Our care
Caring for the child and the whole familyWe understand that having a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition can impact on everything you do. That’s why we have an holistic approach that is bespoke for every child and their family in order to provide the best possible care and support that they need.
As well as the clinical care, we open up opportunities for children and their siblings to experience fun, joy and adventures, and help families make precious memories for as long as they have.
Our services
Getting support from us doesn’t have to mean a child’s death is imminent as our end of life care and bereavement support is just a part of what we do.
Our service areas include:
Respite care
Specialist play
Symptom management
Family support
End of life care
Bereavement support
Alexander’s Care Team
Alexander’s Care Team is skilled in looking after children with complex healthcare needs.
Our team of dedicated professionals include qualified nurses, clinical nurse specialists, carers, play specialists, a music therapist, counsellors and doctors.
We work in close partnership with the NHS, local authorities and other professionals to ensure a joined-up approach and deliver care that is needed for each child and their family.
In the community
A significant amount of our hospice service is carried out in the community. This might be in the family home, in hospital or in schools. Wherever the child and family needs us.
For these families our visits provide much needed respite and we can bring support and services to their home.
We understand that good quality respite care is absolutely essential for the health and wellbeing of families caring for children with complex healthcare needs. Therefore we want to give families regular opportunities to take precious time for themselves and have the peace of mind that the clinical needs of their child are being met.
Our children’s hospice
Our purpose-built children’s hospice, located just off the M4 near Maidenhead, was opened in 2018.
It was designed to complement the existing community service with state-of-the-art-facilities for all the family to enjoy, including: a hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, music room, games room, outdoor playground and sensory garden, six children’s bedrooms, two self-contained family flats and a bereavement suite with its own garden.
Sensory room
A fully-equipped sensory room which is a wonderful safe space to engage children of all ages and abilities in stimulating play.
Creative learning zone
The messiest room in the house and where masterpieces are created that are completely priceless to families. It is also a place for children to maximise their learning capacity.
Music room
A dedicated room with an array of musical instruments for children to express themselves and stimulate their senses.
Hydrotherapy pool
A space for the children to splash around, relax and spend precious time together with their family. For a child confined to a wheelchair, the freedom of movement in water is a priceless gift.
Outdoor adventures at the hospice
Outside, our woodland-themed sensory garden offers an interactive and safe environment with wheelchair-friendly winding pathways, a mud kitchen, musical play pieces, scented plants and raised flower beds. Nestled amongst the plants and flowers are a host of LEGO models built by the talented team of LEGOLAND Model Makers.
In 2020, we also opened our exciting adventure playground that has been designed with special equipment to enable the children of all abilities we care for and their siblings to play together.
Take a look around
Let Aaron and Habibah, two of the young people that we support, take you on a tour of our hospice.
View photos of our hospice. Please click on on the thumbnails below to enlarge.
Who we support
We are here to help children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions from birth until they are 19 years old. We support families from all faiths, cultures and ethnic groups.
We cover the whole of Berkshire and many of the surrounding counties and our support is provided free of charge and available all year round.
Need our help?
The word hospice should not seem scary and getting support from us doesn’t have to mean a child’s death is imminent. Helping to enrich the lives of the children and their families is at the heart of our service, our end of life and bereavement support is just a part of what we do.
Our children’s hospice service covers the whole of Berkshire and into surrounding counties. If you think your child may be eligible for our services, please do get in touch.
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Remember our very special Christmas gift from Volvo? 🚗🎁
It’s a gift that really has been making a huge difference to us at Alexander Devine, especially in helping us provide additional support for families like Huzaifah's.
Huzaifah, who is not yet two years old, up until earlier this year had spent just 7 weeks of his life out of hospital. Our team have been supporting the family in trying to keep him safe at home as much as possible, and now we can also help the family with taking him to his hospital appointments for vital treatment.
Using the car meant our Alexander's Nurses and Carers could safely transport Huzaifah along with his wheelchair, additional oxygen cylinders, suction machine and the extra team members we need to keep him safe during the journey.
Thank you Volvo for helping us make even more of a difference to children and families that we support.
Volvo Car UK
…and relax!
With its mesmerising lights and rainbow of colours, our sensory room is a wonderfully calm environment for the babies, children and young people that we support to explore.
After a busy morning splashing in the pool, getting messy in the creative zone or playing outside in the gardens, it’s the perfect place to unwind (for Alexander’s Nurses and Carers too!)
#LifeAtOurHospice #ChildrensHospiceCare #SensoryPlay #MagicalMoments
Glitz, glamour, delicious food, fabulous entertainment, music and dancing – all wrapped up into one sparkling evening!
For this year's Heaven Sent Ball on Friday 12th May, we are heading to the stunning De Vere Wokefield Estate, near Reading.
For more information and to book your tickets, visit: alexanderdevine.org/heavensentball
Blue Peak Accounting href="https://facebook.com/590287127648696">#fundraisingball #heavensentball Blue Peak Accounting
Copyright © 2019 Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service. UK Registered Charity No. 1118947.