Paediatric Sepsis: Co-designing a Peer Mentoring Program

The paediatric sepsis Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) provides families with a child diagnosed with sepsis (surviving or bereaved) an opportunity for connection with others, validation, and normalisation of their experience.

Feedback from families indicated parents and carers felt isolated during and after their child’s hospital admission, and this sense of isolation was amplified by a lack of understanding and information about sepsis within the community.

The world first paediatric sepsis PMP was co-designed by consumers and is delivered by consumers, with input during the development stage from key stakeholders including The Australian Centre for Social Innovation. The PMP aims to provide families with the understanding, encouragement, and support which only another parent or carer who has walked a similar path can provide.