Health & Wellbeing Education & Young People 2024
Helen & Douglas House

Impact Report 2023/24

Helen & Douglas House provides specialist palliative and end of life care for children with life-shortening conditions and their families across the Thames Valley. In 2023-24, 580 children, parents and siblings were supported — up 35%; 1,240 bed nights of care were provided — up 39%; 40 children were supported to die in their place of choice; and the Community and Family Support Team gave 5,214 hours of support. 24 charity shops raised £1.4m — a record. CQC rated Outstanding.

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📋About

Inpatient hospice stays (symptom management, supportive, end of life); The Little Room (post-death family time); 24/7 outreach nurse specialist home visits; bereavement support (up to 2 years post-death); siblings support (1:1, groups, camps, trips); grandparent support group; play therapy; music therapy; physiotherapy; social worker support; Keepsake Circle bereavement music service; stay and play days; 24 charity shops Custom geography from upload: Thames Valley (Oxfordshire and surrounding areas)

📊Key Metrics

580 children, parents and siblings supported — up 35%; 1,240 bed nights of care — up 39%; 58 new families admitted for first stay Key Metric 1
40 children supported to die in their place of choice (up 33%); 127 bed nights for end of life care — up 101%; 825 bed nights for supportive stays — up 53% Key Metric 2
5,214 hours of community and family support team; 24 charity shops raised £1.4m (record); £627,000 received from 30 gifts in Wills; total annual cost nearly £6m Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • 87% of parents said their overall experience was very good; 93% said their child was always treated with respect and dignity; 92% felt safe leaving their child in care; 83% said the hospice gave them time to just be a parent
  • New flexible end-of-life family suite and redesigned Little Room created; new Keepsake Circle service launched (songs written and produced in a child's memory); new support for families experiencing unexpected child death; CQC Outstanding rating maintained
  • Investors in Diversity Silver accreditation; Christmas Appeal raised £45,015 from 774 donors for outreach services; £57,000 in shares donated enabling two play specialists for nearly a year; 87% of funding from donations, legacies and shops

📍Geography

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