I lost my father at the age of three and lost my mother just before I was 17. At that point, my schoolfriends did not know what to say, my teachers’ concern was confined to my academic progress, and when I was suffering from the consequences of bereavement while at university, I found no sympathy or support from staff.
In a recent survey conducted by the Childhood Bereavement Network half of the responders said they had little or no support from their educational setting after bereavement. What could be improved to increase access to bereavement services for young people?
How can we improve the training of education professionals who support them?
Better support is needed to help children understand the process of dying and managing their emotional feelings in those difficult circumstances.