Find Out More About Children's Hospices Across Scotland and Why You Should Vote for Them In the Charity Poll

What Do Children’s Hospices Across Scotland Do?

Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, known as CHAS have been offering a full family support service for children, young people and babies with life-shortening conditions for over 20 years. This support includes family respite and support, as well as palliative care which is accessible through their hospital presence, homecare services and hospices.

The charity also supports families through the difficult days where they are faced with the terrifying fact that their child may die young.

CHAS offer highly personalized care at home, in the hospital and at the hospice too, and they carry out their services with a lot of love and compassion.

They offer services to ensure that the children have all the freedom to be able to play outside and create great memories through joyous moments.

CHAS offer crucial support when the families need it the most, at the toughest times, at end of life and after a child passes away.

CHAS is one of Scotland’s largest children’s charities, and they have a reputation as a world-leader in children’s palliative care. The charity shares their ground-breaking research with other children’s hospices, across the UK and internationally, and they work with partners to advance the rights of children, change attitudes to disability, and make the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child a lived reality for children.

How Many Children Do CHAS Support?

As the only children’s hospice in Scotland, CHAS are challenged to support all of the approximately 16,700 young people in Scotland who have a life-shortening condition. The advance in technology and pharmacology allows more young people to live longer and even recover from illnesses.

Around 5,800 young people have had recent contact with a hospital team, and about 2,100 are unstable, deteriorating or dying. Most children who die are under the age of five, and many are babies who require intensive support.

How Does the Children’s Hospices Across Scotland Support the NHS?

By being the only children’s hospice in Scotland, CHAS play a key role both locally and nationally to support the NHS. CHAS has staff working alongside NHS workers, and they support multi-professional and multi-agency teams to deliver the care children require. Children’s Hospice Across Scotland promotes rights-based and person-centred care, reflecting Scotland’s Health and Social Care Standards and they are advancing the National Clinical Strategy for Scotland. The charity also champions specialist and advanced nurse practice, and they use quality improvement to improve experiences and outcomes for children. Lastly, the non-profit organisation also supports the integration of health and social care.

In Which Families are Life-Shortening Conditions More Common?

Life-shortening conditions are more common in South Asian and Black families. Children with life-shortening conditions are more likely to live in the poorest areas of Scotland.

How Can I Contact Children's Hospice Across Scotland?

If you are looking to get in touch with the children's hospice, you will find their head office at the following adress:

Canal Court
42 Craiglockhart Avenue
Edinburgh
EH14 1LT

If you are looking to get in touch with the CHAS via phone, then give them a call on 0131 444 1900. Th CHAS email adress is headoffice@chas.org.uk.

They have a number of hospices, home care teams and shops too, and if you need to get in touch with either of those, head over to their contacts page, and find the relevant details there.