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Bereavement support for children
We offer bereavement support free of charge to children and young people in north east Essex up to the age of 17 who are grieving the death of a loved one, regardless of how or where their loved one has died – no hospice connection is required to receive bereavement support from St Helena.
Bereavement support can begin from six weeks after the death. We initially offer a bereavement assessment to determine what support would be best in your family’s circumstances.
Support can either be individual or as a family group depending on the age of the child/young person. However, children under five will be supported with their parent or guardian or within their family unit and not individually.
We also:
- Offer talking therapy and creative ways in which to support children
- Help children and families create memory boxes
- Support children to ‘re-visit’ their bereavement as they develop and transition through life
Referring a child/young person for bereavement support
To refer a child/young person for bereavement support, please fill in our online referral form.
If you would like to refer multiple children/young people, please fill in a referral form for each individual.
The child/young person can refer themselves if competent to do so, or the parent/carer can make the referral on their behalf with the child’s consent.
Someone supporting you or your child, such as a healthcare professional or family member, can also refer with your consent.
If the person who has died was a patient of St Helena and your family received support from a St Helena family support worker or counsellor, they can continue to support you through your bereavement. Please call SinglePoint on 01206 890 360 to get in touch with them.
If you live in mid Essex, bereavement support can be provided by Farleigh Hospice's Yo-Yo Project: Support for children and young people. For more information and to make a referral to Yo-Yo visit their website.
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Without the help and generosity of our fundraisers and donors we wouldn’t be able to offer our bereavement support to hundreds of local people each year. We offer a number of ways that people can support in memory of a loved one to help us to continue this support.