Following the hugely positive impact made by Harry’s Pledge in recent years, the campaign is set to relaunch with a renewed focus on showcasing its commitment to making life better for people who need care and those who provide it.
The Pledge, which has been backed by over 100 organisations across the country, is introducing a brand new commitment that will focus on campaigning for greater help and support for parents of children with a life-limiting or life-threatening diagnosis.
Since it was formed during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Harry’s Pledge has been a catalyst for positive change and helped to make our society more carer-friendly and accessible.
The campaign has inspired significant progress across four different areas, as organisations have focused on being carer-friendly employers that support people with caring responsibilities and made workspaces more accessible.
Housing providers and developers also made a clear commitment to build more fully accessible homes and care providers explored the further professionalisation of care by influencing decision-makers to make changes to pay and rewards.
Significant political support was provided in the shape of several MPs, including Tom Pursglove and Chris Heaton-Harris, and national recognition was received in the Houses of Parliament.
Now, after reflecting on the achievements made so far, and following a period of significant political change and a new Government after last year’s General Election, the Pledge is primed to build on its previous progress and continue to be a force for good across the social housing sector and beyond.
As highlighted by the crucial work of the Harry’s Pals Charity, which is run by the founder of Harry’s Pledge, Hayley Charlesworth, the emotional and mental health support for parents who receive devasting and life-changing news that their children are severely ill is considerably lacking.
It’s a situation that represents every parent’s worst nightmare but there’s very little counselling and respite available. This can lead to family breakdowns, suicide and poor mental health.
The new commitment, which is entitled ‘Supporting Parent Carers’, is focused on ensuring that parents of children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions have access to a range of emotional and mental health support when they’re caring for a critically ill child.
It will include clear signposting to counselling and support services and working with employees to acknowledge the importance of respite for parent carers as well as influencing change so that more funding can be provided to ensure support is available right across the country.
Harry’s Pledge is determined to do everything we can to support parents through these incredibly difficult situations and we’d love more organisations to join us on this journey.
The facts:
- In England, 86,625 children are living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions (up from just 32,975 in 2001). Many of these children have complex conditions and need specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By 2030, this number is expected to rise to over 95,000.
- 84% of families with a child who has a life-limiting condition say they’ve felt isolated and alone since their child’s diagnosis.
- 72% of families of disabled children experience ill mental health such as anxiety, depression or breakdown due to isolation.
- Of the parent carers who took part in a suicide research study, more than half, 55% felt life was not worth living. 47% had suicidal thoughts. 1 in 8 parents had made plans to kill themselves and 1 in 10 parents had attempted suicide.
- The health toll on mothers of critically ill children – 75% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, 50% more likely to die prematurely and less likely to access GP support, despite high needs.
- Four in every 10 disabled children are living in poverty.
- 83% of families with a disabled child ‘go without’ due to financial pressures.