About our support

Specialist social workers

A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming for children, young people, and their families. It brings with it a complex blend of emotional, financial, and practical challenges. 

Our Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers are there to offer essential support. They empower young people and families with the advice, resources, and guidance they need to make informed decisions about their care, from translating medical jargon and securing financial support, to being there to listen and help those going through treatment process their experiences. Our specialist social workers are there to make sure that no child, young person, or family faces cancer alone. 

Mental health support

For a child or young person, being diagnosed with cancer can take a huge toll on their mental health and emotional wellbeing. On top of treatment, children and young people with cancer often miss out on the social aspects and routine of school, university and work.  

Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers provide vital emotional support to children, young people and their families from the point of diagnosis, to help reduce the stress and anxiety that cancer causes, both now and in the future. They can work with schools and universities on a child or young person’s behalf. Helping them to keep in touch with friends and organise work at home, to limit the damage cancer causes and ensure children and young people still feel connected.  

As well as our specialist social workers across the UK, children, young people and their families can speak to our Young Lives vs Cancer Social Care team remotely throughout the week and we have several different peer support groups too.  

Financial support

Cancer costs. From the moment of diagnosis, the costs can begin to mount up. Travel to and from hospital, car parking, accommodation and food costs whilst away from home all add further stress and anxiety. Our latest figures show that parents and young people can spend almost £700 more every month when they or their child has cancer. 

Our Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers provide direct support to families helping reduce the financial hardship they face. Whether that is through providing a Young Lives vs Cancer grant or helping them to access other financial support they’re entitled to.  

Accommodation service

Children and young people with cancer have unique needs. This means that their cancer treatment can only happen at specialist treatment centres across the UK. As a result, young people and their families travel, on average, almost 350 miles each month to and from treatment, which can sometimes last for years.  

Our accommodation service is made up of 10 Homes from Home located across the UK, which offer free accommodation for children and young people, and their families going through treatment. Located within walking distance to specialist treatment centres, the homes help families avoid the extra financial burdens of travel, accommodation and food costs whilst being away from home. 

Bereavement support

Hearing your child isn’t going to get better is every parent’s worst nightmare. We help young people and families prepare for death if the unthinkable happens. Our specialist social workers are there to encourage families to think about how the child or young person can be remembered and help them deal with their worries. Our social care teams provide bereavement support through home visits, local support groups and memory days.  

Making change happen

We know that children and young people with cancer deserve better from the systems that seek to support them. Understanding their experiences and needs helped create the North Star, our vision of a better future for every child and young person facing cancer.

Alongside our supporters and partners, we campaign for change, so children and young people with cancer and their families get the support they need, as soon as they need it.

Reaching the North Star means working together, looking beyond our individual organisations, to shape the system. We’ve joined forces to form the North Star Cancer Collective. Together, our voices can be heard by the government and decision makers across the UK to make change happen.