Introducing Robbie's Rehab, this is a charity that focuses on providing specialist rehabilitation professionals such as physiotherapists and clinical psychologists. The aim of Robbie's Rehab is to help children with brain and spinal tumours and their families.

This page explains the kinds of support the clinical psychologists can offer to children and their families and aims to answer some initial questions you may have about psychology.

What does the team offer?

Support

When a child is diagnosed with a brain tumour, it can affect everyone in the family. It can feel scary, confusing, overwhelming… and can impact on different people in different ways. All of these feelings are completely understandable but coping with them can be challenging.

We are here to support you and your family, for example by offering a space for you to talk about your child’s illness, your experiences and your feelings, and also to share ideas about coping strategies.

Information and advice

We provide information about diagnoses and treatment and can discuss ways of explaining things to your children, family and friends. We can share ideas around supporting your child with ongoing medical procedures/rehabilitation and managing difficult emotions and behaviours.

Emotional support

We often meet with children to talk with them about what is happening, how they are feeling, and adjusting to changes. We often meet with family members too.

Cognitive assessment

Brain tumours and treatments can impact upon a child’s thinking skills (such as attention, memory, and verbal skills). We monitor/assess this over time and can share ideas on how best to support your child at home and in school. We can talk with your child’s teacher, SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) or educational psychologist about supporting your child in their ongoing learning environment.

Rehabilitation

As your child’s recovery continues, we can support them to achieve their goals at home, in school and in the community. The aim of this is to promote wellbeing, quality of life, and enable them to fulfil their potential.

When can you meet with us?

We can meet with families at any point that is helpful, from when they are first in hospital and throughout their treatment, the transition home, and beyond (for example, at transition points, such as moving schools).

Where can you meet with us?

Robbie's Rehab can meet with you at Southampton General Hospital (on the wards or in our offices in Wordsworth House). We can also reach out to children at home, school, or in various community settings and we can offer support via video or telephone.

Confidentiality

We aim to keep what we talk about as private as possible, though there are times when it’s helpful to share information with other professionals involved in your child’s care. We can talk through confidentiality and what this involves when we meet.

Advocacy

We work alongside the medical and therapy team to promote good psychological understanding on the wards and to support staff caring for you and your child.

Contact us

You can contact us by talking to a member of your child’s healthcare team or speak to us directly on:

Email: RobbiesRehab@uhs.nhs.uk

Phone: 023 8120 4657 or 07770 284 527

Your support makes a real difference to our patients. To make a donation to robbiesrally call the Southampton Children’s Hospital charity team on 023 8120 8881.