Matt Tomlin is a youth worker who supports young adults aged between 18 and 25 with kidney disease in the East Midlands.
He was recently appointed as Young Adult Renal Worker as part of an NHS Kidney Care project in which the hospitals in Derby and Nottingham are working together to develop new approaches to support this group of patients. There has long been an established team for those patients with kidney disease at Nottingham Children's Hospital and it was felt that ongoing support was necessary in adult services.
How does a youth worker help these patients?
Young adults diagnosed with kidney disease often find it difficult to accept their condition and the life changes it brings, while those who have had kidney disease as children struggle to cope with the transfer to adult services. Without a good support system, these young people can find it difficult to manage their condition, which can result in serious health consequences, such as the failure of a transplant.
Matt explains: "Having kidney disease is very isolating for young adults, they can feel alone, and find it hard to cope with their illness on top of all the normal issues people have to deal with at this age.
"It's my job to provide emotional and practical support, helping them deal with any worries or concerns."
How did Matt get involved in the project?
Matt, 23, has been involved in youth work since his teens, working on various projects. After completing a degree in youth and community development, he started working for a charity that supports adults and young people who have HIV, and it was this that spurred his interest in supporting young people with long-term health conditions.
Matt says: "Youth workers can really make a difference to these young people - having someone to talk to them on a different level, who isn't one of the medical staff, really helps these patients."
NHS Kidney Care is a national organisation that works to improve the quality of care delivered to kidney patients. It is supporting five project groups across England to develop new approaches to support young adults with kidney disease.
More information www.kidneycare.nhs.uk
NHS Kidney Care is an example of good youth work for Youth Work Week 2010. For more on Youth Work Week, including examples of activities around the country, see the National Youth Agency website at www.nya.org.uk or www.facebook.com/youthworkweek2010.
