Coronavirus Response
Children and families are at the absolute heart of CHAS. So it's important to highlight, we remain determined to be there for everyone in our care throughout the Coronavirus crisis, and beyond.
Developments continue to be fast-paced but we remain committed to:
- Supporting the best possible quality of life and care for every child.
- Providing a service which is active and dynamic to meet children's and families' fluctuating, unpredictable and urgent needs as they emerge.
- Providing essential care including pain and symptom management; end of life care; emotional, psychological and spiritual support; practical and social support; play; and transition.
CHAS is committed to reaching every family in Scotland that needs our help and our virtual hospice service allows us to support families who are self-isolating or staying at home. This evolving service provision enables families to feel connected to and supported by CHAS in new ways during the pandemic and beyond. Whether this be nursing, medical or pharmacy advice; bereavement support; money and benefits advice; or some practical advice around coronavirus, our teams continue to be here to help day and night.
Our Nursing, Family Support and Volunteering teams are reaching out to families to find out how CHAS can help improve their situation to ensure parents never feel alone. Keeping the joy alive is at the heart of everything we do at CHAS and our virtual hospice also offers a storytelling service; letter writing for children and parents; art clubs; cooking clubs and bespoke activity packs; and we're working alongside our friends at Hearts and Minds setting up virtual Clowndoctor visits, bringing some much-needed fun and laughter into people's homes. We're also working alongside Rachel Drury on music sessions and Nordoff Robbins, who are providing music therapy.
We're continuing to provide safe care for children and families through Rachel House, Robin House and CHAS at Home, though we've adapted these services.
We are currently focusing care on end-of-life care and meeting unplanned needs.
It is not possible to have as many people or visitors in the hospice as normal due to the need to observe social distancing so we temporarily have fewer beds available in each hospice.
We are also continuing to work alongside NHS colleagues as we deliver our hospice and at-home care.
Government and NHS Advice
Scottish Government Coronavirus (COVID-19): shielding support and contacts
Details of shielding support for people to arrange food and medicine deliveries, and other support services.
www.gov.scot/publications/covid-shielding/
NHS Inform
Latest coronavirus (COVID-19)guidance from NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, including physical distancing measures and advice for infected households.
www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19
Useful Resources
Parent Club
Parent Club offers up-to-date guidance from the Scottish Government on your child’s health and education. It’s full of hints and tips from other parents and carers who’ve been there before. It also has advice to help you look after your own wellbeing and to point you in the direction of the support available.
They have a dedicated Coronavirus page with advice and resources for parents of children of all ages.
www.parentclub.scot/topics/coronavirus
Young Scot - Coronovirus resources
Young Scot, the national youth information and citizenship charity for 11-26 year olds in Scotland, provides information, ideas and opportunities for young people, helping them to make informed decisions and choices. The charity also aims to connect young people to opportunities locally, nationally and globally; empowering them to create and drive positive change.
The Young Scot Coronovirus page has a range of resources and links for young people.
young.scot/campaigns/national/coronavirus
Other Partnerships
Hearts & Minds
Home of the Clowndoctors
Nordoff Robbins in Scotland
We partner with Nordoff Robbins to provide music therapy to our children and families.
www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/locations/scotland
Rachel Drury
Rachel Drury is the creator and composer of BabyO and SensoryO, two groundbreaking operas for infants aged between 6 and 36 months, for which she has received international acclaim. Both operas have toured internationally, and more recently to Royal Opera House, London in March 2014. Rachel is also a lecturer on the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has given a variety of research lectures across the UK.
www.rcs.ac.uk/staff/drury_rachel
Any questions?
If you have any questions about your support from CHAS, please contact Rachel House on 01577 865777 or Robin House on 01389 722055 and ask to speak to a Charge Nurse or Nurse Manager.
For any questions about symptoms, please contact NHS24 on 111.
If you want to talk to someone about your own situation or find out more about our services, please get in touch: