Here is a comprehensive list of the education events and opportunities that will support your continuous professional development - from webinars to conferences.
Click on a drop down to get more information about a particular event and as well as how to book or take part.
Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any queries about our education offering for health and social care professionals.
Webinars
Understanding risk, Best Interest decisions and mental capacity – 28 January 2025
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Aim: To explore the Mental Capacity Act in the context of MND, including managing risks and making decisions in a person’s best interest if they lack capacity to make an informed decision themselves.
Objectives:
- to develop an understanding of some of the basic principles, particularly around the law
- to develop an understanding of specific relevance to decision making in MND
- to consider what valid consent means.
By the end of the session, you will have:
- an understanding of risk
- an understanding of best interest decisions when capacity is lacking and what steps to take
- an awareness of acknowledging risk and how best to support people with MND
- explored your sense of comfort with risk.
Speaker: Doctor Caroline Barry, Norfolk MND Care and Research Network
Experiencing acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) – 25 February 2025
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Aim: To explore and experience ACT therapy and its use.
By the end of the session, you will have:
- been introduced to the principles of ACT therapy
- experienced an ACT intervention
- considered how you can use ACT to support yourself day to day as a practitioner.
Speaker: Professor Rebecca Gould PhD, DClinPsy, University College London, and an Honorary Clinical Psychologist at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust.
A Botulinum Toxin clinic for MND patients: A case study – 29 April 2025
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Aim: To demonstrate the use of Botulinum Toxin in MND for the management of excessive saliva and bruxism.
By the end of the session, you will have:
- a better understanding of the uses to which Botulinum Toxin can be put in MND
- a better understanding of when Botulinum Toxin might be considered as a solution i.e. what might have been tried before
- an understanding of how Botulinum Toxin is administered
- considered the pros and cons of using Botulinum Toxin with the MND patient population.
Speaker: Professor Tim Harrower, MND Peninsula Care and Research Network
Orthotics: supporting people living with MND – 10 June 2025
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Aim: To explore the effective use of orthotics for people living with MND.
Objectives:
- to introduce allied health professionals to different types of orthotics from head supports through to splinting
- to increase knowledge of the symptoms that might be treated using orthotics
- to understand the results that might be achieved through the use of orthotics
- to increase awareness of where to find advice about, and access to, orthotics.
By the end of the session, you will have:
- the ability to recall the range of orthotics appropriate for use with people living with MND
- an awareness of the symptoms of MND that can be lessened or alleviated with the use of orthotics
- knowledge on how to refer to orthotics and get support from this therapy area
- been introduced to the most current advances in orthotic design.
Speaker: Lauryn Campbell, Addenbrookes Hospital and UCLH and Archie Veale, Carlisle Cumbria NHS Clinic
Complementary therapies: what are they and how might they be used with someone living with MND? - 26 August 2025
Pre-recorded webinar – release date 26 August 2025
Aim: To explore the range of complementary therapies which might be of use to people living with MND.
Objectives:
- to give an overview of what complementary therapies are
- to examine the use of complementary therapies for people living with and affected by MND
- to provide examples of how complementary therapies have been integrated with medical care
- to consider any research into the efficacy of complementary therapies in this patient group.
By the end of the session, you will:
- have an understanding of what is meant by complementary therapies
- be able to recall a variety of complementary therapies and how they might be employed in MND
- have been introduced to a setting in which complementary therapies have been successfully used
- have heard from a person living with MND about their experience with complementary therapies.
Speaker: Details coming soon
Register to receive this webinar on its release
Respiratory issues in the community – 3rd November 2025
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Aim: To explore home based respiratory support for MND patients.
By the end of the session, you will have:
- an understanding of the operation of a home NIV service
- be able to connect aspects of community management.
Speakers:
- Kathryn Crawford, Respiratory Specialist Physiotherapist, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
- Charlotte Massey, Specialist Neuromuscular and Respiratory Physiotherapist, NIHR Doctoral Fellow, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience
Speaker biography: Coming soon
Workshops
A workshop is a brief, intensive educational program focussing on techniques and skills delivered to a relatively small group of people. Workshops are usually delivered face to face, but with careful planning could be online. The features of a workshop are that they:
- pass on knowledge and instruction around a specific skill set
- provide significant real time opportunities for participants to practice the skills being taught
- wherever possible will have some form of formal accreditation for the skills being passed on.
