Qol-19. The Sibling Toolkit: Development of a Psychologically-Informed Toolkit to Support Siblings of Childhood CNS Tumour Patients With Limited Access to Formal Services

BACKGROUND There is a recognised gap in service provision addressing the psychological and social needs of siblings of children with a diagnosis of brain tumour. In the absence of funding to provide direct psychological service provision for siblings, a project development group was established to identify and advance alternative methods of delivering support. METHODS Funding for a two year sibling-needs project was sourced from UK child brain tumour charity Tom’s Trust and led by the Neuro-Oncology psychology service at the Great North Children’s Hospital (Newcastle, UK). A development group was established of clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists representing nine UK hospital Trusts and one former school teacher. Following a comprehensive priorities exercise a toolkit was developed to support siblings of children with brain tumours. Significant further stakeholder involvement, including input from the regional Young People’s Advisory Group, resulted in positive revision to the initial draft. RESULTS A 39 page toolkit was produced for the use of any adult involved in the sibling’s life. This psychologically-informed toolkit provides guidance and support for a caring but potentially uninformed adult, such as a teacher, community leader, or member of the wider family, to be able to offer support to siblings. Guidance is included to help the adult talk about cancer, know what common issues siblings face, and to think about how to safely and appropriately undertake supportive work with this age group. The kit is associated with a website link, allowing toolkit users to download worksheets and resources for use with the sibling. CONCLUSIONS Early feedback on the published toolkit is highly positive, suggesting that the toolkit is considered ‘comprehensive’, ‘accessible’, and ‘practical’. We believe that this toolkit offers the potential to bridge some of the gap in service provision to siblings of a child with brain tumour.