5 Minutes With… The Good Care Group (TGCG)

11 June 2025 — jessica-bailey

We spoke with Sabah Shah, Clinical Lead for The Good Care Group (TGCG), who provided an insight into TGCG’s palliative care services and how their specialist team and experienced carers deliver support for those with life-limiting conditions, including cancer. 

Tell us about The Good Care Group?

At TGCG, we specialise in providing high quality care that allows individuals to remain in the comfort of their own homes surrounded by everything that is familiar and meaningful to them. TGCG has a specialist service division which includes both an admiral nurse specialist and a clinical lead/RGN – this service ensures that complex needs, including those who are palliative, are met safely and compassionately.

What steps do you take to ensure cancer patients are both physically comfortable and emotionally supported in a home setting?

Our care approach is holistic, our carers are trained, not just in managing physical symptoms such as pain/fatigue/nausea, but are also trained in offering emotional companionship and reassurance. Our professional carers, care managers and specialist service team work and liaise with GPs, district nurses and palliative care teams to help support the client with the interventions which are required.

During the induction training, all multidisciplinary team services who could potentially be involved in a clients care during end of life (EOL)  are covered so individuals within the organisation are aware of each healthcare professional’s role and how to contact them. Furthermore, comfort is not only about symptom management, it is also about honouring an individual’s routine, preferences, and emotional wellbeing.

Can you describe how your team supports people when cancer treatment is no longer effective?

When cancer treatment is no longer effective, we look at providing a holistic and compassionate approach to care, this means focusing on comfort, dignity and quality of life. We ensure all expressed wishes are documented and discussed and supported with.

As mentioned, carers are provided with advanced End of Life training during their induction week and have access to this when needed. This covers areas such as: effective communication, dignity and diversity, bereavement process and grief and the laws. TGCG Specialist Service team also provides carer supervision sessions around EOL care which helps support carers through placements and help to advance their knowledge in this area.

We also look at supporting clients who may accept treatment to help manage symptoms only – we look into the symptoms an individual may have post treatment and provide tailored care plans to ensure they are receiving the best level of care. 

How does palliative care differ for people with cancer compared to other conditions?

Cancer can progress rapidly, and physical symptoms can be intense and vary, therefore it requires skilled responsive symptom control. There is also often a greater emotional burden. Our care adapts to the unique needs, combining the training that TGCG delivers to help support the individual and also their families and ensure that our care plans evolve alongside the individual’s condition and wishes.

What emotional support do you offer to family members of someone with cancer receiving palliative care at home?

Families are part of the care circle. Our carers are trained to offer emotional reassurance, regular updates and space to express feelings. Having a live-in carer also provides relief to families, knowing their loved one is never alone.

Are there specific types of cancer where home-based palliative care is more commonly needed or more effective?

We offer support to individuals with a range of cancers, particularly those with cancers that have advanced such as lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer etc. Home based palliative care allows individuals to remain in familiar surroundings, closed to loved ones and again, with a care plan that ensures all areas of dignity, comfort and emotional wellbeing are covered.

Home based care also prevents and avoids unnecessary hospital admissions and offers a more holistic person cantered approach. This setting often brings a sense of peace, not only to the person receiving care, but to their families as well.

What symptoms or challenges do your clients with cancer face most often, and how do you address them in the home?

Clients can often face a combination of physical, emotional and psychological challenges. The most common symptoms we see at home include: pain, fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, loss of appetite and anxiety. Some also experience distressing changes like confusion, difficulty sleeping and emotional withdrawal.

Pain and symptom relief are always a priority, and we work closely with GP’s, community nurses and palliative care teams to ensure medication is reviewed and effective. Our carers are trained to recognise early signs of distress or symptom escalation.

Beyond the physical interventions, we support clients emotionally by being consistent, providing reassurance through presence, helping them to maintain routines and creating space for open conversations about what they want and need. For families, we offer guidance, reassurance and regular communication so they feel included and supported every step of the way.

How do you ensure emotional and psychological needs are met, particularly for those with a terminal diagnosis?

We approach this with sensitivity, consistent and again person centred care as this is the heart of everything we do.

We take time to truly listen, to understand what matters most to the individual. If a client is wanting to start with TGCG, our care assessors and care managers ensure the assessments cover their fears, their wishes, and how they want to live in the time they have and our care plans are specifically tailored to them.

The team at TGCG, which includes our professional carers, are trained to provide emotional support, active listening and create a respectful space where they feel safe to express how they are feeling without judgment. We also recognise the emotional toll this has on families, thus we ensure they are supported too through reassurance and communication. We will also signpost them to services they may not realise are available to them.

As a Clinical Lead, I ensure staff are not only clinically competent, but emotionally attuned. We promote mental wellbeing within the organisation, including our carers so they can continue to provide care even in emotionally charged situations.

How do you coordinate with GPs, oncologists, and palliative care teams to ensure continuity of care at home?

Ensuring continuity of care at home is all about proactive communication, collaboration and shared understanding across all professionals involved.

We start by making sure we have a clear and up to date care plan in place, often based on hospital discharge notes or input from oncology or palliative care teams. We maintain open lines of communication with GPs, especially when reviewing medications, anticipatory medication as well and DNACPR/ReSPECT forms.

Our carers are trained to observe and report changes promptly, and myself and care managers will ensure those changes are escalated appropriately, whether that is to the community palliative team, district nursing team for symptom management or to the GP for a clinical review. We ensure to keep clients/families involved every step of the way.

What is most rewarding about your role?

The most rewarding part of my role here at TGCG as  Clinical Lead/RGN is knowing that the work we do makes a difference to people’s lives, most often in their most vulnerable moments. We continuously support individuals and their families through complex/end of life care and seeing the comfort, dignity and reassurance the team who are involved in the individual’s care is meaningful.

I also find great fulfilment in developing carers, helping to build their confidence, helping them to grow clinically and emotionally to provide high quality care. Seeing the growth, and knowing that I have played a part in creating a safe, compassionate environment for staff/service users is what keeps me passionate and motivated in my role.

Do you have any testimonials? 

“Our aunt was supported during the last 8-9 Weeks of her life at home allowing her to pass with dignity in her own bed. The last couple of weeks she got to see friends, have wonderful home-cooked meals and outings to the beach with picnics. Her carer went well above and beyond what we expected and supported both us and her through her last few days, staying on past her shift to be there for our aunt so she was with someone she got on well with. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” – TGCG Client

What would you say to those getting in touch but are feeling nervous and apprehensive?

It is completely normal to feel nervous, especially reaching out for support. In sensitive emotional situations, it takes a lot of courage. It is important to emphasise that they are not alone, and every single person here at TGCG understands how important it is to listen without judgment and walk at their own pace.

We are here to make things feel a little lighter and not more complicated. Whether an individual or family member is looking for advice, care for a loved one or just someone to talk things through with, we will meet them with kindness, honesty and support. No pressure, no assumptions – just a conversation, one step at a time.

You can read more about the work of TGCG, their prices, the different funding options available, and find tailored support, by visiting their website at www.thegoodcaregroup.com. If you’d like to discover other cancer services in your area, please search on Cancer Care Map’s homepage using your postcode.