The ELFT Charity has recently been able to support the ‘Let’s Start’ initiative in Newham following a bid from Katie Walsh, a Highly Specialist Children's Physiotherapist in the Children's Physiotherapy Team.

Katie leads on ‘Let’s Start,’ NHS sessions provided by a multi-disciplinary team to assess and support babies following discharge from hospital. It focuses on babies with complex presentations and birth history and/or requiring ongoing therapy support in the community.

She explained: “During our sessions we use toys as part of the baby’s therapy. We know that many families in Newham experience significant challenges with poverty and inequality. Half of children are deemed to be in households in poverty, compared to 37% in the typical London borough. The service is unable to fund these toys. Although parents/carers can buy some of the toys; many find it challenging to afford these toys when their priorities are often being able to feed and keep their baby warm.

Having funding for the ‘Let’s Start Therapy Bags’ will allow parents/carers to continue therapy straight away at home. Having all the items together in one place means if a baby is readmitted to hospital, the bag can go too so they can continue their therapy even when in hospital. It will help parents to develop their babies’ reach and grasp skills, body awareness, visual tracking, tactile sensory system and tolerate different positions for longer; therefore helping to progress their development and improve delivery of healthcare.”

The ELFT Charity supports innovative projects that make a positive, lasting change and go above and beyond what the NHS would usually provide.  The most impactful ideas are often quite simple ones that can benefit service users and staff in novel ways.

Monies aim to:

• Improve social networks
• Improve employment prospects
• Improve digital accessibility

You can find out more about the ELFT Charity via the QR code here or go to the ELFT website: https://www.elft.nhs.uk/get-involved/elft-charity