Children and young people’s bereavement

Talking to a child or young person about the illness and death of someone they love is probably the hardest conversation you will ever have. Children need to hear this news from a person they trust, usually their parent or guardian and we can offer help and advice in having these conversations and providing ongoing support.

Parents and guardians will, understandably, be very anxious about the impact of illness and bereavement on a child or young person. After losing someone close to them, it’s natural for children to feel sad, depressed, worried or angry, and many children can work through their loss with the support of family and friends. Some may need additional help and we offer these children and young people support tailored to their individual needs.

Older children are usually able to talk about their difficulties, whilst younger children can play or draw in sessions. Sometimes children find it hard to communicate through words. We use therapeutic play, and creative approaches such as storytelling, art, sand tray work, and talking therapies as methods to support children and young people in communicating their feelings about their own unique situation.

Having a learning disability or autism does not mean a child cannot be affected by, understand, or learn to cope with bereavement. It is important that each child is supported to understand what has happened to the person they love and is encouraged to take part in activities that help them to cope with their feelings about the loss.

We can offer advice to schools and individual staff members about how best to support a child at school, where that child has a seriously ill parent or has been bereaved.

We regularly arrange family events specifically for children and young people who are facing or have experienced the death of a parent. Support from others through this group service is helping children, young people and their families to rebuild their confidence and lives after the loss of a parent. We also hold fun days for families in the community to help children and young people to enjoy time with others who have similar experiences.