At CUH we are implementing iSupport, which is an international project that promotes children’s rights during clinical procedures. It focuses on reducing harm, building trust, and supporting children and young people during healthcare treatments and tests.
About iSupport
The name iSupport stands for:
International collaborative rights-based standards to SUpport Paediatric Patients during clinical prOcedures by Reducing harm and establishing Trust.
An international group of health professionals, academics, young people, parents, child rights specialists, psychologists and youth workers have worked together to develop these standards.
The standards are designed to protect and support the rights of children and young people aged 0-18 years when they have clinical procedures.
What are the standards?
The standards aim to make sure that the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of children and young people is always considered when decisions are made about procedures or how procedures are carried out.
They help healthcare teams provide care that is safe, respectful and supportive, both in the short term and in the future.
Children and Young People’s Voices
Children and young people are at the heart of iSupport. At CUH, members of the CUH Children and Young People’s Board (Active) have helped shape our approach by creating a podcast explaining the standards and why children’s rights during clinical procedures matter.
CUH Children and Young People’s Board (Active) podcast
Link: https://youtu.be/vMQZZMlgr_U?si=OkNDDWzu7s0JryFZ
The iSupport standards work to counteract the muffling of young people's voices in healthcare situations. By clearly setting expectations for the care of and communication with young people, the standards aim to minimise the feeling of being ignored and reduce long-term psychological and physical harm. The standards remind us of the importance of education around chaperoning. Young people deserve emotional and physical safety, and they deserve to be informed about their care at a level that suits them.
Marina (aged 17) Active Leader 2024/25
Good Practice Guidance
The iSupport standards aim to ensure that children and young people’s voices are heard during clinical procedures.
By setting clear expectations for communication, care and support, the standards help to:
- Make sure young people feel listened to and respected
- Reduce feelings of being ignored
- Protect children from long-term emotional or physical harm
- Support safe and respectful care, including appropriate chaperoning
Children and young people deserve to feel emotionally and physically safe, and to receive information about their care in a way that they can understand.
The standards are supported by a set of documents (opens in a new tab) that explain what good procedural practice should look like in healthcare.
The below preparation sheet can help staff understand the child needs prior starting a procedure.
As a Trust, we are working in a range of ways to share the standards with children, young people, parents and staff.
You can watch the Rights based standards video below to learn more, or visit the iSupport website (opens in a new tab).
Video: Rights based standards
Link: https://youtu.be/_fikdVPaM7s