Cedars.  Samantha has now been in post as a lymphoedema clinical nurse specialist since 2007.  

Jane has been working for twenty five years in Palliative Care. Her interests lie in the area of communication between professionals, patients and families and how families subsequently deal with issues of loss and change.

Ann has worked for the past eight years supporting vulnerable children within counselling settings, working for Victim Support with children who were victims of crime, and Sunrise, counselling bereaved children.  Ann joined Compton Hospice as the Family Support Worker, again supporting children around bereavement and pre death.  Ann holds a post graduate qualification in counselling and works within the person centred approach.

Barry specialised in teaching Music and Drama before Ordination to the Priesthood almost 25years ago. He has extensive pastoral experience and has worked mainly in Urban Priority Areas until being appointed Spiritual Care Coordinator at Compton Hospice in 2009. He maintains a keen interest in teaching, communication and the integrated role of spirituality and the ‘arts’ in total patient care.

Jean worked as a theatre sister and an outpatient manager, taking early retirement to concentrate on hypnosis.  Following training by the BSCAH, Jean became an accredited member of the Society in 2005 and is now involved in the training at the Midlands Branch.  Jean is a member of the Academic and Accreditation Committee and is a visiting lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.  Jean uses hypnosis with a variety of patient group including oncology and palliative care.

Rachel’s background lies in nursing and teaching and she is interested in psychosocial –spiritual aspects of care. She also teaches communication skills.  Rachel’s PhD findings were published in 2004 by the Oxford University Press, ‘Recognising Spiritual Needs in People Who are Dying’ and awarded the 2005 Open Book Award by the Association of Medical Journalists. Rachel’s latest publication appears in Narrative Stories and Healthcare (eds Y. Gunaratnam and D. Oliviere, Oxford University Press, 2009).

Jane has been involved in lymphoedema Management since 1994 and worked to Compton Hospice until early 2010.  Jane has been instrumental in developing the degree modules at the hospice and continues to teach on these courses. She is the only UK trainer for the Leduc method of Medical Lymphatic Drainage and a director of Leduc UK.