We use our MND Association workshops support when a key skill deficit has been identified and it is appropriate for the Association to make a response. The aim, as with all of our education provision, is to supplement existing health and social care training with MND-specific content to enhance professionals’ understanding of the disease and how to provide the best possible support. In a workshop this enhancement is very practical with clear links to practice.
Advance care planning: principles, tools and techniques – Northern Ireland - 26 February 2025
Date: 26 February 2025
Time: 09:00-16:00
Location: Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim BT41 2JH
Cost: £50.00 View Events Cancellation Policy
Aim: To introduce members of the MDT to the principles of advance care planning and how to discuss this.
By the end of the one-day session, participants will:
- be able to describe what advance care planning (ACP) is
- have been introduced documents and processes that can support ACP
- understand the importance of ACP to the provision of good care
- have considered how to introduce ACP
- have had an opportunity to explore case studies which illustrate the successes and failures of ACP.
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
Communication difficulties in MND – a multidisciplinary team approach (Various dates and locations)
Dates and Locations:
- 30 April 2025 - Manchester
- 9 September 2025 - London
Time: 09:30-16:00
Cost: £50.00 View Events Cancellation Policy
These workshops are an informative and interactive exploration of communication in MND. They are aimed at MDT members wanting to find out more about communication, and also perhaps for SLTs wanting to brush up on communication techniques.
This workshop will be delivered by subject experts and have CPD accreditation.
Aim: To explore communication in MND and introduce members of the MDT to effective communication strategies for people living with MND.
By the end of the one-day session, participants will:
- considered the aspects of communication difficulty in MND and the impact of this on wellbeing
- have improved confidence in recognising communication difficulties in MND and when to refer to speech and language therapy colleagues
- have improved knowledge about the range of communication management strategies through the person’s MND journey
- have increased awareness of the range of voice banking and AAC options available
- have increased confidence when communicating with people with MND
- have had an opportunity to explore case studies in which communication is fragile or broken down and discuss and identify the presenting problem and appropriate action.
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
Dietetics workshop - The nutritional management of people living with MND (Various dates and locations)
Dates and Locations:
- 2 April 2025 – Bristol
- 8 July 2025 – Grantham
- 17 November – London
Time: 09:45-16:00
Cost: £50.00 View Events Cancellation Policy
These workshops will be delivered by subject experts and have been endorsed by BAPEN, NNNG, PINNT, BDA, PENG, RSSLT and also have CPD accreditation.
Aim: To introduce members of the MDT to the effective nutrition management of people living with MND.
By the end of the one-day session, participants will understand:
- the impact of nutritional status on the outcomes of people living with MND
- how to identify and monitor the nutritional status of people living with MND, including malnutrition screening
- the nutrition support interventions available to prevent or resolve malnutrition including oral and enteral nutrition options
- the dysphagia management of people living with MND
- how to support people living with MND to make informed decisions about the option to have a gastrostomy
- the management of people living with MND on enteral nutrition
- how to apply the above in real-world practice.
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
MND Respiratory programme (Various dates and locations)
Dates and Locations:
- 20 March 2025 - Grantham
- 1 July 2025 – Bristol
- 12 November – London
Time: 09:00-16:00
Cost: £50.00 View Events Cancellation Policy
These workshops will be delivered by subject experts and have been endorsed by SiLVaH and also have CPD accreditation
Aim: To introduce nurses and allied health professionals to respiratory assessment and management for people living with MND.
By the end of the one-day session, participants will:
- have been introduced to respiratory failure, and its progression, in the context of MND
- be better able to recognise the indications of possible respiratory failure from other symptoms
- be able to describe the respiratory assessments, including sleep studies, which may be performed on people living with MND with suspected respiratory failure
- have been introduced to evidence which supports the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) with MND patients
- understand the equipment and different modes and settings used in NIV
- be able to explain secretion clearance and cough assistance techniques in order to support the people with MND in their care and prepare them for the procedures
- have been introduced to some of the pharmacological options for secretion management
- have had an opportunity to explore case studies and through knowledge application and discussion identify the presenting problem and the appropriate action to take.
