Updated 5 January 2021
Following the Government announcement on 4 January 2021 of new lockdown restrictions for England – Acorns will continue to offer our existing care and support services to children and families.
Acorns services during the current restrictions
As a result of regular testing for all those accessing our hospices, including staff and volunteers, children and families, we will continue to provide all our existing services:
- Planned emergency stays
- Essential outreach support in family homes
- Planned booked (i.e. non-emergency) stays
- Assessment stays for children identified as needing overnight short breaks
- Therapeutic support, including hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, multisensory therapy, booked visits to the Birmingham hospice’s gardens*
- End of life care
- Children already resident at the hospices
*We are temporarily stopping all music therapy sessions for the time being and exploring whether or not these can be delivered by video.
Ensuring children and families, staff and volunteers remain safe
From early January, Acorns will be using Lateral Flow Device tests for all staff and volunteers, families and other essential visitors to our hospices – a test which delivers results in around 15-30 minutes.
- We will continue to test all staff and volunteers accessing Acorns hospices twice per week in line with the current practice in NHS hospital Trusts.
- We will continue to test all children accessing Acorns hospices.
- We will test all children accessing therapeutic services from our Birmingham hospice in Selly Oak.
- We will test all essential visitors to our hospices, including family members, professionals and external contractors.
- We will continue to test children who are resident at Acorns hospices every 28 days.
- We will continue to adhere to the strict Government guidance around PPE and social distancing for all those accessing our hospices
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call your local hospice and we will be able to assist you.
Acorns in Birmingham, Selly Oak
0121 248 4850
Acorns in the Black Country, Walsall
01922 422 500
Acorns for the Three Counties, Worcester
01905 767 676
For more detailed information about coronavirus, visit the Acorns Family Updates page here
