Member Spotlight: Delivering Compassionate Paediatric Palliative Care at Very Special Kids

Through its specialist children’s hospice and a wide range of family support services, Very Special Kids provides holistic care tailored to the physical, emotional and social needs of each child and their family.

In this Member Spotlight, we learn how Very Special Kids provides high-quality, holistic paediatric palliative care to support children with life-limiting conditions and the families who care for them. 
 

Can you tell us about Very Special Kids?  Why is this service so important for children and their families? 

For more than 40 years, Very Special Kids has been creating a space in the healthcare sector for Victorian children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families. We recognise each child’s experience is unique and we provide holistic paediatric palliative care tailored to the physical, mental and emotional needs of the whole family. 

All our services are free of charge and include medically supported respite, end-of-life care and after death care, as well as counselling and individualised support. Our children’s hospice at Very Special Kids House – the only of its kind in Victoria – offers specialist care in a warm, home-like environment, giving families precious time, rest and reassurance when they need it most. 

Pictured: Very Special Kids Facility, Victoria 
 

What does high-quality care mean to your team, and how do you bring it to everyday practice? 

High-quality care for our team means providing compassionate support that places each child and family at the centre of everything we do. We believe all children have the right to quality of life, no matter how long or short their life may be, and this belief guides how we show up for families every day. 

Our clinical staff, including registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal care workers are caring, highly trained and supported by the chief medical officer and visiting medical officers. Our allied health team comprises clinicians specialised in physiotherapy, child life therapy, occupational therapy and music therapy. 

Our family support staff work alongside children, parents, carers and siblings to offer a wide range of services – ensuring families feel heard, supported and never alone. 

How do you identify opportunities to improve the way care is delivered? 

We continuously look for ways to improve how care is delivered by working in close partnership with the children, young people and families we support. Each family is offered a dedicated family support practitioner, who they remain in regular contact with and who helps ensure care evolves as needs change across the family’s journey. 

We actively listen to feedback from families and our frontline teams, and this is strengthened through our advisory groups, including the Children’s Advisory Group, Youth Advisory Group, Very Special Kids Advisors and Family Advisory Committee. Alongside clinical audits, outcomes data and incident review, these trusted voices help us identify opportunities for improvement – ensuring our services remain shaped by those with lived experience. 

Was there anything you learnt from your last assessment with ACHS?   

We were very pleased by the outcomes of our last assessment and proud of what this reflected about the care we provide. The process also offered valuable insight into where we can continue to strengthen and build on our existing foundations, supporting our commitment to ongoing learning and development improve. We greatly appreciated the knowledge, professionalism and constructive approach of the assessors. 

Do you have any advice for other ACHS Members on their accreditation journey?  

We engaged with the ACHS Consulting Service to conduct a gap analysis at the start of our accreditation year, and this provided us great guidance on where to concentrate our efforts. Use the valuable resources provided by the Commission.  

The team at ACHS are a great source of knowledge and support in the lead up to the assessment, so reach out to them if you require support or have a question. 

Thank you to the team at Very Special Kids for sharing your insights.