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
Competency sessions
A Competency Session provides tuition by an expert, or experts, delivered to an audience of health and social care professionals with a desire to build proficiency, knowledge and ability in a defined area of practice, to then implement and develop skills.
They may be delivered face to face or online depending on the subject matter. Wherever possible, they are accredited by the CPD Accreditation Service and a relevant professional organisation.
The features of a competency builder are that they:
- have a running time up to a full day, dependent upon the subject matter
- are taught by an expert that has achieved mastery of the competency
- may have a clearly defined practical element to them
- provide an opportunity for participants to interact with and learn from each other
- include the provision of a reference list of further reading and resources to support ongoing learning.
We use our MND Association Competency Sessionss to respond to significant expressed or identified needs. The aim, as with all our education provision, is to supplement existing health and social care training with MND-specific content to enhance professionals’ understanding of the disease and how to provide the best possible support. In a Competency Session, this enhancement is at an advanced level.
MND Communication Workshop: Effective management of communication difficulties in MND (Various dates)
Dates: Choose from Wednesday 12 March 2025 or Tuesday 13 May 2025
Time: 09.30 am – 3.45 pm
Cost: £50 View Events Cancellation Policy
These sessions are aimed at SLTs and other MDT members wanting greater depth about communication difficulties and possible strategies. They will be endorsed by the RCP and the CPD Accreditation Service.
Aim: To explore, in depth, the management of communication difficulties in MND.
By the end of the session, you will have:
- had a brief recap of the various communication difficulties in MND
- increased knowledge about the range of voice banking options and how to use them
- considered the effective use of message banking, video banking and legacy tools
- improved confidence to develop management strategies across the patient’s MND journey
- considered the impact of cognitive change on communication in MND and how management may change when FTD is diagnosed
- explored and discussed the principles of good practice in AAC and its place in effective communication
- considered the integration of environmental controls with AAC
- had an opportunity to bring case studies to the session for reflective practice.
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
Information and Knowledge Exchanges
Information and Knowledge Exchange events are exclusively for members of the MND Professionals' Community of Practice, a peer led group of health and social care professionals encouraging and supporting the development of good care for people living with, or affected by, MND.
Crisis management: when lack of proactivity leads to emergency - 25 March 2025
Time: 11.00am - 1.30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
MND sometimes presents crisis to those affected - including to the families of people with MND and professionals. Each crisis is a unique mixture of biological, psychological and social elements, from a sudden change in symptoms or in carers, to a restriction on services which delays responses to equipment and adaptation needs. During this event, clinicians will share their experiences supporting people with MND facing a crisis, offering valuable insights for other MDT professionals.
The session will consist of three presentation and discussion groups.
Session one - The voice for a person with MND who did not want a gastrostomy
The NICE guideline for MND states that professionals should be aware that some individuals may not want a gastrostomy. This was the case for a woman with bulbar onset MND, whose decision led to a crisis as those closest to her struggled to accept it. Caroline Mathias, Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist in Neurological Rehabilitation at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, will talk about how she acted as a voice for the person with MND and facilitated family meetings to enable open and honest communication, easing fears while respecting the wishes of the person with MND.
Details of session two and three to be announced shortly
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
Withdrawal of treatment - 24 June 2025
Time: 11.00am - 1.30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Some people with MND may choose to refuse or withdraw treatments such as gastrostomy or respiratory support. Based on your requests for more information on how MDTs can make these processes as comfortable as possible for all these involved, this event will explore these scenarios from the perspectives of both clinicians and families of people with MND.
Session one - Withdrawal of home mechanical ventilation
Alison Armstrong, Nurse Consultant with the North East Assisted Ventilation Service in Newcastle, will talk us through her experiences and reflections on these scenarios.
Session two - Refusing gastrostomy feeding
Tracy Sanderson, Association Visitor and Chair of the West Yorkshire Branch of the MND Association, will share her experience of her husband David deciding to refuse gastrostomy feeding.
Session three - title to be confirmed
This session will be led by Dr Idris Baker, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and co-director of the MND Care Network in South Wales.
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
Cognitive change - 23 September 2025
Time: 11.00am - 1.30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Many people living with MND experience changes in cognition and behaviour. Based on your requests, this event will explore practical and effective strategies to manage these symptoms.
Presentations titles and speakers to be announced shortly
Speaker biographies: Coming soon
