Paediatric renal social workers are qualified social workers who work as part of the multi-disciplinary kidney team in children’s hospitals and dialysis units. They usually have direct links with local authorities and specialist charities.
Paediatric renal social workers are there to support and advocate for patients and families to ensure that the needs arising from the child’s condition are met in the wider community. They are skilled in offering emotional and practical support and advice to children, young people, parents and carers living with kidney disease.
A paediatric renal social worker may be able to support patients and families in the following ways:
- Meeting with families either at home or in the hospital to holistically assess and support their social needs.
- Supporting families to maximise income and resources through applications for benefits and charitable grants. We can also support with benefit appeals where appropriate.
- Requesting support from Social Care and Continuing Care when necessary to ensure that children’s complex needs are met and that they are kept safe from harm.
- Attending multi-agency meetings to agree practical support plans for patients and their families, including help at home.
- Identifying any housing-related issues and advocating for improved living conditions for families by sharing the medical needs of the child and the impact of poor housing on their condition.
- Liaising with schools and referring/signposting to other community services to ensure that children and families have all the support they need within the community.
- Helping families to secure specialist resources and equipment to meet their individual needs resulting from CKD.
- Offering emotional support to help patients and families come to terms with a diagnosis of CKD and support with living with a long-term condition like kidney disease.
- Supporting families to access local authority schemes such as Disabled Facilities Grants and Blue Badges, where appropriate.
- Providing advice and support to parents/carers around employment issues arising from frequent hospital appointments and admissions.
- Applying for once-in-a-lifetime wishes for children through the relevant charities.
- Supporting families facing a variety of legal issues, including family breakdown, immigration issues, safeguarding, and illegal eviction.
Specialist resources relating to paediatric renal patients:
Kidney Care UK, the UK’s leading kidney patient support charity | Kidney charity
Children’s charity, granting wishes to seriously ill children | Make A Wish (make-a-wish.org.uk)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children: Eligibility – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Job Description
Sample Paediatric Renal Social Work job description – download