Diana Children’s Community Service- Child and Family Support Service (CAFSS)

What Does Our Service Do?

We help children, young people and their families to understand their thoughts and feelings about how they are being affected by illness. We do this by offering emotional support, using counselling techniques, and encouraging special therapeutic play that helps children and young people express themselves. CAFSS enables you to talk to someone completely impartial who is not involved in your direct clinical care. The special therapeutic play we use with children and young people includes games, role-play, craft activities and storytelling. Our techniques involve exploring your experiences, with the help of a trained staff member.

How Does Our Service Work?

CAFSS offers service users one to one confidential emotional support in a community setting. Sessions usually last 60 minutes and start on a weekly basis. This is reviewed regularly to ensure it meets the needs of each individual client.

The main aims of the support we offer are

To give emotional support to a child/ young person who is ill or disabled by offering a range of therapeutic activities.
To help parents, siblings and other family members adapt emotionally to changes in their family life.
To help parents and siblings meet the emotional needs of the child who is ill or disabled, without neglecting their own needs.
To offer care and support before and after death, if a child dies.

CAFSS is a community based service and we visits clients in

their home
School/college/nursey
Family centre

How Can You Access Our Service?

CAFSS is available to any child or young person living with a life limiting, life threatening or chronic illness. We also provide support for siblings and work closely with the family to support them as a unit. We accept referrals from any health professionals (providing the family agrees to participate) or self-referrals from a parent or carer