Special Feature

THE MAGGIE’S STORY

Maggie was a writer, gardener and designer. When she was 47, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and five years later, in May 1993, on a visit to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, she was told that it had returned.

After hearing this, Maggie and her husband Charles Jencks were moved to a windowless corridor where they were left to process the news. They discussed the need for somewhere ‘better’ for people with cancer to go, outside of, but nearby to the hospital. Maggie and Charles designed the blueprint for the centres together, enlisting the help of some of their friends from the architectural world. The first Maggie’s opened in Edinburgh in 1996, and they now have centres across the UK and even some abroad. Maggie felt that her diagnosis and treatment was as hard on her family as it was on her, so she created a new type of support, a centre that could make the experience of cancer more manageable for everyone. She believed that with encouragement to become actively involved in treatment, and with the right information and support, people could change the way they live with cancer. Maggie also wanted to bring people together in a calm and friendly space that would help them to find comfort in the experiences of others. Maggie died shortly before the first centre opened, at the Western General Hospital – but with the support of Charles, and her medical team, including her cancer nurse Laura Lee (now Maggie’s CEO), her vision has lived on. Maggie’s has now grown into a network of centres built beside NHS hospitals across the UK. Their centres help people to take back control when cancer turns life upside down. They’re available for anyone with cancer and their family and friends, whatever kind of cancer, and whatever stage they’re at. All their support is free, and no appointment or referral is needed. Many of their staff are NHS-trained and all their cancer support specialists have expert knowledge about cancer and treatment.

In 2021, they had 245,000 visits to their centres. 55,000 were new people with cancer or new carers of someone with cancer. Throughout the last few years of the pandemic, they have been there for people by phone, email and online, as well offering face-to-face appointments in their centres when possible. Up to 740,000 potential cancer cases have been missed due to the pandemic, resulting in a devastating situation for many people with cancer according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO). The report reveals: • 29% of cancer patients due to start treatment during the pandemic experienced delays, cancellations, or changes to their treatment • 67% of cancer patients say they have felt more ‘frustrated’ and 62% have felt more ‘anxious’ since the start of the pandemic Maggie’s evidence-based programme of support has been proven to improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of people with cancer and their families. The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative Report by the Department of Health in 2013 highlighted Maggie’s unique approach to cancer care as an example of best practice. Maggie’s programme of support has also been commended by the NHS Cancer Plan, NICE and the Cancer Reform Strategy. This has been reinforced by their recent annual audit of centre visitors: • 98% of visitors rated their experience at a centre as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ • 96% said they felt less alone after visiting Maggie’s • 94% said their visit improved their understanding of cancer • 91% said Maggie’s helped them manage stress better Maggie’s has started offering training to Line Managers to support colleagues with cancer in 2012. This ‘Cancer in the Workplace’ training was developed in conjunction with their long-term corporate partner, Unum. In response to increased recent demand from companies for their expertise, they started to focus more on offering a wider range of training to companies, to help their staff provide the best possible support to people with cancer. This has included: • Offering tailored

Communications and Tone of

Voice workshops to

Underwriting, Claims and Sales teams at a major insurer.

The courses focused on increasing their skills and confidence when speaking to customers with cancer over the phone • Delivering bespoke resilience training to staff at one of the

UK’s largest car dealerships, to give managers the skills to deal with difficult and emotional situations when managing staff.

Course content provided practical ideas and strategies for emotional safety and well-being that were easily transferred into the workplace to enhance resilience for leaders and their teams • Offering tailored cancer awareness training to contact centre teams and home engineers at a leading technology and entertainment company. This has enabled the company to create a team of cancer champions, who use their increased confidence and knowledge to speak to colleagues and customers affected by cancer and make them aware of the support available from Maggie’s They always tailor training content and new courses to meet the needs of organisations, with outlined training detailed below:

1) Cancer in the Workplace

There is an ever-increasing need to provide expert support and guidance to employers and employees affected by cancer – the number of people living with cancer in the UK is expected to rise to four million by 2030. Maggie’s interactive Cancer in the Workplace workshops can help HR managers, Line Managers and employees to support colleagues affected by cancer. Workshops are led by Maggie’s Cancer Support Specialists at our centres or through webinars. These sessions include: • The emotional, physical and psychological needs of people with cancer • The impact of cancer on family, carers and friends • Challenges in the workplace for people with cancer

• How to approach situations with knowledge, empathy and understanding by providing insights and management strategies • Creating the right framework to support and manage people with cancer • Communicating with people with cancer in the workplace • Managing a graduated return to work

2) Cancer Awareness

1 in 2 people will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, so it has never been more important for employees to develop their knowledge about cancer and their awareness of the support Maggie’s offers people with cancer. Maggie’s cancer awareness workshops can offer colleagues a unique opportunity to develop their knowledge about cancer and their awareness of the support available from Maggie’s. Workshops are delivered cancer support specialists based in Maggie’s centres at NHS cancer hospitals or through webinars. Subjects in these workshops can include: • An introduction to Maggie’s and our unique model of support • The physical, emotional, social and financial impacts of cancer on people’s lives • The experience of people living beyond cancer • Recognising when customers are in vulnerable circumstances • Situations staff might encounter as part of their jobs when working with or delivering services to people affected by cancer • The practical, emotional and social support that Maggie’s can offer to people at every stage

3) Communications Skills

Maggie’s can also provide a tailored communications skills training course to increase confidence when speaking to people with cancer. This course offers colleagues the opportunity to reflect on and increase existing skills in a safe and supportive environment facilitated by an experienced Maggie’s Cancer Support Specialist. The training will include content to simulate the experiences of patients and colleagues. Courses can cover a range of topics: • The experience of people living with and beyond cancer • Breaking bad news • How to speak to people with cancer • How to communicate with bereaved patients • Handling anger and distress • Having difficult conversations with patients and colleagues • Handling complaints • Coping mechanisms for distressing claims situations • Training in simple mindfulness techniques to aid communication Maggie’s and Hr NETWORK magazine have joined forces in an initiative called ‘Maggie’s At Work’, which highlights the need for employers to support their employee’s and their families, with a cancer diagnosis. In the forthcoming issues of the magazine, we will publish a series of Insight articles to help employers offer their people the best and most appropriate guidance, advice and support during what can be a very difficult time. For more information, please visit:

www.maggies.org