Kentown Lancs & South Cumbria
Our pilot programme
The Kentown children’s palliative care programme originally launched in 2022 as a three-year pilot programme in Lancashire and South Cumbria. The success of this pilot led to the formation of Kentown Support as its own independent charity in 2025, to continue to fund its charity partners, enabling them to deliver a package of integrated community children's palliative care across Lancashire and South Cumbria for a further two years. ​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​
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Region covered by the Kentown Programme
The original Kentown programme was funded by the Kentown Wizard Foundation.
It brought together experts in the field of children’s palliative care from a number of key partners.​
Together for Short Lives Family Service Coordinators work to understand the needs of a family and identify support through signposting or enabling access to other services locally and nationally. By building relationships with other charities and services they support families with applications for grants, other charitable funds and applications for services.
Each family will be paired with an expert Family Support Worker who will provide practical and emotional support for the whole family whenever and for as long as it is needed. They will support the whole family including parents, carers, the unwell child, brothers, sisters and grandparents including support through bereavement and grief.
Impact Evaluation
Edge Hill University carried out a three year evaluation to assess and demonstrate the changes made by the Kentown Project including the differences in the experience of the families, NHS organisations (including staff), Rainbow Trust family care staff and volunteers, Together for Short Lives Family Hub, in addition to the benefits and learning from the work undertaken.
Children's Palliative Care Community Nurse Specialists
Each nurse uses their knowledge and expertise in the care, management and coordination of a caseload of children supporting symptom management, facilitating and promoting advance care planning, providing end of life care and post bereavement support, education of professionals, development of policies and guidance.
Hear from one of our Family Service Coordinators, Ben, on his experience of the Kentown Programme and the difference he feels he is making to families.
We are hugely grateful to all our partners for their support and generosity throughout the pilot programme. Working together, the teams combined resources to provide integrated care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
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​A full evaluation of the Kentown 1 pilot programme is due in September, and we look forward to being able to share insight into the impact of the programme. In the meantime, here’s a message from one of our partners at the ICB:
"Collaborating with Kentown Support as a charitable organisation to fund and support palliative care nurses has proven to be really valuable to help the ICB enhance the quality of care provided to children and families. Our nurses are trained to offer holistic support that goes beyond medical treatment, addressing the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of children and their families. Working together has strengthened our compassionate, patient centred approach to care, ensuring that our children get the care that they deserve. The ICB remain committed to supporting the future of these nurses as outlined in our Commissioning Framework for Palliative Care for Babies Children and Young People."​
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Vicky Webster