Resource library

Together for Short Lives offers a range of support and information for care professionals and other practitioners working in the field of children's hospice and children's palliative care.

Please feel free to download our reports and information from this resource section. Further information is available for children's hospice staff from our extranet. We also have a useful links section on this website.

Children's hospice care from March 2009 to September 2010 (Children's Hospices UK, 2010)
A report by Together for Short Lives Director of Care Development based on visits made to all children's hospice services in the UK

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Children's Hospices UK Safeguarding Survey Report (Children's Hospices UK, 2010)
The results of survey of safeguarding practices in children's hospices

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Children's Hospices UK research strategy (Children's Hospices UK, 2010)
Children's Hospices UK key research priorities for 2010 onwards

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Children's hospice care data 2010 (CHIMAT and Children's Hospices UK)
A report based on data collected from UK children's hospices

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Making the Case for Children's Palliative Care: A guide to winning funding from service commissioners in England (Children's Hospices UK and ACT, 2009)
A guide on how to influence those who commission palliative care services in England

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Children's hospice position statement (Children's Hospices UK, 2009)
Position statement in relation to the development of new children's hospice services in the UK

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Symptom Control Manual (Rainbows Children's Hospice for Children and Young People, 2011)
Basic symptom control in paediatric palliative care

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Guidelines for best practice in a children's hospice service (Children's Hospices UK, 2007)
Guidelines on best practice caring for children and young people with life limiting or life threatening conditions in a hospice or home

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End-of-life care guidelines (Children's Hospices UK, 2007)
A guide to managing the issues around the end-of-life care of children and young people for professionals working in all health care settings

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Other documents available directly from Together for Short Lives include:

Medicines Management Toolkit (Children's Hospices UK, 2011)
Medicines Managment is a crucial part of care for children and young people and provides unique challenges for children's hospice services. This toolkit provides staff with a reference point for guiding and mandating practice in line with the values and priorities set by Children's Hospices UK, legal requirements, and the essential standards set by the external regulator - the Care Quality Commission. The emergence of relevant clincal evidence along with any learning from ongoing service evaluations or safety incidents will continuously inform the process and outcomes of medicines management. Freely available for Together for Short Lives members', £75 for non members.

Care of the child after death - guidance for children's hospice services (Children's Hospices UK, 2011)
This toolkit provides guidance and recommendations for the care of the child and young person at the time of death, after death and in the use of the cool room. The toolkit offers a framework to help develop knowledge and understanding of staff who work with families at such an intensely emotional time. It covers the legal requirements of practice after death and best practice principles in caring for the family. Freely available for Together for Short Lives' members, £75 for non members.

A Toolkit to Support Ventilated Children and Young People in children's hospices (Children's Hospices UK, 2011)
Life-limited and life-threatened children and young people requiring ventilation are entitled to the very best care. This toolkit aims to support professionals working across the children's hospice sector to provide quality care based on evidence and best practice. The toolkit addressess issues facing children and families and the challenges for children's hospice services of providing care to this client group. The document draws on a number of case examples to support principles of practice. Freely available for Together for Short Lives' members, £75 for non members.

The Children's Hospices UK User Particpation Toolkit (Children's Hospices UK, 2010)
A tool to support children's hospices in their work to involve children, young people and their families in service development and delivery.  Free to Together for Short Lives' members. £75 for non members.

Right People, Right Place, Right Time (ACT and Children's Hospices UK, 2009)
A guide to support children's palliative care providers develop their care workforce. Free to Together for Short Lives' members. £16 for non members. 

Children's Hospices UK Diversity Toolkit (Children's Hospices UK, 2009)
A tool to support children's hospice services address the challenges and barriers faced in delivering services to children, young people and families from diverse communities. Freely available for Together for Short Lives' members as a CD Rom. £75 for non members.

The Children's Hospice Service Toolkit (Children's Hospices UK, 2006)
A guide for those thinking of setting up a children's hospice service.

Linchpin
A periodical published by Together for Short Livesfor all professionals working in paediatric palliative care. Available by subscription for £20 a year.

For more information or to order these documents, contact Ann Pratten or call 0117 989 7820.