Case Studies
Social Value: Starting strong: CHIS donates diabetes starter kits for newly diagnosed children
CHIS donates starter kits to paediatric diabetes units, providing essential items for children newly diagnosed with diabetes to help them manage the challenges ahead.
Challenge
Around 35,000 children and young people under the age of 19 are living with diabetes in the UK, with 96% diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Diagnosis often occurs suddenly, placing significant emotional pressure on children and their families. Diabetes is identified as a clinical area of focus within the children’s Core20PLUS5 health inequalities model.
People with diabetes, particularly those using insulin, make around 180 additional health-related decisions each day compared with those without diabetes. These include adjusting insulin doses and managing carbohydrate intake, which can lead to blood glucose levels that are too low or too high. Insulin pumps and glucose sensors play a vital role in supporting effective glucose management. Children can become unwell quickly when blood glucose levels drop too low (hypoglycaemia). If not treated promptly, this can become serious and life-threatening, highlighting the importance of timely support for families from diagnosis.
What we did
Through the NHS South, Central and West CHIS Social Value fund, essential items to support with diagnosis and hypo treatment were donated to six Paediatric Diabetes units across the country, including the East Midlands, Greater Manchester, South West and South East.
CHIS provided:
- 2,008 glucose tablets packs, 114 Hypo Wallets and 360 Lift Glucose Shots to treat low blood sugar.
- 98 Little Diagnosis Boxes to help introduce children to sensors and insulin pumps
- 60 Type 1 diabetes silicone wristbands
- 86 sensor stickers
- 40 FRIO duo wallets.
These resources support children and families at diagnosis, helping to explain diabetes, reduce early risks and build confidence in diabetes management.
Activity
Child Health Information Services
Using intelligence to offer support where it is most needed
CHIS Social Value offer
Going the extra mile to promote healthy starts for children most in need
Health improvement and inequalities
Boosting equitable access to health promotion initiatives
Impact
This CHIS social value initiative has delivered clear, measurable impact at diagnosis and during early care. Feedback from clinical teams shows that packs provided to families reduce immediate financial pressure by removing the need to purchase hypoglycaemia treatments and diabetes equipment at discharge.
This supports poverty-proofing during the early period following diagnosis and is embedded within existing pathways, including diagnosis starter packs and pump fairs. Services report that hypoglycaemia treatments improve safety in the early days following diagnosis, while items such as plush toys, sensor stickers and wristbands help normalise diabetes technology and support early, age-appropriate conversations about insulin pumps and sensors.
Overall, the initiative reduces anxiety and increases confidence for children and families, with departments also seeking to sustain and expand provision through local charity funding, demonstrating scalability and long-term value.