Bereavement, loss & Grief
Our Vision
In our school communities we strive to be prepared, informed and supportive.
Prepared
We have guidance in place to support children, young people, families and staff to understand and respond to bereavement, loss and grief when it occurs within our school communities.
Informed
Our staff have access to appropriate training and resources.
Our staff are aware of local and national support services and available resources that children, young people and their families can access.
Supportive
Our schools will work to support children, young people, their families and staff through periods of bereavement, loss and change, within a caring environment.
Our communication is open and honest with children, young people and their families. We use age appropriate language and concepts.
Supports are in place for children and young people who are facing a bereavement or who have been bereaved for as long as they need.
We will work to support the needs of staff before, during and after periods of bereavement and loss.
Purpose & Aim
A core group of education staff was established in 2019 to develop an East Lothian approach to bereavement, loss and grief that would guide practice in our schools. The group identified a range of multiagency supporters to provide further information, advice, consultation and feedback . These supporters came from Education, Health, Social Work and the Voluntary Sector.
The key aim of this website is to empower staff in our schools to support children and young people with their bereavement, loss and grief. It ultimately looks to build confidence in individuals and capacity across our school communities, through developing staff knowledge and understanding around bereavement, loss and grief. It also looks to ensure that staff needs are recognised and met within this process.
The East Lothian Approach
In East Lothian we promote a relationship based, nurturing response to those experiencing bereavement, loss and grief. We see the 6 Nurture Principles as underpinning all practice.
In recognising these principles we look to establish strong trusting relationships with children and young people, operating in an environment where they feel safe and supported. We look to support the development of children and young people who can name and identify emotions in themselves and others, understand that all emotions are accepted and valued and see that celebration, joy, adversity and challenge are all elements of life that we encounter. We look to develop environments where children and young people can seek support, express their views and concerns and develop personal agency in terms of their thoughts and actions. All of the above operates in the context of the individual where age, stage, additional support needs and life experiences are considered for each child and young person.
Childhood bereavement in context
UK Figures from Child Bereavement UK
It is estimated that:
A parent of children under 18 years dies every 22 minutes in the UK
1 in 29 5-16 year olds has been bereaved of a parent or sibling - this equates to a child in every average class.
7653 babies, children and young people (under the age of 18) died in 2017
Why is bereavement support important?
(from childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk)
Most young people will have been bereaved of someone close to them (a parent, sibling, grandparent, friend, or teacher) by the time they are 16. Many will cope well with their loss, but all will need the support of those around them.
All schools will be affected by bereavement at some point.
Mortality rates vary by social class and geography, so it follows that children living in disadvantaged areas are more likely to be bereaved.
Some groups of children may be more likely to experience particular kinds of bereavement: for example mortality rates among disabled young people with complex health needs are higher than among the general population, so young people attending specialist provisions are probably more likely to be bereaved of a friend than their peers in mainstream schools.
Bereavement Charter for Children and Adults in Scotland
Scotland's first Bereavement Charter for Children and Adults was launched in April 2020. The charter aligns with all of East Lothian's aims and purpose, as well as our vision and values.
Bereavement-Charter-without-logos.pdfThe Bereavement Charter contains 13 statements which describe what the best bereavement care and support should look like.
Bereavement_Charter_Guidance_Notes_0123_V4.pdfThe accompanying guidance notes provide more explanation of the 13 Charter statements, as well as details about how the Charter might be used by different organisations and individuals.
References
Childhood Bereavement Network Childhood Bereavement Network
Child Bereavement UK UK death & bereavement statistics | Child Bereavement UK
Melhem, N.M., Porta, G., Shamseddeen, W., Walker Payne, M. and Brent, D.A. (2011). ‘Grief in children and adolescents bereaved by sudden parental death’, Arch Gen Psychiatry, 68(9), 911-9
Support Around Death - A Bereavement Charter for Children and Adults in Scotland A Bereavement Charter for Children and Adults in Scotland | Support Around Death
Vaswani, N. (2014). The ripples of death: Exploring the bereavement experiences and mental health of young men in custody. The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 53(4), 341-359.