The Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) has recently launched a new website (www.VisibleDifferenceSupportHub.com) which gives easy access to a range of free evidence-based resources to support people with burns or other conditions or injuries that can affect how a person looks. It also offers support for parents.

The resources available through the website include an e-book, videos, booklets, websites and a board game.  Many of the resources have been developed for people with any kind of visible difference, and their families. There are also some resources that are specific to particular conditions, such as burns.  There are currently 13 resources on the website and more will be added in the future. For example, a new podcast series about dating and relationships will be added later this year.

The site includes ACT It Out – a new app for adults with any kind of visible difference, which is available for free from the App Store and Google play – see https://visibledifferencesupporthub.com/act-it-out/

All of the resources on The Visible Difference Support Hub were developed with lots of input from people with lived experience of visible differences, and relevant support organisations and health professionals.  They were then rigorously tested, so we can be confident they could offer benefits to the people who use them.  The website gives information about the research that has been conducted for each resource.

The Visible Difference Support Hub has been created with input from an advisory group of representatives from national support organisations, including Dans Fund for Burns, Katie Piper Foundation, and Changing Faces.

You can access The Visible Difference Support Hub by going to www.VisibleDifferenceSupportHub.com or by scanning the QR code, below.  Please feel free to share the website with your teams and the patients you are working with, and their families.

Finally, we really hope this will make a valuable addition to the provision of care and support for people affected by burns, and we’re keen to find out what people think of the website and how they use it.  If you or your patients would like to give some feedback, with the chance of winning an online shopping voucher, please look at the website and then follow this link: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57m45grMC7LHeWa