Rachel works as a Social Worker at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, where she supports families across a range of topics, from holidaying to financial help.
The core of Rachel’s role as a social worker revolves around improving communication between families, children, health professionals, and anyone else who may be relevant. In practice, this means trying to find the right people, and the right resources, to overcome issues that families and children living with kidney disease may have.
Rachel explains how kidney disease affects more than just health, from struggles with mental health, to schools not understanding kidney disease, to loss of income because of the pressures of living with kidney disease. Her job as a social worker is about helping families and children to try and solve, or improve, these struggles, whether that be signposting to metal health services, informing teachers and schools, or helping to claim benefits.
If there is something within our power to make [kidney disease] a bit easier, we’ll be delighted to help.