565 Service Page For Schools
Bereavement support for children

Whatever your role is, sometimes, we can only offer so much support to a child. Some children find it hard to adjust after a period of time. If they are feeling sad or angry all the time, having trouble with sleeping or eating, or struggling with school and friends it may be time to get them further support.

The 565 Service at St Elizabeth Hospice accepts referrals for young people aged 5-18 in East Suffolk whose loved one is known to St Elizabeth hospice, and is living with a life limiting or progressive illness. We also offer bereavement support, which extends to families who may not have had previous involvement with the hospice, whose loved one died from a progressive disease and families who are bereaved due to Covid-19.

Support may include:

  • advice and guidance to parents and family members on how to talk about death and dying, what to expect in grief behaviours and what might help
  • conversations with the child’s school about support needs and how this might be best managed.
  • child and parent sessions to help express emotions
  • group activities with other children of a similar age
  • a confidential space to the child or young person, either online or face to face, to explore their experiences and encourage ways of expressing and managing emotions
  • where appropriate, we may signpost to other organisations.

Our referral criteria for 565 Service support at St Elizabeth Hospice:

Emotional Support for children who are living with a loved one who has a long-term illness: Bereavement support :
  • Living in East Suffolk
  • Adult relative known to the hospice
  • Living in East Suffolk
  • Bereaved of an adult relative who had a progressive or life limiting illness, or due to COVID-19
  • Do not need to have had previous involvement with the hospice.

If you do not meet our criteria for bereavement support, the LivingGrief Hub can help to find the most suitable service: LivingGrief | Bereavement Support in Ipswich & East Suffolk (livinggriefeastsuffolk.co.uk)

 

To speak to a member of the team, or to make a referral, please contact us on our enquiry line, 0300 303 5196, Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm, alternatively, email on emotionalwellbeing@stelizabethhospice.org.uk.

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