Therapy & Wellbeing Services for Children

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Focused on wellbeing

At Keech we offer a range of services to support your child and their loved ones physically. practically and emotionally.

All these services are FREE of charge as part of your child’s wider programme of care. They form part of a personalised package of care and support delivered virtually, in the community and at our Wellbeing Centre in Luton.

The practical and emotional support available also includes creative and therapeutic activities, all of which are designed to support your child to develop and grow.

Our services

We offer a wide range of services. We can support your whole family, carers and loved ones, as well as your child.

We may encourage you to take part with your child and for brothers and sisters to join in too.

Play and activity services

Our play and activity services provide specialist play and educational services for children, at home, virtually or within our purpose-built day area.

For children under 5 our Tots ‘n’ Toys group, is a great social ‘stay and play’ session for all the family.

Tots ‘n’ Toys provides families with

Specialist palliative care support
An opportunity to interact with other families
A safe, stimulating and supported environment for your child to play.

The service is facilitated by a play specialist, palliative care nurse and a health care assistant.

Music and art therapy

Music and art therapy can help to express feelings and communicate issues that may be difficult or confusing, or are hard to put into words

Working with a fully trained therapist these therapies can help to:

Think about loss
Explore experiences and change
Be creative
Encourage physical movement
Increase feeling of wellbeing
Make choices and take control

You don’t need to play an instrument or be good at art to take part.

Complementary therapies

From time to time, you and your child might experience feelings of anxiety, sleeplessness and pain – complimentary therapy can help.

It can help reduce stress and anxiety, manage symptoms,
alleviate the side effects of treatments and improve sleep.

These services are particularly appropriate for children and young people with complex health needs and are offered in the hospice or at the child’s home.

Therapies include massage (including infant massage), reflexology, aromatherapy and reiki. As well as mindfulness techniques.

Hydrotherapy Pool

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Sometimes swimming in a public pool may be difficult for you and your child. Our amazing hydrotherapy pool is relaxing, fun and supports our specialist care.

Our pool is carefully designed to cater for all ages and disabilities.

Hydrotherapy can benefit all patients, particularly children, because the warm water and buoyancy helps stimulate circulation, and makes exercise easier and more effective. It can help with rehabilitation for pain and symptom management, relaxation and relieving muscular pain.

The pool also offers a sensory experience with sensory toys, jets and fountains.

Based at our Luton hospice it has hoists, ramps and disabled changing rooms to ensure access for all. Heated to 35 degrees it provides a safe warm environment

The pool is managed by a senior lifeguard and the air temperature is kept warmer than usual to ensure you don’t feel cold when getting out of the water

Spiritual Care

Our Chaplin leads a multi-faith spiritual care volunteer team, who are there to offer prayer and support to patients and their families.

Bereavement and pre-bereavement support

We offer a range of bereavement services to the loved ones of our patients. Find out more

Family support

Our family support workers and counsellors offer talking support to you and your family, including children. To help you cope better with your situation and feel more prepared.

Social care

Our palliative-care social workers can guide you with practical advice and emotional support, dealing with any immediate worries as well as helping you with your hopes and wishes for the future

They can support with a wide range of needs including education, housing, finances, charity applications, transition, equipment and holidays. They can also support you with making funeral arrangements and getting access to statutory services.

Spend the day with us

For children who are unable to attend school due to illness, day support provides education and helps them to interact and enjoy a whole range of specialised play activities.

We have many sensory toys to stimulate and encourage exploration. We also take the time to focus on symptom management and memory work.

We like to offer support for a set period of time to work towards agreed goals. However, our support is available for as long as you need us.

Download our guide

What days and times does day support run?

Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, at the hospice. We can be flexible, though, depending on the needs of your child and family.

We also offer sessions in the community which last up to two hours.

What facilities are available?

As well as sensory toys to stimulate and encourage exploration. Day support also has access to:

A teenage room designed for the needs of older children
Our hydrotherapy pool
A stimulating and safe outdoor play area
A sensory playroom
Educational IT equipment
Changing facilities

Looking for support for your child or a loved one

Looking for help or support for your child or a loved one, with a life-limiting illness, we are here to offer FREE medical, physical, practical and emotional care and support for them. We’d love to hear from you.