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A new toolkit will be launched today (Monday 12 October) to help children’s hospice services address the challenges and barriers faced in delivering services to children, young people and families from diverse communities.
The Children’s Hospices UK Diversity Toolkit aims to equip children’s hospices with the knowledge and expertise needed to provide for families from all cultures and backgrounds, no matter what their beliefs and customs. This toolkit, which is also available for organisations outside of the children’s hospice sector, is intended to help organisations through:
• Developing a shared understanding of what diversity means
• Identifying current legislative requirements
• Showcasing best practice and barriers to achieving this
• Highlighting and addressing organisational challenges
• Providing a framework for planning and implementing service improvements as needed.
The toolkit was developed following the outcome of research commissioned by Children’s Hospices UK in 2007 which identified access barriers to children’s hospice services from children and families from various diverse groups.
Dr Sheila Shribman (National Clinical Director for Children, Young People and Maternity Services from the Department of Health), who launched the Diversity Toolkit said: “The Department of Health welcomes the publication of the Children’s Hospices UK Diversity Toolkit. I hope that this tool will be used supplement children’s hospices’ ongoing endeavours to ensure that their services are inclusive to all children, young people and families in their area.”
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Diversity Toolkit Launch
The toolkit will be launched on at 11am on 12 October by Dr Sheila Shribman, National Clinical Director for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, Department of Health at the Nishkam Centre in Birmingham. For more information or to attend please email Maddie Blackburn – maddie@childhospice.org.uk or call 0208 853 1517 or 07506 175 509
How to order copies
The Children’s Hospices UK Diversity Toolkit is available as an interactive PDF and as a hard copy folder. The toolkit is available for free to children’s hospice services in the UK. Other organisations can buy a copy of the toolkit or have access to the PDF version for £75. Contact Sarah Hamer – sarah@childhospice.org.uk or call 0117 989 7834
Workshops for children’s hospices
Following the launch of the toolkit, Children’s Hospices UK will be running a series of workshops during the autumn on how to use the toolkit and the six modules it addresses. For more details contact Sarah Hamer – sarah@childhospice.org.uk or call 0117 989 7834
Research commissioned leading to the development of the toolkit
Research commissioned by Children’s Hospice UK (Tricia Nash and Annette Marshall, January 2007) identified many of the barriers to accessing services for life-limited children, young people and their families from BME groups. This research recommended the development of a toolkit to support children’s hospices in their ongoing endeavours to ensure that their services are accessible to all children and families no matter what their beliefs and customs.
About Children’s Hospices UK
Children’s Hospices UK is the national charity that gives voice and support to all children’s hospice services. We help children’s hospices to continually enhance the care and support they provide to children who are not expected to reach adulthood and their families. We raise awareness of the range of services provided by children’s hospices and fundraise to help them to continue to provide their services for free. We also campaign and lobby on behalf of children’s hospices, ensuring their voice is heard by government.
Children's Hospices UK represents 42 operational children’s hospice services in the UK, with a further two services in the early stages of development. Each service is an independent charity which relies on public support to continue their work.
For more information visit our web site at www.childhospice.org.uk
For more information please contact
Tom de Pass | Head of Communications | E tom@childhospice.org.uk |
T 0117 989 7831