CLIC Sargent Overview
CLIC Sargent has one simple aim: to ease the burden of childhood cancer on children, young people and their families.
Every day 10 families are told that their child has cancer. Diagnosis comes as an almighty shock as their world is turned upside down. Treatment usually starts straightaway and can last up to three years.
CLIC Sargent is there... with clinical, practical and emotional support, every step of the way:
During treatment - providing specialist nurses, play specialists, Homes from Home
In hospital & at home - offering specialist social care and support in the community - services for young people, holidays, grants, helpline
After treatment - helping survivors, supporting those bereaved
Our services across the country support children & young people aged 0 - 24 years and their families through these difficult times. Last year, the charity cared for over 6,600 children and young people at different stages of their cancer journey, with 2,200 of them at the very start, dealing with the shock of diagnosis and their intensive treatment that follows this.
Our work in Devon
During 2010, CLIC Sargent provided care and support to 140 children and young people from Devon. On average, 40 children are diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia each year in Devon.
CLIC Sargent Homes from Home. Immediately upon diagnosis, 99% of children and young people from Devon are sent to Bristol Hospital to undergo treatment, where they may be for several months. Families suddenly face the reality of having to drop everything, leave home, travel across the country and put work on hold while their child is being treated.
During this time these families are able to use one of the charity's Home from Home facilities. These offer free self-catering accommodation close to the hospital, helping to ease the emotional and financial burden at a time when it matters most.
Approximately 30 families from Devon each year use our two Homes from Home in Bristol. The average stay ranges from 1 month to 7 months, depending on treatment, but there are sometimes families who are at the Home for up to a year and beyond.
CLIC Sargent Nurses are based at Exeter Hospital (2 posts) and Derrifrod Hospital (2 posts covering Plymouth & North Cornwall). They care for children and their families during their treatment in hospital, when they return home and go back to school. They work closely with families to limit disruption and provide emotional support. They also provide help and care to siblings who are particularly affected by the change to family life.
CLIC Sargent Social Worker (1 post) meets with families in their homes and in hospital to provide financial and emotional care throughout these difficult times. Often a parent may have to give up work to care for the child so they arrange grants for families, apply for benefits and provide guidance on managing finances and issues with employers.
CLIC Sargent Grants - In the first three months of diagnosis a family spends on average £1,500 in covering the immediate costs around travel, childcare for siblings and potential loss of income. A care grant is one off payment of £150 to assist families with these unexpected costs. In addition, CLIC Sargent offers Community Support Grants to enable families to cope
In 2010, CLIC Sargent awarded 78 grants to families in Devon, totalling £14,703.
Holidays: We provide free opportunities for families to take a break from treatment in supported settings. These holidays offer families the chance to spend time with their child and the opportunity to meet other families in the same situation, share the emotional burden and feel less isolated.
Literature & Advice: We publish a range of support literature for children and young people with childhood cancer, as well as for parents, siblings, friends and peers.
Bereavement Support: We provide emotional and financial support to those families whose child has sadly lost their battle with cancer.
Youth and Survivors' Support: We know that having cancer as a teenager can hugely exacerbate an already difficult time, while survival often comes at a price for those who beat childhood cancer. We are currently provide a range of age-appropriate support and are looking into service gaps and support needs of teenagers, young adults and survivors.
Our biggest challenge we now face is to reach every young person 17 - 24yrs who is diagnosed with cancer, and addressing their complex needs through their cancer journey. Right now, we are only able to help 2 out of 3 children and young people who are diagnosed with cancer. We need more help to be there for each and every one.
www.clicsargent.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1107328