More about Circles of Care

Find more information in our guide.

We know the number of children with palliative care needs is increasing and we are in a position to support more children with serious or life-limiting conditions and their families. We need to support the most clinically complex children sooner and more often but have also recognised it is increasingly hard to deliver an effective short breaks service to everyone equally. Our three Circles of Care are focused on being equitable for families with the highest needs. This model means we can be more responsive and allow our specialist team to provide additional support during times of increased need. 

The Circles of Care are determined by the needs of the child. Each child has an assessment by a senior nurse. We use information provided by families, as well as medical documentation from different sources such as professionals, Demelza care plans or NHS databases where we have access. Additionally, we take into consideration social factors that may indicate a need for specialist short breaks.

Yes. If you think we may have incorrectly assessed your family you can appeal, or a professional such as a social worker or nurse can do this on your behalf. When you make your appeal, you will be asked to indicate which section of the assessment you feel needs reviewing. All appeals will be reviewed by our senior nursing team which can take up to 25 working days, however we will work to do this sooner if possible. The appeals process is separate from the Demelza complaints procedure and does not affect your right to make a complaint or provide feedback. 

If an eligibility assessment indicates that your child no longer meets Demelza’s criteria, we will discuss this with you. One of our nurses will call you and you will have the opportunity to ask questions. Most discharges have a six-month support period during which time you can continue to access all available services and we can work together to identify alternative providers. All families have the right to appeal.

If, following an annual review, a child is discharged and their medical needs subsequently change, we welcome re-referrals from families or healthcare professionals and have made our referral process as easy as possible.

We needed to review our service model to ensure we have a reliable, safe and equitable service. It is not in relation to staffing or funding. However, the national shortage of nurses is an ongoing challenge for healthcare providers across the UK. Demelza continues to run nurse recruitment marketing campaigns and is continually looking at ways to retain and recruit nurses including reviewing terms and conditions of employment to make us a viable alternative to working for the NHS.

No. We have not reviewed our service model since Demelza was established. The clinical and social needs of the children and families we support have changed and the number of families accessing our services has increased. This new model of care is based on individual need, ensuring the services we offer are meaningful, reliable, safe and well-resourced. This change is not related to income.

We know that the number of children with palliative care needs is increasing and we are in a position to support more children with serious or life-limiting conditions, and their families.

We need to support the most clinically complex children sooner and more often, which is why our new service model is focused on being equitable for those families with the highest needs. This new model means we can be more responsive and allows our specialist team to provide additional support during times of increased need. We will continuously review how we deliver our services by engaging with families and analysing data. 

We have created a Circles of Care guide which gives an overview of which services are available. The Family Update, sent regularly by email, includes details of our seasonal programme of events, activities and events which is a great way to keep up to date. If you would like to sign up, please email careadministration@demelza.org.uk.

Yes. Please contact the family engagement team on 01795 845293 or at family.engagement@demelza.org.uk