Psychosocial care for kidney patients: Level One Training

As part of the National Psychosocial Working Group, Kidney Care UK have helped to develop a new free training programme for all patient-facing kidney professionals to help support a deeper understanding of the emotional, social and psychological factors that shape people’s experiences of kidney disease.

Psychosocial care for kidney patients: Level One Training

Psychosocial Care for People with Kidney Disease is a level one training course, developed collaboratively with kidney psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers and clinical psychologists.

Hosted on the UKKA website and designed for all patient-facing staff in kidney care, this free training enhances skills in providing compassionate, empathetic psychosocial support for people with kidney disease.

Psychosocial care is important because kidney disease affects far more than just the body.
Dr Emma Coyne, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Psychosocial Care for People with Kidney Disease course empowers patient-facing kidney professionals to:

  • Enhance patient care – address stressors, improve communication, foster adherence
  • Build confidence – gain practical skills in empathy, active listening and intervention
  • Deliver holistic, patient-centred care – support resilience and well-being
  • Learn from trusted experts – developed by the National Psychosocial Working Group with kidney psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers and clinical psychologists

Through short, practical modules, this course explores:

  • Psychosocial stressors and adjustment
  • Effective, empathic communication
  • When to signpost or refer for specialist support
  • Approaches to challenging behaviour
  • Supporting your own wellbeing in practice

The self-paced training takes around 2–2.5 hours to complete and is free to access.

Visit the UKKA training hub to start the course
It has been very good to work closely with our colleagues in the National Psychosocial Working Group, firstly to produce a Manifesto for Change and then this training. When we recently asked people with kidney disease what they wanted for our ‘Left to Get on With It’ report, they were very clear that they wanted recognition of their mental health and social care concerns, and that they frequently turned to their kidney teams for this help. The level one training is a great start because it will support staff to direct patients to support, empower staff to be confident in these discussions and help patients feel recognised as individuals who frequently need more than physical care to live with the challenges of kidney disease.
Fiona Loud, Director of Policy at Kidney Care UK

Kidney Care UK's psychosocial campaigning work

  • Psychosocial health – a manifesto for action and a campaign for change

    Psychosocial care saves lives, yet too many people living with kidney disease are not getting the social and emotional support they need. With experts from the National Psychosocial Working Group, we have developed a manifesto for action.

  • 'Left to get on with it': The real impact of inadequate psychosocial support in kidney care

    A new Kidney Care UK report reveals the significant  social and emotional (psychosocial) toll of kidney disease, and shows that psychosocial support for people with kidney disease in the UK is urgently needed and currently lacking.