Bereavement and Loss
Supporting loss and change
During the current situation people may experience bereavement related to Covid-19 or due to unrelated factors. The advice and support we would usually offer to those going through grief and loss may be impacted by the current situation. For example, attending a funeral or continuing with daily routines such as attending school may not be possible right now. Similarly, face-to-face support from trusted school staff, friends, or wider family members may not be possible. Instead we could brainstorm alternative ways for children to maintain links to important people in their lives through other means such as letter writing, video calls and social media, to ensure a continued sense of connection. Our bereavement guides outline information about how children and young people may be feeling, ways to support children depending upon their age, and signpost to useful websites and resources:
Bereavement Info Children Young People.pdfInformation for Children and Young People
Bereavement Info Parents_carers.pdfInformation for Parents and Carers
Critical Incidents and Sudden Bereavement - Staff Info.pdfInformation for School Staff
Covid-19 Bereavement Supports
Winston’s Wish have created specific guidance around how to tell a young person that someone has died from Covid-19. They also have specific advice for supporting children and young people when it is not possible for them to attend a funeral due to the current situation and general advice around bereavement support related to Covid-19:
As well as talking with children and young people openly about their loss, there are lots of activities you can do together to help them understand their feelings or to remember the person who has died. Ideas such as looking at photos, making a memory box, writing in a journal or making a scrapbook can be a good way for children to work through their feelings. Youth Light Inc. have collated some ideas.