Ripples of Compassion

Who we are

Our Vision and Values

At Ripples of Compassion we strive to ensure that all parents/carers and families that have a child with cancer, life limiting condition or that has died will receive appropriate social, emotional and mental health support at the time they need it in a way that is accessible to them. We do everything with compassion; strength, knowledge and collatboration.

Our Mission

We provide a range of professional and peer support services as well as networking with other charities to meet the varying needs of parents/carers and families that have a child with cancer, life limiting condition or that has died.

Background

Ripples of Compassion was set up in 2018 by Fiona, in memory of her daughter Ripley. We strive to ensure that all parents/carers and families experiencing the heartache of having a child with cancer, life-limiting condition or that has died receive the appropriate social, emotional and mental health support at the time they need it in a way that is accessible to them. 
 
We work with hospitals, hospices, and charities to support children, parents and siblings at this critical time. All our support is free to families and includes: 

• Bereavement therapy for as long as it is needed for parents 

• Bereavement libraries to hospitals, hospices and voluntary groups to support bereaved parents and siblings. 

• Keepsakes and headstones for families to help them remember their child 

• Self-care boxes for bereaved families to support their emotional and mental well-being 

• Healthy home/chef-made ready meals for bereaved parents on leaving hospital/hospice following the death of their child and for families of children with cancer/life limiting condition during hospital stays or that are struggling with the current cost of living crisis as required. 

• Activity packs for children to support engagement in meaningful activity whilst in hospital/isolation 

• Children's Relaxation Flashcards specifically designed by a trained mental health professionals with bereaved siblings and children going through treatment in mind. 

• Bespoke Requests to support families in whatever way best helps them to achieve their desired outcomes for their child and support them when they can't access this elsewhere. 

It is an exciting time to join our organisation as we are looking to continue to expand and grow so we can help all the families that need it with our high quality bespoke service that so many have already benefited from.

 "I want to express my gratitude to RoC and to each individual who has helped me through an extremely difficult time. My family and I were facing extremely strenuous circumstances and I wouldn't have mentally or financially coped without the support I was given. I can't honestly say thank you enough. Words can't express the pressure that was taken off of my shoulders, allowing me to focus on my family. So I thank you all from the bottom of my heart." - Beneficiary 

Our culture and values

Our Values

Our values are how we make sure that everything we do provides the best support and helps us to help families that have a child with cancer, life limiting condition or that has died.

With Compassion

We believe that every life, death and individual story is important. No child, parent/carer or family should feel alone.

We take the time to listen and provide an individual service to meet the needs of the families we support. We treat everyone with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. 

With Strength
We are brave and determined and will do everything we can to support parents/carers and families that have a child with cancer, life limiting condition or that has died.

We put the needs of our families first and will work with them to make them stronger. Good social, emotional and mental health is essential to the children and families we support. This means we will work tirelessly to make sure that this support is flexible, accessible and free at the time it is needed.

With Knowledge and Collaboration

We develop our knowledge, skills and support services from the families we support as we believe they are the experts on what they need.

We work collaboratively with health and social care professionals and other charitable organisations to ensure all our support is evidence based and provides the highest standard of care. 

Our beneficiaries, partners and own experience tells us that there is no right or wrong way for a parent/family to grieve and so we offer a range of services and bespoke support so we can meet families where they are at.

Our beneficiaries, partners and own experience tells us that there is no time limit on grief, therefore we believe there should be no time limit on access to bereavement support services we provide.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Ripples of Compassion works hard to make sure everyone is treated fairly and feels respected. This starts with clear policies that explain what fair treatment looks like, how people should behave, and what to do if something goes wrong. We have clear expectations and promote good communication that helps everyone understand their rights and responsibilities. We follow the idea that fair workplaces need strong, inclusive policies that support equal opportunities in recruitment, training and progression.

To keep things fair in practice, we aim to recruit in inclusive ways, offer reasonable adjustments where needed, and make it easy and safe for staff to raise concerns. Our goal is to build a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported and able to do their best.