Care we provide

Who is Brian House for?

Brian House Children’s Hospice is a charity that supports families on the Fylde Coast and provides a home from home environment for those who need it.

Children aged from 0-16 years can be referred to us, with families having access a wide range of services dependent upon need. The services available at Brian House are provided completely FREE of charge can include planned respite care, symptom control, nursing and practical care and bereavement support (including use of the Butterfly Suite: a purpose built space where families can take time to say goodbye to their child after they have died).

Specialist around-the-clock care is provided by qualified paediatric nurses, health care assistants, play workers, music therapists, links to other professionals and a network of skilled volunteers.

Our facilities

Brian House is an amazing place – full of fabulous facilities, including:

A large outdoor sensory garden
Sensory stimulation and relaxation in our sensory room
Cinema screening in our teenage lounge
A craft room that’s bursting with colours, paints and artistic play
Music therapy, computers and consoles in our creative therapy room
A modern kitchen and dining area designed with children in mind
Themed bedrooms including televisions, sensory lights and more
First floor accommodation with two en-suite bedrooms and a lounge to offer a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for families
An end of life care suite

Meeting individual needs

We try and tailor our care around a child’s particular needs – because everyone is different! We take into account each family’s situation too, and can offer several different types of support, which is regularly reviewed by our team:

Respite care

Many of the children using Brian House require around the clock care and often can’t be looked after by family or friends because of the complexity of their condition. Respite with us gives parents the chance to have a break and cope with the physical and emotional strain – and unpredictability - of having a child with multiple complex needs. Many say they value the opportunity to ‘feel like a normal family’ and do some of the things other people take for granted, knowing their child is being well cared for at Brian House.

Our fantastic range of facilities provides children and young people with a chance to try different activities and enjoy social interaction with staff, volunteers and other children. We find they look forward to spending time with us.

Brian House offers both day care and overnight care, which you can read more about here

What is palliative care?

Palliative care at a hospice focuses not on cure, but on comfort and quality of life. This includes the management of symptoms, provision of short breaks for respite and continuing family support through death and bereavement.

Read Susan and Lana's Story

End of life care

Sometimes we support our families through the final days and hours of their child’s life. It’s a difficult time, but we focus on comfort and dignity through the management of pain and other symptoms, and the provision of psychological, social and practical support for the child and their family.

Bereaved families can use our Butterfly Suite. It’s a private and peaceful bedroom, lounge and adjoining garden – a space where families can take the time they need to say goodbye to their child. Families using the suite can bring their child’s toys, belongings and photos to make this room personal to them.

The Butterfly Suite is available to all families on the Fylde Coast whose child has died, even if the child has not used Brian House services previously. We work closely with the hospital, who may refer a bereaved family to us.

In addition, we can refer siblings and parents to our Linden Centre for bereavement support and counselling.