Steps Worldwide - 2020
Responding to Covid-19 - Supporting families with lower limb conditions
Fully informing and supporting those affected by childhood leg conditions.
Years: 2020
Steps is the leading charity working with those whose lives are affected by childhood lower limb conditions. The organisation supports children, families and carers affected by conditions which have an impact on the legs, hips or feet. During this crisis families are unable to access support from the NHS and are having their procedures cancelled/ indefinitely postponed.
It is very hard for families to get the advice they need in order to care for their child. For example, some families have been advised remove casts at home but have been given no guidance about how to do this. They are afraid to remove the casts, afraid of harming their child’s legs and unsure of what activities are permitted. Steps has been inundated with requests for help and this funding will enable them to create a series of webinars and short films with health professionals in order to share the best way to care for children and minimise the impact of delayed procedures. Films will include health professionals demonstrating how a parent can help a child’s level of mobility by using specific exercises and will be accessible both during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the next 9 months, Steps will create up to 25 videos and webinars which will:
- Provide families and adults with up-to-date, accurate information from health professionals on management of lower limb conditions both during and after the Covid-19 pandemic;
- Provide support to parents who cannot access NHS services during the health crisis;
- Keep families informed about which treatments have been postponed or cancelled;
- Allow parents to ask panels of health professionals questions about their child’s or their own condition ensuring that everyone understands the impact of delayed treatment.
- Replace the paper based information currently distributed to all hospitals. Publications of this nature are now discouraged due to Covid-19.
- Relieve pressure on the hospitals and staff as hospital staff can refer parents to the Steps website for information.
This project has been made possible with the generous support of our Co-Funders and The Rosemarie Nathanson Trust.
