Our ambitious, collaborative North Star vision will transform the future of cancer care for young people – from before diagnosis to post treatment.
We know that children and young people with cancer and their families deserve better from the systems that seek to support them.
Our ambitious North Star vision will transform the future of cancer care for young people – from before diagnosis to post treatment. And we’re joining forces with Young Lives vs Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust to make it happen.
The current landscape – and why it needs to change
Gaps in care and barriers to support. Unique needs not understood or even acknowledged. Moments when voices aren’t heard and times when vital help isn’t being provided. The systems, networks and organisations that surround children and young people with cancer aren’t good enough.
Building a foundation for change
Back in 2022, our charity partnership set out to develop a solid evidence base, to fully understand the needs and experiences of children and young people with cancer and to identify what change needs to look like.
Collectively, we commissioned Dartington Service Design Lab to carry out an in-depth programme of research. They surveyed over 1500 children, young people and families, who spoke openly about the barriers they faced, the things that made life even harder before, during and after treatment and the impact that those barriers had on their wellbeing.
Two years on and we now have a robust and in-depth set of findings; a State of the System report. It’s an evidence base which we can learn from, be guided by and use to make change happen. And it’s not just for us. It can be used across the entire system, to inform change and inspire innovation.
The State of the System report highlights the immense impact cancer has on wellbeing, the numerous gaps in support and exactly where the system is failing young cancer patients.
From the research we now have our North Star vision.
The North Star Vision
Every child and young person facing cancer receives care that’s tailored to them. They feel informed and in control, and along with their families can make knowledgeable decisions about their care and future. They feel empowered every step of the way, facing no gaps in support or barriers to access. They have everything they need from the beginning of their cancer journey, during treatment and for as long as they need it afterwards.
This is more than a vision for children and young people with cancer, it’s a vision that’s been built by them too. It’s big and ambitious. And it’s a journey that we need to go on collectively.
Reaching our North Star vision is an entire societal challenge and that requires a collective, while system approach.
We need all those who are a part of the networks that surround children and young people with cancer to play their part. From charity partners to NHS colleagues, education professionals, and financial support systems. Decision makers and service providers, we all have a role.
All four of our organisations have different roles to play in reaching the vision – we’ll use our individual strengths and expertise to carve our own areas of change and responsibilities which we’ll be held accountable for.
We know there are some areas that our charity partners are better placed to tackle. In these instances, we’ll use our voice whenever and whenever it’s needed to raise awareness of their campaigns, we’ll support their work and help influence change that’s led by them.