Tariq Raja, Executive Director at social care charity the CareTech Foundation, shares how a new partnership with Together for Short Lives is driving investment in training and support to strengthen children’s palliative care.
The CareTech Foundation has entered a three-year partnership with Together for Short Lives (TfSL), a charity leading the way in championing and supporting children affected by life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, along with their families and the professionals that support them. Our funding offers vital emotional, practical and financial assistance to support the families that are facing these devastating realities. It has become evident through our partnership with TfSL that professionals in the palliative care sector require greater support and addressing these gaps is a key objective of our partnership.
The lack of adequate training, education, and ongoing support for nurses and care workers significantly hinders their professional development and contributes to retention challenges. Since 2001, there has been a 250% rise in the number of children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. At the same time, since 2021/22 the cost of running a children’s hospice has increased by a third, with 89% of hospices expecting their expenses to exceed income this year (TfSL, 2024). A major factor driving these costs is the difficulty in recruiting and retaining trained, reliable staff. The emotional toll of caring for terminally ill children contributes to high levels of stress, burnout and fatigue among nurses. In turn, making it harder to sustain a committed and resilient workforce.
Retention challenges are also linked to poor working conditions, disillusionment, and inconsistencies in care quality, as highlighted in a 2017 UK NMC survey. Therefore, many professionals leave not only due to emotional strain but also due to inadequate support and limited opportunities for growth. Non-specific or insufficient training is widespread across the UK social care sector which prevents staff from building the confidence and resilience they need. Targeted training and ongoing professional development must be made a priority within the palliative care sector to improve job satisfaction, retention and care standards.
At the CareTech Foundation, our mission to champion the social care sector, care workers and those living in care, made partnering with TfSL an obvious and vital decision. We are committing £225,000 over three years to drive meaningful change in the palliative care space. This funding will enable professionals to access a wide range of opportunities, including networking events, webinars, outreach activities and crucial training that will strengthen the workforce and improve care quality.
Together for Short Lives is paving the way to ensure health and social care professionals are supported, equipped, and heard. Their professional resources are widely used, with 80,000 visits to their website’s dedicated section and 33,000 downloads of their palliative care materials in 2023/24. The charity also offers a free e-learning programme for professionals on children’s palliative care communication, including how to communicate with families. Alongside this, TfSL’s 24/7 online support hub for families and professionals ensures continuous access to expert advice and guidance.
Beyond direct support, TfSL is driving systemic change, most notably securing the renewal of the Children’s Hospice Grant, which ensured that the Government committed to £26 million in funding for children’s hospices in 2025/26. TfSL is now campaigning for the UK Government to maintain the Children’s Hospice Grant for multiple years and increase it to £30 million by 2030.
The challenges facing the palliative care sector are undeniable, but they are not insurmountable. With the right investment in training, we can build a stronger, more resilient workforce and ensure that every child with a life-limiting condition receives the care they deserve. Our partnership with Together for Short Lives is a step toward that future – but real, lasting change requires collective action. We invite policymakers, sector leaders and funders to come on this journey with us. With shared commitment and compassion, we can build a brighter future for everyone involved in palliative care.
