Acorns provides a holistic range of services for children who are life limited and life threatened. The services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days each year. Family members are also supported through a variety of services and support groups that promote well-being and resilience and reduce the need for crisis intervention.
Working with professionals
Information for professionals booklet
Acorns delivers care that meets individual needs. Services are allocated on a needs-led basis. There is no obligation for families to access services within a time frame, indeed some families choose to have only occasional contact with Acorns, secure in the knowledge that the service can be accessed at any point should their child deteriorate or their family circumstances change.
Acorns is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
What does Acorns provide?
Each Acorns hospice is able to provide short breaks, emergency support and end of life care to life limited and life threatened children, from newborn up to 18 years.
All nursing and medical needs are met through a team of experienced children’s nurses and medical support. We work with other health professionals to provide palliative care and psychosocial support for children and families.
As a children’s hospice, Acorns provides nursing care and medical support at the end of life. This includes symptom management for the child in addition to support for family members and carers before, during and after death. The facility of cold bedrooms (special bedrooms) enables children to remain at the hospice after death allowing family members to leave their child in safe and familiar surroundings and to spend time saying goodbye in an informal and supportive environment.
Outreach Nurses at each hospice are responsible for identifying and supporting opportunities to support children and their families outside of the hospice. They coordinate and support hospice nurses and HCAs to deliver clinical care in the wider community, including family homes. This is supplemented with offering increased home support (befriending, home care, complementary therapy, etc.) via a team of trained and supported volunteers.
Acorns is unable to accept new referrals beyond 18 years of age.
Additional contracted services
A maximum of two beds will be available to statutory agencies across the hospices at any one time. The contracts will provide either a step-down service to children and young people who meet the Acorns admission criteria or offer additional social support on contracts negotiated on an individual basis. This service will enable an earlier discharge from hospital to home and/or the specialist care provision and could be available to statutory agencies on a full cost recovery basis.
Sharing hospice best practice
We are committed to ensuring children and families receive the best possible care and support throughout their palliative care journey.
We are always willing to share policies and practice where appropriate and to contribute to work groups, committees and initiatives across the West Midlands. Nationally we actively participate in Together for Short Lives and Hospice UK, supporting work ranging from siblings, diversity and benchmarking to user involvement, infection control and quality groups.
We also regularly contribute to regional and national conferences and to publications. Staff contribute to various education programmes working with local universities. Staff can also occasionally act as a ‘guest speaker’ to talk about Acorns services or broader palliative care issues.
Student placements
We support student placements for students studying for relevant professional qualifications. Student nursing placements, as well as physiotherapy and social work placements are offered on a regular basis in liaison with local education providers. There is also scope for other professionals such as art therapists to undertake placements if we are able to meet the supervision requirements.
To discuss this further please contact your local hospice (details above).
Work experience
Unfortunately we are unable to offer work experience placements at Acorns hospices for schools and colleges. However, if young people over 16 are able to commit time over a longer period they are welcome to apply to become volunteers. Find out more about becoming a care volunteer at one of our hospices.
