Mark Guymer, Cancer Support UK’s CEO, said:
“With at least 85% of employees saying how important it is for them to keep working after a cancer diagnosis, there is an urgent requirement for employers to understand the needs of colleagues affected by cancer and to support them appropriately.
“We know through feedback from our Cancer Coach groups that there is a lack of support for people either returning to work following cancer treatment or even for those who have just been diagnosed. Our Cancer Support Ambassador training applies the principles of the extensive knowledge gained through our highly successful Cancer Coach course. The skills covered in the training will enable people who are fulfilling an extra-curricular or voluntary role within an organisation to emotionally support and signpost colleagues, which can only bring significant benefit to the workplace as a whole.”
Key benefits
- Strategies to manage structured supportive conversations
- Confidence to support someone who has cancer
- Understanding the difference between empathy and sympathy
- An understanding of the change process that people go through when receiving a diagnosis and/or treatment
- Learning the skill of high level listening and how to ask the right questions
- Using the right language
- Self-care tips
- Helps address the issues of isolation in the workplace caused by cancer
Case study – Mondelēz International
Cancer Support UK is partnering with Mondēlez International (owner of brands such as Cadbury’s, Oreo, Belvita, Philadelphia) to provide a Cancer Support Ambassador scheme for 4,000 MDLZ colleagues.
Commenting on the partnership with Cancer Support UK, Mondēlez, said:
“It’s a harsh reality that one in two people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. However, at Mondēlez UK our colleagues won’t be facing this alone. Mondēlez UK is partnering with Cancer Support UK to launch the Cancer Support Ambassador scheme for colleagues at MDLZ. Our scheme aims to empower our people with training and guidance to better help those with a cancer diagnosis.”
Cancer Support UK’s Head of Learning and Development, Olivia Gray, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Mondēlez, providing them with the training and expertise to help them support their colleagues through cancer. Employers have such an important role to play in supporting people with cancer and their carers. For many people with cancer, going to work gives a sense of normality to their lives and can be an aid to recovery, as well as being a financial necessity. So it’s vital that people affected by cancer can feel confident that their needs are being met and are able to talk about cancer with confidence. Having supportive co-workers can make all the difference to someone who has just received a diagnosis. This is where the Cancer Support Ambassador training can make all the difference.”
For further information about Cancer Support UK’s Cancer Support Ambassador training, please contact: Olivia Gray, Head of Learning and Development. Em: olivia@cancersupportuk.org. Tel: 07763630954.
