The Children and Young Persons service at CancerCare offers comprehensive support to all young people and families throughout the cancer journey. We welcome young people from the age of 3 who may have cancer themselves, be a relative of someone with cancer, or are bereaved by cancer. The service also offers resources, training and guidance to professionals in contact with these young people.

Referrals can be made by any professional working with families and young people, such as GPs, health visitors, school nurses and teachers as well as direct from families themselves.

Initially, we arrange a meeting or telephone discussion with the families and, if appropriate with the young people, especially the older ones, to choose together which form of support would be most helpful.

What do we offer?

Family Support – We offer meetings, resources, telephone contacts and information whenever a family requests our support for a young person. We can be in contact at any stage of the cancer journey, from diagnosis onwards.

Children and Young People – If we decide together with the family that this is useful, we will meet with the young people to offer individual child therapy / counselling. This normally takes place at one of our centres, or at home if the child is very young. Having someone to turn to who is not part of the immediate family is often helpful for young people. It enables them to explore and find reassurance for worries, concerns and questions they may have, without worrying further about other adults’ needs.

Group Support – Children and young people can benefit from peer contact with others who have had similar experiences. We currently offer groups at schools who have requested this. Please contact us for up to date information.

Professional Support and Training – We keep in touch with professionals, such as teachers and health workers, who have contact with the young people we see. We can offer flexible training, support or simply advice and guidance on how to help families coping with serious illness or bereavement. Please contact us if you wish to know more.

How long do we stay in contact?

This depends on individual circumstances. For example, family support may involve just one meeting, a number of phone calls or a series of meetings.

Individual child therapy varies. We normally stay in contact as long as the young person needs us, with an average of twelve meetings.

Groups normally meet for six sessions.

What a parent said: ‘ Since coming to you, my child worries less and can say how they feel without worrying about how we feel ‘

What a child said: ‘ I liked coming to play, especially telling stories and puppets. I don’t feel so sad now ‘

What a young person said: ‘After coming to see you, I could get on with my life again and know I could still be happy even though my parent had cancer. I faced my worst fears, and still do, but it just doesn’t seem so bad any more. Thank you’

Click on the leaflet below for further information: