On Wednesday 8 October our Cerebral Palsy Conference took place, our keynote speaker, Charlie Fairhurst discussed Family-Centred Care in Childhood Neurology: Challenges, Collaboration, and Change to a full suite. which delivered a strong message on the importance of placing children and families at the heart of care. Many of our attendees at the end of the day said how his speech was “extremely valuable”.
Dr Fairhurst explored how conditions like cerebral palsy require individualised, dynamic, and lifelong support, tailored to each child’s changing needs. Key topics included the complexity of spasticity, the impact of co-existing conditions such as epilepsy, feeding and respiratory challenges, and the need to focus on comfort, function, and quality of life.
The talk also emphasised the role of multidisciplinary teamwork, improved communication, and aligning care with both clinical guidelines and family priorities. Attendees were encouraged to “put the fun into function” by supporting meaningful, enjoyable participation for every child.
Why this matters
This keynote speech resonated deeply with the attendees, which a made up of service users, families, therapist, clinicians and educators because it reinforced the importance of seeing each child as an individual, beyond their diagnosis.
By highlighting the value of family involvement, personalised care, and multidisciplinary collaboration, the session offered practical insight and renewed purpose for those working to improve outcomes and quality of life for children with cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions.
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