COMMENDED

Keeping young people connected during COVID-19: Adapting the Tree of Life group to run online

By University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of young people living with Type 1 diabetes, with limited or no face-to-face contact with healthcare teams. The Tree of Life groups (QiC finalist 2013) had been run in person at UCLH since 2010, helping young people to develop positive views of themselves, connect with others and improve diabetes management. The groups were adapted to be delivered online, focusing on fun and creative ways of connecting young people with each other. Between July 2020 and June 2021, three Tree of Life groups, one ‘Peer Trainer’ event and a professional training event were held virtually.

Judges’ comments:

“Overall this is a very interesting project and it is great to see how the pandemic has moved innovation forward and created the opportunity to provide new opportunities for young people with diabetes to connect. The context and objectives are really clear and these connect well to the results presented. When considering the accessibility from and equality and diversity perspective, it is a strong reflection about the previous barriers to access, including travel time and resource to attend. “