Children and Young Person's Service

We primarily offer supportive care to children and young people (up to the age of 16) who are living and coping with a diagnosis of cancer in a close family member. In addition, we also see children who have a diagnosis of cancer, but this is not the primary aim of our service

Our children and young person's service is managed and delivered by an experienced team of two highly qualified and experienced therapists. They ahve extensive experience in dealing with children and young people right up to the age of 16. Care and support is tailored to suit the age of those seeking our help.

Care is structured following a well developed model used by our assessors and therapists who deliver our adult services. The child therapists have the training and skills to communicate with families, with empathy and sensitivity, on distressing issues. A range of age appropriate methods are used to enable children to explore their feelings and express their concerns.

Our care is provided face to face, one to one with children. However, interaction with their parents where necessary does take place, which is either face to face, or via telephone.

The therapists organise, develop, provide and manage appropriate short term supportive interventions with children who are experiencing distress in relation to a diagnosis of cancer in their family. Intervention is through individual therapy and family work using various models (e.g. cognitive behavioural, systemic, developmental). In addition, they also advise and give information about children’s developmental needs to their parents or guardians, to enable them to respond appropriately to their children’s difficulties.

We believe our service for children who are coping with a diagnosis of cancer in a family member or loved one is unique, a number of establishments from the region will see children who have a diagnosis of cancer, but none, to our knowledge, offers a service such as ours. For this reason, although our primary catchment area is North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, we have seen children from as far away as Nottingham, Lincoln and Cleethorpes.

A copy of our leaflet for children  can be downloaded here

We also recognised that Young People have very different needs and ways they need to address their feelings surrounding a diagnosis of cancer which is why we ahve produced a specific young persons flyer.

A copy of our leaflet for young people can be downloaded here