CDS clinic sets up children’s clothing rail

The Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) team in Derbyshire have set up a children’s clothes rail in the waiting area of one of their busy clinics so families attending for dental care can also choose items of clothes for their children.

The clothes rail is stocked by donations from colleagues working in the clinic and across the Derbyshire service, and was initially intended to offer unbranded, generic school uniform items. However, demand has grown with the rail now providing a wider range of children’s clothes in addition to school uniform and footwear, including football boots. The team were also very grateful to receive a donation of new school uniform and other children’s clothes from a church run community group locally. With winter approaching the rail is now stocking up on winter coats.

Families are encouraged to take clothes from the rail free of charge and used carrier bags are available for packing. In addition to relieving financial pressures on families, it also extends the life of good quality children’s clothes with an environmental benefit as a result.

Originally, the idea of CDS’s employee group looking for ways to support the communities where their patients live, Dental Therapist, Sian Cooper set up the rail: ‘We work in the heart of our communities, seeing a lot of child patients and understand how quickly children get through clothes, school uniforms and things like football boots. This all puts pressure on our families, and this seemed a very simple way to do something to help. We are all absolutely amazed at how popular it has been and the way we have set it up means parents and their children can choose what they need without any fear of embarrassment or judgment.’

CDS provides dental care for people with complex needs and paediatric patients.