Objective: The study describes learning needs of social and healthcare staff in small and middle-sized enterprises, which participate in a simulation-based coaching project. The study aims at producing knowledge that can be used to develop the content of multiprofessional simulation-based coaching. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey using a questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative items. The qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis and the statistical data using SPSS for Windows version 23. Results: The professional development needs of social and healthcare staff in small and middle-sized enterprises emerged in the following areas: the respondent's professional knowledge base; the respondent's professional skill base; multiprofessional collaboration; development of the business, and networking between enterprises. The staff recognized their need to develop both personally in the area of key competences, and collaboratively in the organization. Conclusions: The results will be used when planning multiprofessional simulation-based coaching for acute, recurrent and infrequent situations in small and middle-sized social and healthcare enterprises. Simulation pedagogy can also be used to prepare for various client and family counseling situations and to practice communication and interaction for interdisciplinary teamwork.

Background and objective: This paper presents a sub-study of an ongoing research and development project (August 1, 2017-December 31, 2019), whose aim has been to use simulation-based coaching to meet social and healthcare staff’s self-reported learning needs in 20 small and medium-sized enterprises in Finland. Two regional educational institutions are responsible for the management of the project. The study aim was to examine the development of self-rated professional competence and expertise of social and healthcare staff, following a simulation coaching project.Methods: An electronic questionnaire was used to collect information about participants’ self-rated expertise, first in November 2017 and again in May 2019 following the simulation-based coaching intervention. IBM SPSS for Windows 25 was used to analyse the data.Results: The respondents appreciated simulation coaching as an effective way of developing expertise and the continuous learning skills of professionals. In this project, coaching was considered to be especially suitable for theoretical and practical management of acute situations; for keeping up with change in society; for anticipating development needs, and for promoting the attractiveness and competitiveness of the company where they worked.Conclusions: The simulation coaching concept, which involves action-based and concrete ways of developing theoretical and practical competence, is well suited for social and healthcare professionals undertaking continuing education. Using the companies’ own facilities facilitates participation and application of new knowledge and skills.