Children and young people with complex palliative care needs across Greater Manchester are set to benefit from a new three-year partnership between Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Kentown Support.
The initiative will see Alder Hey’s Specialist Palliative Care Team (SPCT) share its expertise with Kentown Support’s Children’s Palliative Care Community Nurse Specialists, helping to enhance clinical knowledge, confidence and specialist skills among community-based professionals delivering care closer to home.
Alder Hey’s SPCT is recognised as one of the region’s leading specialist teams, comprising experienced palliative care nurses and doctors who support babies, children and young people across Alder Hey, Cheshire and Merseyside, as well as the wider North West.
Through the collaboration, Kentown Support nurses will have direct access to specialist learning opportunities, including clinical placements, regular supervision and expert advice from Alder Hey clinicians. The programme is designed to strengthen community-based palliative care services while helping families access high-quality support in their local area.
Key elements of the programme
Clinical rotations
Each Kentown Support nurse will spend up to six months embedded within Alder Hey’s Specialist Palliative Care Team, gaining hands-on experience and developing advanced palliative care competencies through direct clinical practice.
Clinical supervision
Every two months, Alder Hey’s Lead Nurse for Palliative Care will lead group supervision sessions. These meetings will provide a supportive environment for nurses to reflect on complex cases, discuss challenges and share best practice.
Specialist advice and support
Community nurses working with Kentown Support will be able to access specialist advice from Alder Hey’s palliative care nurses and doctors via telephone or Microsoft Teams whenever additional expertise is required.
The partnership aligns with national ambitions to improve coordination of children’s palliative care services and ensure healthcare professionals have access to specialist training and guidance.
Adrienne Rushton, Lead Nurse for Palliative and Bereavement Care at Alder Hey, said:
“The SPCT is looking forward to collaborating on this project. We hope it will help more families access high-quality palliative care nursing support and play a part in reducing inequalities in palliative care delivery.”
Beyond the immediate benefits for Kentown Support nurses, learning and best practice from the Alder Hey placements will also be shared with wider community nursing teams. This will help extend specialist palliative care expertise across local services and support a more consistent standard of care for children and families.
By investing in specialist education, mentorship and collaboration, Alder Hey and Kentown Support aim to strengthen the delivery of children's palliative care in community settings, ensuring more families can access expert support at home when they need it most.
Image credit: iStock
