Vital Support for Seriously Ill Children and Families in West Midlands Thanks to New WellChild Training Suite
Seriously ill children in the West Midlands and their families will be getting vital support from a new Better at Home training facility funded by WellChild.
Seriously ill children in the West Midlands and their families will be getting vital support from a new training facility funded by WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children. The Better at Home Training Suite, which officially opened on 26th July, 2023 at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, will help deliver training so that children with complex medical needs can be safely discharged from hospital to live at home with their families. The project was only made possible due to the incredible support of The Property Race Day and the October Club. Their long term support has made a huge difference to our work.
This is the 11th in a network of WellChild Better at Home suites across the UK which provide home-from-home spaces where parents and carers can learn the often life-saving interventions needed by their child in a safe environment using specialised equipment to simulate real life scenarios. They provide an opportunity for extended family members to access medical training to widen a family’s support network. The suites are also used for training other professionals who may be involved in a child’s care. Set up to replicate a child’s bedroom, they provide a safe space to prepare for providing care in the home.
Families like that of two-year-old Jenson and Grayson from Wolverhampton will now be able to benefit from the training suite. The twins have a series of complex medical conditions due to being born very prematurely. After a series of critical surgeries shortly after their birth at both New Cross Hospital and Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the twins were edging closer to being well enough to come home. To prepare the family to care for the twins needs once they were home the hospital team gave them special training. Their mother, Lindsay, who was supported through this by WellChild Children’s Nurse, Rachel Shanahan, said:
“Training was done in his room, but this was difficult because professionals are constantly interrupting as they needed to check on Jenson or give him medicine. Sometimes you just want some space and privacy to take it all in.”
“To have had a place like the training suite would have been much better; it’s private and more comfortable. It means you can focus solely on the task at hand and not worry about all the people coming in and out and what they are doing.”
The suite is based in Ward 15 at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, so families feel close to their children whilst they are receiving their training and so that they are close to medical services for support. Professionals from all specialities at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will have access to the suite if needed. Often, training for parents and carers takes place at a child’s hospital bedside prior to discharge home. In some cases, this does not prepare parents and carers for crisis or emergency situations that might arise. That’s why the WellChild Better at Home training suites are such an important resource for families of children with complex needs.
Heather Petts, Associate Director of Nursing (Medicine) at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We’re delighted to be able to open this dedicated space that will make such a difference to our patients, their loved ones, and our teams. We are hugely grateful to WellChild for their support.
“The room, designed to look and feel like a home bedroom, provides an environment we’ve not had previously – somewhere where we can support families when it comes to education, giving them confidence ahead of their child going home.
“Previously, the majority of such important training, took part at the bedside, which is not ideal. Being able to take time away in such a lovely space means there’s a sole focus on education. We know from feedback this will improve experiences.”
WellChild CEO, Matt James added:
“Our Better at Home suites are vital in giving parents and carers the skills and confidence they need to care for their children safely at home, where they will have the very best chance to thrive. We’re delighted to be able to extend this support to more families.
Huge thanks go to the October Club and Property Race Day for making it possible to provide this crucial support for families in the West Midlands.”
