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Palliative and End-of-Life Therapy Service

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If you are a parent or caregiver of a child with a life-limiting illness 

We understand that caring for a child with a life-limiting illness is one of the most challenging experiences that any parent or caregiver can go through, and, on top of this, you may also be trying to hold everything together for others in your family.  

You don’t have to face this alone. Help is available. 

While Gaddum’s palliative and end of life therapy service is only available through referral from a Children’s Palliative Care Community Nurse Specialist within the Kentown Support programme there are other services you can reach out if you need immediate support or someone to talk to:

 

    • Call the Child Bereavement UK helpline on 0800 02 888 40. The helpline is available between 9am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays)

Photograph of a mother, father and daughter in a park. The grass is a vivid green and there are blurred buildings in the background. The mother, father and daughter are at the forefront of the photo. The mother is holding the daughter, angling her towards her father who is kissing the top of her head. The mother is a young, black women and the dad is a young, white man. The mum is wearing a black leather jacket, the dad is wearing a light grey hoodie and the little girl is wearing a pink top and denim dungarees.

Gaddum’s Palliative and End-of-Life Therapy Service: Delivered in partnership with Kentown Support  

Families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition often need more than nursing care. Alongside treatment and practical help, emotional support is vital to how families cope and manage through loss and grief.  

To address these needs, Gaddum has partnered with Kentown Support to deliver the therapeutic strand of the Kentown Model; an integrated approach to children’s palliative and end-of-life care across Greater Manchester.  

About the Kentown Model  

Developed by Kentown Support, the Kentown Model unites nursing, practical, and emotional support in one coordinated care framework. Its aim is to ensure that every child with a life-limiting condition, and their family, should have access to a model of integrated community palliative care whenever and wherever they need it. 

The model is being developed with health and community partners to address key gaps in local services, including the absence of a dedicated Specialist Paediatric Palliative Care team, limited 24/7 community provision, and unequal access to support across boroughs.  

Photograph of a dad and and his child in the woodland. The photograph is taken from behind, so we can't see their faces. The child is sitting on their father's shoulders and they are walking through the woodland on a wooden bridge. The father is wearing a brown knitted jumper and the child is wearing a grey hoodie. Either side of them are green trees and shrubbery.

Palliative and End-of-Life Therapy Service  

As part of this new model, Gaddum provides specialist counselling and therapeutic support for parents, siblings, and family members of children receiving palliative or end-of-life care.  

Our therapists offer:  

  • Open-ended, person-centred therapy for parents and carers 
  • Creative and play-based sessions for children and siblings, helping them explore emotions such as anxiety, sadness and change 
  • Bespoke bereavement support for families following the death of a child 
  • Sessions are flexible and accessible — available face-to-face, online, by phone or via text, depending on what works best for each family 

Please note: Referrals for this service are made through Children’s Palliative Care Community Nurse Specialists within the Kentown Support programme. Families cannot self-refer directly.  

Outcomes  

Caring for a seriously ill child can be emotionally overwhelming. Parents often describe feeling isolated or uncertain about how to manage the pressures they face. By embedding our therapy service within the wider Kentown Model, families can receive emotional and practical care side by side, helping them to feel supported, understood and less alone.  

This partnership is a step toward a more compassionate, connected palliative care system in Greater Manchester—one that values both medical and emotional wellbeing for families.

Photograph of a young boy with cerebral palsy and his mother. The boy is in a wheelchair, pictured to the left of the image, while him mum is crouched down in front of him to give him a hug. The boy is wearing a green jumper, blue jeans and navy blue trainers. The mum is also wearing a green jumper and dark blue jeans. The boy is happy and smiling; the mother is burying her face in his shoulder as she hugs him tightly.

 

 

“We know how emotionally isolating it can be for families caring for a child with a life limiting condition. Partnering with Kentown Support allows us to bring compassionate, professional counselling when and where families need it most. Together, we’re building a sustainable model of emotional and palliative care that can be replicated across the country.” 

— Ben Whalley, Chief Executive at Gaddum

Find out more

You can find more information about Gaddum’s wider therapy and bereavement support services here:

To learn more about Kentown Support, visit www.kentownsupport.org.uk