We’re really excited to announce a new partnership with the CareTech Foundation! The three-year partnership will play a vital role in our mission to ensure that every child with a life-limiting condition can access the palliative care they need.
Outreach in priority areas
CareTech’ Foundation’s generous funding will expand our existing outreach work into four high-priority areas of England, including six areas across the South East of England. With their support, we’ll work with families and professionals caring for children with life-limiting conditions across four priority regions in England:
- Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes
- Birmingham & Solihull
- Greater Manchester, and Lancashire and South Cumbria
- South East England
Filling the gaps where the need is greatest
These four regions have some of the highest numbers of cases of life-limiting and life-threatening conditions among children and young people in England. Worryingly, however, children and families there are unable to access palliative care services which meet key standards.
Greater Manchester, for example, has the highest number of cases in the UK (6,241). However, the local NHS body (known as the integrated care board, or ICB) does not plan and fund services, which means that children being cared for at home can access 24/7 end of life care from nurses and specialist consultants.
-
33%
of ICBs in England aren’t planning and funding care which meets this required standard
-
87%
of parents of disabled children state that their mental health has been negatively affected by the absence of support from services
-
67%
of siblings of disabled children felt more isolated
The number of children and young people living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions is rising, with black, Asian and minority ethnic children and young people living in areas of socioeconomic deprivation being disproportionately affected.
We are thrilled to be working with the CareTech Foundation, whose track record of championing underrepresented communities and those living and working in care is exceptional.
Nick Carroll, our Chief Executive
The number of children and young people living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions is rising, with black, Asian and minority ethnic children and young people living in areas of socioeconomic deprivation being disproportionately affected[i].
Over a three-year period, the CareTech Foundation’s support will expand Together for Short Lives’ existing outreach work with families caring for a child with a life-limiting condition, and its service coordination with professionals working within children’s palliative care in the four regions, including:
- Engaging families from all backgrounds and in underrepresented areas to remove barriers to children’s palliative care.
- Supporting 7,265 families with information and emotional support through our Family Support Hub and outreach activity.
- Giving 2,127 families practical or financial assistance through its range of grants and partnerships with other expert organisations.
- Engaging with 3,840 families through 40 outreach events.
- Providing 1,000 palliative care professionals with information about our offer for families through networks and events.
This partnership is pivotal to creating a future where every child with a life-limiting condition and their family gets the high-quality palliative and end of life care, when and where they need it. We are so grateful to everyone at the CareTech Foundation for their commitment to children’s palliative care.
Nick Carroll, our Chief Executive
We are delighted to partner with Together for Short Lives to build on the Family Hub model and ensure more people receive the support they need at a crucial, and very difficult time, of their lives. We realise that there is a significant gap in information and resources in this area which needs to be addressed. By partnering with a reputable organisation like Together for Short Lives, we can ensure that social care providers and families in priority regions receive access to high-quality information and no one suffers loss alone.
Tariq Raja, Executive Director of CareTech Foundation
