Whats New - Very Special Kids

25th Anniversary celebrity ambassador We are proud to announce Australia’s leading lady of musical theatre, Marina Prior, as our ‘Special Ambassador’ for 2010. “I am thrilled to have been asked to represent Very Special Kids for this milestone 25th Anniversary year. It is a wonderful organisation that does extremely important work in the community and I am proud to be their ‘Special Ambassador', Marina said. A Fair to Remember The 2009 A Fair to Remember was an outstanding success, raising over $115,000 for Very Special Kids. Thank you to all our wonderful supporters and to the 'Friends' of Very Special Kids & the 'Commonwealth Bank Friends' for organsing such a brilliant event. 2009 Piggy Bank Appeal total The 12th annual Piggy Bank Appeal has now officially wrapped up and we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us during September. June Clothing Sale raises a phenomenal $37065.50!! Lovers of fashion came from far and wide to take advantage of the amazing bargains on offer at the "Winter Fashion Frenzy" Very Special Kids June Clothing Sale. A big thank you to the supporters of the event The Just Group, Metalicus, www.girl.com.au, www.salesguide.com.au, www.whatsonsale.com.au, www.mumsgrapevine.com.au www.missyconfidential.com.au www.weekendnotes.com and all our wonderful volunteers! Liberty Swing is officially launched An Australian invention, the Liberty Swing allows children in wheelchairs the opportunity to experience the freedom, joy and exhilaration of a swing. We would like to thank Variety - the children’s charity, the PDS Group, The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation - Youth in Philanthropy Program, Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd and Kennards Richmond who all helped to make the swing a reality. The King David Senior School via participation in the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation – Youth in Philanthropy Program contributed to the cost of purchasing a shade sail for above the swing. The swing has already proved to be a very popular addition to the playground at Very Special Kids House. New policy: Strengthening care for children with a life-threatening condition. New policy launched at Very Special Kids during National Palliative Care Week, May 2008. Care and support for children and teens with life-threatening conditions will be improved under a Brumby Government commitment to strengthen and better co-ordinate palliative care services. Launching National Palliative Care Week and releasing the Brumby Government’s paediatric palliative care policy, Health Minister Daniel Andrews said it was vital that supports were put in place for children with life-threatening conditions and their families, particularly in the last stages of a terminal illness. The new policy, Strengthening care for children with a life-threatening condition, which sets out actions for health, palliative care, disability, children’s services and community care agencies for the next seven years, was launched at Very Special Kids in Malvern. Click here to download a copy of the policy. Model of Care Review For 21 years Very Special Kids has provided support for families caring for children with life-threatening illnesses. Over this time we have regularly reviewed the care and programs (the Model of Care) offered to families - in consultation with families - to ensure the service is relevant and effective. In 2005 Very Special Kids decided to implement a comprehensive review of its Model of Care. This initiative provides an opportunity to evaluate current practices, to build on our strengths and ultimately improve the quality of the service to families. The project aim is to establish a model of care that is evidence-based, sustainable and accountable. The project will have three distinct phases: 1) analysis, 2) design and 3) implementation. Phases 2 and 3 will be built on the findings of Phase 1. Phase 1 and 2 is now complete which included widespread consultation including input obtained from families Family Support Team and Hospice Team members trained volunteers healthcare professionals and external stakeholders. After much analysis of the services we provide to families in Phase 1 and 2, we have begun to plan the implementation strategies of a strengths-based, family-centred approach of working with families. This approach has come out of the recommendations made by the Nucleus Group from the analysis and findings of Phase 1 and 2 of the Review and is endorsed by our Board of Directors. It will see Very Special Kids further develop a Model of Care that is evidence-based and sustainable building on the strengths of the past 21 years. 2007 saw a focus on the Implementation Phase. All Very Special Kids’ services will operate as usual during the Model of Care Review. We will be updating this page as we move through the project to keep you informed of our findings and developments. Thank you to everyone who is participating and if you have any queries regarding this project please email us on mail@vsk.org.au.