Success of New Grief Awareness Sessions

Since our Children and Young People Wellbeing team introduced their new Grief Awareness workshops at the end of August, the response from schools and community groups across Inverclyde has been fantastic. Interest has been high, and early feedback clearly shows a real need for guidance around bereavement support for children and young people. We have high hopes that the success and interest in these sessions will continue to grow!

What do the sessions involve?

During each session, Janice and Laura from our C&YP team guide participants through a wide range of child-focused bereavement topics. The content included has been highlighted by children and young people who have accessed our services at Ardgowan Hospice. It was important for us to ensure that the voices of children & young people are heard and how we can best support them.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• -Using clear, age-appropriate language when speaking with children and young people about death and dying.
• -The importance of keeping them informed and involved, helping them understand what is happening when someone close is dying or has died.
• -Practical case studies that highlight real situations and the different ways children may react or express grief.
• -Strategies for building confidence in adults who support young people through loss.
• -And much more, tailored to the needs of each group.

Here are a few of the places Janice and Laura have attended lately:

IRH Healthcare Education Day

Janice and Laura were delighted to be invited to host a session as part of an education day for health visitors and other local charities at the IRH. For an hour, the pair had the platform to discuss all aspects of child bereavement, from the early years upwards.

Feedback from attendees of this session:

“This session was very valuable and should be known by all parent/family staff. It was helpful to learn more about using age-appropriate language, and not letting grief become the elephant in the room. Moving forward, I liked the idea of having a discussion with the parents and children I work with regarding allowing the child choice of their own memorial if they are unable/don’t wish to attend the funeral.”

“I enjoyed how your session linked to different support networks and covered what children and young people really want carers/parents/teachers etc to say. This session should be part of everyone’s core learning! Thank you.”

Invitation to attend Higher Religious, Moral & Philosophical Studies at St Columba.

The team were honoured to visit a Higher Religious, Moral & Philosophical Studies class at St Columba’s in Gourock to contribute to a lesson on assisted dying. They were joined by Ardgowan Hospice Community Nurses Shannon and Lynsey, who helped answer medical questions and provided insight into hospice care. Janice and Laura also highlighted the full range of services we provide and the people we support.

Following the success of this visit, the C&YP team are pleased to now be involved in developing pilot lesson plans for future classes.

Feedback from pupils:

“One thing in life guaranteed is death, but nobody teaches us about it. Thank you to Ardgowan Hospice for taking the time to do just that.”

“The session was very interesting. I didn’t know that Ardgowan Hospice was able to support people in so many ways.”

“It was cool to hear directly from hospice staff who support our local area. It has given me a lot to think about regarding assisted dying and how we need to stop the taboo when it comes to talking about death in general. Thanks.”

Lady Alice and Aileymill Group Session

The largest group our team has met with so far—more than 40 attendees—came from Lady Alice and Aileymill primary schools and nurseries, made up of teachers and support staff.

Feedback from school staff who attended this session:

“A worthwhile and almost essential input for staff in schools”

“Fabulous session that has really helped me to feel more confident supporting a child in my class”

“I enjoyed the informative setting and laid-back environment created by the trainers”

“I won’t be as scared to bring up a loss with a child.”

“I have young people in my class who have a terminally ill parent, and this has equipped me with skills to support them”

Additional Schools

A warm thank you also goes to St Stephen’s, St Francis, and Wemyss Bay Primary School for inviting us to work with their staff teams. It was a pleasure to share our grief awareness training with you all!

Some feedback from these visits:

“The session was well presented. knowledgeable presenters & the chance for discussion was good.”

“Fantastic! So much more aware of how a child may grieve and how to approach/cope with the bereavement process. Thank you!!”

“All topics were really insightful, and the case studies really helped my understanding and awareness within my role as a teacher.”

“Really helpful training that was talked about in a respectful way everyone could understand.”

“Thank you! You seem so confident I would feel so happy knowing if you both were taking care of my kids! I highly recommend this training.”

Interested in finding out more?

If you would like to find out more about how our Children & Young People Team can support your class/community group/workplace, please contact wellbeing@ardgowanhospice.org . All workshops are currently complimentary and suitable for anyone supporting children and young people from early years up to age 16.