More families need Acorns than ever before…
Help our nurses give care like no other
From the first breath to the last
There’s a famous phrase which says a truly great nurse is ‘difficult to part with and impossible to forget’. That, in essence, is the perfect description of an Acorns nurse.
Nurses are at the heart of what we do and make Acorns the special place it is. Without them there would be no Acorns.
The bonds between our nurses and the children and families they care for are strong and can last many years. Many parents describe them as like a member of the family.
From the diagnosis and beyond, whatever the journey, they are there.
Acorns nurses helped make every moment count during Grayson’s last days
We came to Acorns and it was such a relief. The nurses took the time to get to know us and took the time to get to know Grayson and you forge really good relationships with them. Because of that you trust them completely.
- Grayson’s mum, Becky
What Acorns Nurses do
Specialist Children’s Palliative Care Nurses at Acorns are trained to deliver the highest standards of care, tailored to the complex needs of the children they work with.
A typical shift for a nurse at Acorns means caring for children with conditions that require an extra layer of skill, experience and knowledge.
From extremely rare incurable genetic disorders such as Batten disease and Edwards’ syndrome, to more common conditions such as severe cerebral palsy. There may also be children with multiple disabilities as a result of a brain or spinal cord injury for example.
Our nurses must be proficient in a wide range of medical disciplines and skills. From the specialist equipment children use and the medication they take, to the family’s wishes when their child reaches the end of life. Each child will have their own unique needs and requirements.
Vinnie receives care at Acorns in Birmingham
I feel very lucky to be part of Acorns. I think the staff are real life superheroes. I think it’s the most loving, nicest, friendliest and supportive place and a safe place. It’s just got that feeling.
- Vinnie’s mum, Claire
Increasing complexity
In our region, and the UK as a whole, welcome advances in medical care mean more children are living longer, with more complex needs.*
The education programme at Acorns is essential to ensure Acorns nurses keep their skills up-to-date and meet the increasingly complex and varied needs of the children they care for.
Due to the complexity of their conditions, many life limited or life threatened children require a wide range of medications to manage their symptoms. The Non-Medical Prescribing course offered to our nurses allows them to upskill and take on greater responsibility for the children they care for.
Education rooms at each of our hospices provide practical, hands-on training for our nurses. State-of-the-art medical manikins give care teams invaluable practice in everything from administering feeds via gastronomy tubes, to responding to medical emergencies.
Acorns nurses are there for the whole journey
The best part of my job is seeing our children and families’ journeys, whether they’re coming in towards the end and it’s the sad journey, or when we do silly things like bring the beach in, or have afternoon tea.
Because the families, when they’re at home, they’re so regimented with what time the meds are, the appointments for this, the appointments for that. Coming here, they can just breathe, and I love that.
- Nickie Ford, Trainee Nurse Associate
*Fraser L. K. et al (2020) Make Every Child Count: Estimating current and future prevalence of children and young people with life-limiting conditions in the United Kingdom.
Beyond the clinical… The growing need
Acorns nurses are trained to provide care on a much deeper level, with an understanding that shows they know exactly what each family is going through, emotionally and spiritually.
Where specialist Acorns nurses particularly excel is providing the love and care a family need when their child reaches the end of life.
Ongoing bereavement training and education at Acorns is designed to support all grades of staff on how to listen and respond to children or families who may be distressed or concerned, providing a structure to care for families emotionally.
Our nurses work with more than 750 children and their families every single year, each one with their own individual needs and challenges. It’s care families couldn’t live without.
*Fraser L. K. et al (2020) Make Every Child Count: Estimating current and future prevalence of children and young people with life-limiting conditions in the United Kingdom.
**Together for Short Lives, Children’s palliative care nursing workforce in crisis, 11 May 2022
What our Nurses do is amazing. However, demand for our vital services is growing at a time when recruiting skilled professionals is becoming increasingly difficult for children’s hospices like Acorns.
In the past year...
> There are an estimated 11,079 children with a life limiting condition in the West Midlands and Gloucestershire.
> This number has increased by 56% over the past decade and is expected to continue growing.*
> The average nurse vacancy rate in children’s hospices has risen to 18.6% compared to 12.2% in 2019, with a lack of trained professionals a significant factor in this rise.**
> We have cared for more than 750 children across the West Midlands, and supported almost 1,000 families
> In total, Acorns needs around £30,000 each day to provide its children’s hospice care
How you can help
A future where families cannot access the love, care and support our nurses provide, doesn’t bear thinking about. Help Acorns nurses continue giving love, care and compassion to families, in our hospices and in the home.
What your gift could provide
It doesn’t just stop at salaries – a significant proportion of our running costs are taken up ensuring all our nurses undertake essential training, year on year.
> £5,000 would fund two syringe drivers, vital pieces equipment our nurses use that deliver medicine under the skin to help children manage a range of symptoms including pain, nausea and seizures.
> £5,000 would cover the cost of enrolling five nurses on an essential Principles of Physical Assessment course.
> £10,000 would allow us to send four nurses on a Non-medical Prescribing course, enabling them to take on greater responsibility for the children in their care by reducing the reliance on hospital medical teams or GPs to prescribe the medicines babies, children and young people need.
> £50,000 would cover the training costs for five Acorns nurses to progress to Advanced Clinical Practitioner level, enhancing their expertise and leadership.
> £100,000 would cover the cost of buying a Sim Junior manikin, a ‘Super Tory’ S220 Simulator manikin and Paediatric HAL S2225 manikin. State-of-the-art medical simulation manikins like these would transform the training we offer our nurses and equip them to meet the increasingly complex needs of the children they care for.
> £500,000 will fund 10 specialist children’s nurses at our hospices for a year.
Your support means our nurses can give the love and care families need today and the strength to face whatever tomorrow brings. Your support will ensure children and families get the best possible care and support. We cannot sustain this lifeline without you. Together, we are stronger.
If you would like to know more about Acorns and how you can help, please contact us. philanthropy@acorns.org.uk Get in touch
Registered charity no: 700859 Registered in England company no. 2036103.
Registered office: Drakes Court, Alcester Road, Wythall, Birmingham B47 6JR.