Read how Edge Hill University and Lancashire County Council’s Specialist Teaching Service co-created a transformative learning experience, from Jane Roberts, Interim Director of Nursing and Midwifery Education.
When the Lancashire County Council Specialist Teaching Service Early Years Team approached Edge Hill University to build a package of professional CPD, we immediately recognised the opportunity for collaboration.
Their Specialist Teaching Service works daily with children whose needs span a wide spectrum, from diagnosed medical conditions, learning needs, and delayed communication. As they told us:
“The children we work with have a wide range of special needs…we are very much focused on early intervention and early support for pre-school children…and would be interested in this aspect of health/nursing/early diagnosis/treatment and general paediatric/ CYP nursing from a professional development, knowledge development perspective.”
When they approached us, their goals were clear. They wanted to:
- deepening their understanding of clinical decision-making
- strengthen their insight into NHS processes
- further improve how they support children, families, and partner agencies.
For us, the opportunity was clear: to design a CPD experience that connected expertise across faculties, bridged professional cultures, and created a shared learning environment focused on practical, real-world impact.
Co-designing a CPD day grounded in partnership
From our first meetings, both on campus and via Microsoft Teams, it was evident that collaboration would be the driving force of this project. Bringing combined perspectives from colleagues across Edge Hill University enabled us to shape a multifaceted training experience tailored to the needs of the Early Years Team.
Equally important were the practical details. This attention to detail set the tone, collaborative, organised, and genuinely committed to creating space for meaningful learning.
A CPD day built on insight, leadership, and real-world scenarios
The day itself unfolded as a dynamic blend of educational leadership teaching, hands-on clinical insight, and interactive scenario-based learning.
The morning began with a taught session led by exploring leadership in early years education. The conversation quickly became rich, reflective, and deeply connected to the team’s everyday challenges.
After lunch, the afternoon moved into our Clinical Skills and Simulation facilities. Here, attendees worked through real-world scenarios based on the kinds of complexities they encounter with children in their caseloads. Our Learning Disability Nursing team and ODP specialists guided the group through clinical reasoning, decision-making, communication considerations, and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
By bringing early years educators into a clinical simulation environment, we created a space for shared reflection between sectors that don’t always physically meet, education and health, yet work in tandem around the needs of children and families
Measuring impact: ‘a fantastic opportunity’
We gathered feedback verbally on the day and formally through electronic evaluation. The responses were overwhelmingly positive.
Participants shared:
“We just want to say a huge thank you to you and your colleagues for the fantastic CPD opportunity you have provided for us today.”
They also noted the value of seeing practical innovations in action:
“Please would you extend our thanks to your colleagues in the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre – this was a fantastic opportunity to see such innovative and exciting training and technology in action.”
And of course, they acknowledged the organisational care underpinning the day:
“Many thanks for the splendid organisation of the day and for looking after us all so well.”
When asked about the best aspects of the course, attendees highlighted:
“The training was varied and interesting. It provoked lots of interesting discussions within the team. I was particularly impressed by the medical training facilities, and it allowed us to discuss scenarios that our caseload children may have experienced in the past.”
Perhaps most striking was the collective sentiment captured by this quote:
“The entire day has been hugely informative, interesting, stimulating and thought provoking… the consensus is overwhelmingly, ‘Can we come back next year?’”
Our perspective: working together as one University
For our teaching staff, the day was equally rewarding. As one colleague put it:
“The whole teaching team enjoyed working collaboratively, including the taught classroom session with education and the use of the skills and simulation facilities by the learning disability team and ODP, allowing the team to work together to enjoy delivering the day.”
This project showcased what is possible when teams across faculties unite around a shared purpose, and when universities work shoulder-to-shoulder with public sector partners to elevate practice, confidence, and capability.
Looking ahead
With the success of this first CPD day, both teams are already planning further sessions. There is appetite, momentum, and a strong foundation on which to build deeper, more specialist content.
Work with us
If your organisation is interested in developing a collaborative, tailored CPD experience with Edge Hill University, we would love to talk.
Contact us at: [email protected]
