Summer Training Course 2018

Aims & objectives

The purpose of the EPF Summer Training Course for Young Patient Advocates - Leadership Programme (STYPA) 2018 is to support, through high-quality training and coaching, young patient advocates or representatives of young patients advocates who have the motivation to learn more about advocacy and maximise their leadership potential. The aims were:

1) To contribute to building capacities of young patients/their representatives to be involved in patient organisations and advocacy work in their respective countries in a meaningful way.
2) To build on the success of the first edition by strengthening the informal Summer Training network and by creating momentum and sustainability in the advocacy planning of young patients.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

EPF commissioned People Dialogue and Change, an organisation specialising in youth participation and leadership, to support the Programme who provided a team of two UK based trainers. 39 participants aged 18-30 from EU Members States and the Western Balkan countries who have either the EU official candidate or potential candidate countries status took part. All participants were either:

1) an employee or volunteer of a patient organisation;
2) a patient with a chronic and/or lifelong illness/condition who is affiliated with a patient organisation, or;
3) a patient with a chronic and/or lifelong illness/condition who is not affiliated with a patient organisation.

Training methods used & main activities

The 2018 Programme lasted from February until November and comprised of 3 phases;

Feb - June - Online individual learning modules on patient rights

July - 3-day face to face course using non-formal education methods

July - November - Online action learning sets and a monthly advocacy challenge competition based on gamification methods.

Outcomes of the activity

Based on the impact monitoring survey with participants there was and improvement / positive development in all participants:

1) Confidence as patient advocates
2) Understanding of patient rights and discrimination
3) Leadership skills
4) Understanding of patient advocacy and patient rights

92 percent of participants went on to be actively engaged in patient advocacy following the Programme.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I led the team of trainers, wrote and developed the online resources and facilitated the training with a co-trainer.

I worked on this training for approx. 30 days as a full time trainer.