Sparkle's research and evaluation work is vital to the success of our charity. Not only does this work ensure our services are effectively meeting the needs of our service users, but by sharing our findings with other organisations, professionals and policy makers we can influence wider change for children with disabilities and their families.

In October, our Research and Development Officer attended the British Association for Community Child Health (BACCH) Annual Conference in Glasgow. The theme this year was 'Putting Children First: Building Future Service' and we were able to present a poster on the prevalence of disability among children in Wales and predicted future prevalence of disability, which is essential information for the planning of future services. We also had a virtual poster accepted and shared on the BACCH website; this discussed how specialist play and leisure activities can impact the wellbeing of children with continuing care packages due to disability. As well as poster presentations, there were some fantastic talks from professionals across the UK, including lectures on providing compassionate healthcare for children, ensuring the voice of the child is captured in care, and opening doors to support for children with learning disabilities.

We are now looking forward to attending the Welsh Paediatric Society Autumn Meeting in November, taking place in Swansea. This event will showcase the latest scientific research from paediatric professionals across Wales and neighbouring deaneries, and we're excited to be presenting on family and professional experiences of 'the Serennu model' here in Gwent.

You can find out more about Sparkle's research on our website, or by contacting our Research and Development Officer on research@sparkleappeal.org

www.sparkleappeal.org/research