Family Support Groups
During the Diabetes project UCHD has engaged with two support groups for the families of young people with type 1 Diabetes from Rotherham and Barnsley.
We had met both groups separately in the early stages of developing our Diabetes case study and decided to bring them both together to form the principal participants in our service design project in July 2011. This has not only helped us develop some exciting design concepts but also brought the two groups of families closer together.
Both support groups have participated in a series of creative workshops to help us design an innovative new support and information service to assist young people in self-managing their diabetes:
- They have shared what it’s like living with diabetes, including being diagnosed and using current NHS services;
- They have shown how the current situation needs improvement in four different areas: in school, at home, in the clinic and in public places;
- With us, they have developed exciting ideas for new services and systems in these areas which we hope to display at a public exhibition; and
- They are helping us develop practical new services based on these ideas.
Rotherham Young Diabetes Association (RDYA)
RYDA is a group of families of children with type 1 Diabetes in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Parents, carers and young people meet monthly to support each other in living with type 1 Diabetes. They also organise regular outings to have fun and socialise together. RYDA is coordinated by volunteer parents.
RYDA have a website: http://www.ryda.org.uk
Parents and Carers of Children with Diabetes Support Group, Barnsley
This group of parents and carers of children with type 1 Diabetes are based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. They meet regularly to support each other in living with type 1 Diabetes, and are coordinated by volunteer parents. The families’ young people do not typically attend their meetings although, since becoming involved in our design project, they have since met other young people living with type 1 Diabetes in both Barnsley and Rotherham.
