Demelza announces the appointment of a new Director of Clinical Services

by | Nov 9, 2023 | Dartford Charities

Katie Stevens has been announced as the new Director of Clinical Services at Demelza, a charity providing extraordinary care to children facing serious or life-limiting conditions, throughout Kent, South East London and East Sussex.

Katie started her nursing career at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, after registering as a children’s nurse in 1997. It was following a move to the paediatric high-dependency unit at the Royal Brompton hospital that Katie first realised caring holistically for children with complex medical needs and their families was the direction in which she wanted her career to go.

After starting her family in 2000, Katie took up a role as a children’s palliative care nurse at Demelza in Sittingbourne in 2002, completed a degree in 2010 and took up a role as a lecturer at Canterbury Christchurch University in 2011, specialising in the children’s palliative care module.

Katie returned to Demelza in 2019 as Clinical Governance and Quality Lead Nurse, after completing a post-graduate certificate in teaching, taking on a project manager role at Children’s Hospices across London and completing her master’s degree in 2020.

A passionate advocate for children’s palliative care, Katie is extremely proud to work at Demelza and puts the voice of the children and families firmly at the heart of her work.

Katie said:

“From the moment I started work at Demelza, I knew this environment suited me as it offered the opportunity to provide high-quality, responsive, children and family-led services where I could flourish and develop further skills.

“Professional development opportunities allowed me to complete my degree through a children’s palliative care pathway established at Demelza, further inspiring me to further myself and seek additional skills and knowledge.

“I am very proud to work for Demelza and honoured to take on this role, leading an impressive clinical services team made up of Nursing and Care, Family Support and Service Development teams.

Lavinia Jarrett, Chief Executive at Demelza said:

“I’m delighted we have appointed Katie as our new Director of Clinical Services. She brings a wealth of experience from the children’s palliative care sector and is dedicated to working directly with children, young people and their families.

Katie’s passion for training, upskilling staff and focussing on retention – especially as the sector is facing ongoing challenges in nurse recruitment – will be a huge benefit to Demelza.”

Katie, who lives locally to the Kent hospice, and enjoys family life with her husband, two daughters and two step-daughters, has recently bought a new house so weekends find her knee-deep in dust sheets and paint! And passion for Demelza is clearly a family trait. Katie’s daughter completed an apprenticeship at the charity and has gone on to enrol to take a masters’ degree and register as a speech and language therapist.

Messy Dash Makes a Big Impact- Local Families and Supporters Raise £21,000 for We Are Beams

In an explosion of colour, laughter, and community spirit, over 1,000 participants took part in the We Are Beams Messy Dash on Sunday 6th July, raising an outstanding £21,000 to support disabled children and their families. Held at Dartford...

Ben Portsmouth brings the ULTIMATE Elvis experience to Orchard West on Sunday, 31st August

Ben is not just a tribute artist; he is the real deal, being regarded as the closest living performer to the legendary Elvis Presley. With global success in over 20 countries, Ben Portsmouth brings energy, passion and authenticity in a way that no one else can...

HAMILTON’S CLEVE SEPTEMBER RETURNS IN TITLE ROLE OF ALADDIN AT ORCHARD WEST THIS CHRISTMAS

Having won Dartford audiences over in his performance in panto last year at Orchard West, the Olivier Award-nominated Cleve September is set to return this season in the title role of Aladdin. Cleve will take centre stage alongside the previously announced TV...

Two days of entertainment and activity coming to Dartford

Get ready for two days of incredible entertainment as the Big Day Out weekend returns to Dartford’s Central Park on 12-13 July, bringing with it live music, vintage steam vehicles, family-friendly activities, and more – all completely free! Saturday will kick-off with...

FIND DARTFORD’S JASMINE

OPEN AUDITIONS ANNOUNCED!Your Chance to Shine in This Year’s Magical Pantomime Aladdin! Orchard West and Imagine Theatre are on the lookout for a shining star as they launch open auditions toFIND DARTFORD’S JASMINE! Aspiring performers are invited to attend auditions...

New social supermarket opens in Dartford

Dartford Larder, a new social supermarket designed to provide an alternative to Foodbanks, has officially opened in Dartford. Situated in Copperfields Walk, Dartford Larder aims to: provide an affordable shopping experience, tackle food insecurity, and resolve food...

WALKING WITH THE DARTS | JUNE-JULY EDITION

Hello again, welcome to another edition of Walking With The Darts, a monthly update on all things related to Dartford FC, courtesy of Dartford Living Magazine. Before I begin, please accept my sincere apologies for the lack of content recently. It has been a hectic...

How to transform your home on a budget 

By Qashish Dhiraj Mehta  Giving your apartment a makeover can feel like a uphill task. With a limited budget and limited space, every piece of furniture, every decoration, and every storage solution has to work overtime. But here’s the good news: a tight pocket...

Your Plans, Our Support: How Wave Community Bank support the local community with affordable loans

Life in Dartford and the surrounding areas often brings new opportunities and unexpected needs. Whether you're dreaming of solar panels on your roof to cut energy bills, need a new car for the daily commute, or simply require a smaller loan to by a...

Why Your Savings Belong at Wave Community Bank (Especially if You’re in Dartford!)

When it comes to stashing away your hard-earned money, you've got options. Big banks, online-only institutions, and then there's your local credit union. While the giants often grab the headlines, there's a compelling case to be made for choosing a credit union...