Alder Hey Children’s Charity champions new Specialist Youth Worker role at Alder Hey

Thanks to the generosity of Alder Hey Children’s Charity supporters, a Specialist Youth Worker, Andrew Miles, is now making a difference to young people across Alder Hey every single day. Working within Alder Hey’s Community team, this fully charity-funded role exists to meet an essential need that sits alongside clinical treatment: helping young people cope emotionally, feel understood and stay engaged during their time in hospital.

In just under three months, Andrew has already supported more than 150 young people, with nearly half of all his working time spent in direct one-to-one contact with young people, showing just how much of this role is focused on personal, relationship-based support.

Andrew, who has spent the past 15 years working in various areas of youth work, engages with young people across the hospital, offering support in an environment that can otherwise feel busy, clinical and unfamiliar. Through regular visits, structured sessions and informal conversations, he builds trust and becomes a reliable, familiar face on the ward.

When discussing the impact of his role and what it entails, Andrew told us: “This role is extremely important as it helps to give children and young people some control and ownership on their journey. When their care is being dictated by a series of medical professionals and consultants, having some ownership on what they want to share and express is vital to their wellbeing. My ability to identify and build trust with young people is so important to them being able to share their feelings, this is a process that takes time, and every case is different. There is no manual to how to approach an interaction, and you have to be guided by the young person.”

Andrew is often there at the moments that matter most, when a young person is feeling overwhelmed, withdrawn or frustrated, or when a long hospital stay begins to take its toll. He provides calm, steady support, helping young people find ways to cope, express themselves or simply have a break from thinking about treatment. Sometimes that means structured activities; sometimes it is just time, conversation and quiet reassurance. These interactions can make hospital feel less frightening and more manageable, helping young people feel a greater sense of control.

Charity funding also allows Andrew to focus on the quality of young people’s experiences, not just difficult moments. He helps create opportunities for positive engagement, links young people into hospital activities and events, and supports them to stay connected to their interests, education and future goals. These moments of normality can completely shift how a young person experiences hospital, from just getting through it to feeling seen as an individual.

One parent of a young person who has accessed Andrew’s sessions, said: “Andrew’s support made such a difference during our time at Alder Hey, his intervention was critical to my child’s recovery and even at times for my own emotions and state of mind. We cannot thank Andrew enough.”

Because of donations to Alder Hey Children’s Charity, young people have access to a consistent, trusted adult whose focus is their emotional wellbeing, clinical teams have a specialist partner who helps young people engage and cope and families feel more supported. Care becomes more personal, more holistic and more responsive to the realities of being a young person in hospital. This is the difference charitable funding makes, every day, on wards across Alder Hey.

Andrew added: “I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped make this role possible, not just from me, but from the children and young people at Alder Hey. The difference that roles like this make is palpable, and the impact will just continue to grow as more young people feel its effect. Youth work is an invaluable service and is so, so important to ensuring the wellbeing of the children and young people we care for.