Collaboration at the Heart of All That We Do

Lori-Joy Sharp, a Kentown Family Service Coordinator from Together for Short Lives has been reflecting on the growing impact of Kentown Support's Children's Community Palliative Care programme, highlighting how partnership working is transforming support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Having been part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria programme from the very beginning as a Family Service Coordinator, Lori has seen first-hand how the Kentown Support model has strengthened collaboration between NHS and voluntary sector partners, making it easier for families to access the care they need.

Reflecting on the programme's success, she said:

'It has been a privilege to witness how the Kentown Children's Community Palliative Care programme has developed since I started my role at the beginning of the Lancashire and South Cumbria programme.'

Lori explained that by bringing organisations together, families have benefited from more coordinated care, with access to clinical, practical, emotional and financial support through a single, joined-up approach.

'Through networking and strengthening partnerships, families have been able to access coordinated care, while duplication of work has been reduced and communication between professionals has improved.'

The Kentown Support programme has also helped embed children's community palliative care more firmly within the wider health and care system, with professionals increasingly recognising the role Kentown Support plays in bringing services together around families.

Looking ahead, the experience gained from Lancashire and South Cumbria is helping shape the charity's expansion into Greater Manchester.

'The knowledge and skills we've developed give us confidence as we grow our second programme in Greater Manchester. The addition of Kentown Children's Palliative Care Community Nurse Specialists and Gaddum's therapeutic counselling means families will receive even more holistic support from an early stage, making a real difference to their wellbeing.'

As Kentown Support continues to expand its evidence-based model across the UK, partnership working remains at the heart of its ambition to ensure every family has access to coordinated care closer to home.

A single point of access now enables professionals working within the children's palliative care sector to make referrals quickly and easily. Referrals can be made via the Kentown Support homepage.