Francis House publishes information brochure to reach families in need of support.

Since Francis House Children’s Hospice opened its doors in 1991, the vision has always been that it would be a “home from home” providing care for children and young people with life-shortening or life-threatening conditions, and support for their families.

As an organisation, Francis House seeks to provide services to all members of the community that meet its criteria, those being children and young people under the age of 16 years that have a shorter than usual life expectancy.

A common misconception is that children’s hospices are only for end-of-life care. As a result, families needing support may shy away from seeking help in the belief that a hospice isn’t the right environment for their child.

To address this, Francis House has produced a colourful information booklet, which has been translated into nine other languages, to guide families and healthcare professionals through the range of services and care on offer at the hospice.

Rachael Taylor, chief executive of Francis House said: “We want to spread the word that Francis House supports babies, children, young people and their families throughout their journey, helping them to live life as fully as possible. For some families, this vital care and support lasts for years, while for others it may be months, weeks or days.

“We created this publication to share information about what we do and who we can help, to break down the barriers that exist for families accessing our care and support services. From the moment families step through our doors their fears evaporate and they see that help is out there for them. While the brochure is aimed at families, we hope healthcare professionals and hospital teams will also find it a useful communication tool.”

In line with its Vision and Values, Francis House welcomes families from all backgrounds and seeks to respect and meet their individual cultural, religious and spiritual needs.

The charity recognises that some families across Greater Manchester may face barriers to finding out about and accessing support, including when information is not available in a language they understand. The translated leaflets are intended to help families who speak languages other than English learn more about the care and support available at Francis House.

Based in Didsbury, South Manchester, Francis House supports hundreds of families from communities across Greater Manchester. A care team of more 60 members, work at the hospice and visit people in their homes or in other community settings including hospitals.

The brochure and translated leaflets will be distributed to hospitals and a variety of health care settings as well as given to individuals at the point of referral.

Sharon Doodson, director of care at the hospice said: “We know there are children and young people in communities from across Greater Manchester who need our support. We want to take a long-term proactive approach to making Francis House accessible to all who need our care, and to ensure that we are there for those families who need us, for as long as they need us.

“We hope that providing information in different languages will help more families understand that Francis House is here for them. We want families to feel reassured that we will listen to their individual needs and provide care that respects their cultural, religious and personal wishes.”

For more information and to read the brochure visit www.francishouse.org.uk/information-brochure