An essential provider of Psychosocial Care
Individual programmes that restore independence, confidence and resilience
At Barretstown, we deliver psychosocial care through therapeutic residential camps for children, young people and their families, addressing what medical treatment alone cannot.
Through adventurous and creative activities, peer connection and 24/7 on-site medical support, we help children and young people rebuild confidence, restore independence and rediscover the joy of simply being young, all completely free of charge.
Med Shed
A state-of-the-art centre equipped to manage the diverse range of medical needs, both acute and chronic
Thanks to our on-site medical facility — the Med Shed — we provide medical care as part of routine illness treatment as well as minor injuries and general paediatric issues arising during camp. Our modern, accessible facilities and highly-qualified medical team handle treatments including oral medications, subcutaneous injections, chemotherapy, factor infusions, iron chelation infusions, dressing changes and CVAD flushes, ensuring the highest standard of care around the clock.
Referral process
Referrals by Medical Professionals
To refer a patient to Barretstown, please follow these steps:
- Discuss Barretstown with the family and confirm they are happy to be referred.
- Ask the family to create a profile and submit an application via our website here or using the link below.
- Once the family profile is complete, you will receive an email to verify the child's medical details and confirm they are well enough to attend camp.
Please note: The family profile must be fully completed before a child can be accepted onto a programme.
Medical Criteria
Ensuring a safe environment for all our campers
Vaccinations: All children and family members must be up to date with childhood vaccinations to attend Barretstown, unless vaccines were missed for medical reasons. If so, a letter from the medical team must be uploaded to the family’s profile.
Camp Criteria: Once a child’s diagnosis matches our eligible illness groups and their application and documents are complete, the family may attend Family Camp. Eligibility for children-only camps is assessed individually, based on age, independence, safety awareness, and medical needs.
Research
Advancing clinical evidence for psychosocial care of children and young people with serious illness
Barretstown has established a Psychosocial Clinical Research Hub, the first of its kind in Ireland, led by Dr Chiara Besani, an internationally recognised leader in psychosocial research. Dr Besani is currently co-leading a major European funded research initiative aimed at improving psychosocial standards of care for children with cancer across 14 European countries, a programme Barretstown is proudly co-supporting alongside Children’s Health Ireland. Through partnership and collaboration, we are moving from research collaborator to principal investigator, building an evidence base that the whole health system can act on.
Barretstown’s research strategy combines rigorous clinical collaboration and real-time evaluation, strengthening the case for psychosocial care as an essential component of healthcare.
We do this in a variety of ways – developing clinical guidelines and protocols for psychosocial interventions in partnership with healthcare professionals, contributing to international research in psychosocial oncology and survivorship including European collaborative studies, and investing in ongoing clinical and social research to measure impact and refine our programmes. Our robust monitoring and evaluation systems track outcomes in real time, ensuring continuous learning and improvement.
