Item 12 - Bereavement Support for Children & Young People
West Dunbartonshire Council · 20 March 2024
Back to Educational Services Committee — 20 March 2024 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by Laura Mason, Chief Education Officer Educational Services Committee: 20 March 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Bereavement Support for Children and Young People 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is: a) to inform Educational Services Committee of updates to the plans to support children and young people and their families with bereavement in West Dunbartonshire. b) to seek approval to proceed. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Educational Services Committee are asked: a) to note the contents of the report; and b) approve the plans to continue developing and improving supports. 3. Background 3.1 A motion was approved by Committee in April 2023 to update and enhance support for children and young people affected by bereavement. The approval of this motion was set within the context that 50% of children and young people in Scotland experience the loss of a parent, sibling, grandparent, or close family member by age eight, rising to 62% by age ten [1]. 3.2 Fifty percent of all children and young people in Scotland born into the lowest income households have been identified to be at greater risk of being bereaved of a parent or sibling [1]. Early intervention alongside support following a loss is therefore required to provide children and young people in West Dunbartonshire with coping strategies to support them when they experience bereavement. 3.3 The publication in September 2022 of “Growing Up Grieving: The National Childhood Bereavement Project” [2] Includem report, contained seven recommendations as to how Scotland should support young people through bereavement. ITEM 12
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3.4 Of specific relevance to this paper is Recommendation 4 which suggests that every school in Scotland should have a four-point approach to bereavement to include: 1. A universal bereavement policy 2. Bereavement and grief in the school curriculum. 3. A ready to use resource bank for every school to access. 4. Bereavement training for all school staff in every school 3.5 In response to the Includem report, West Dunbartonshire Council’s Educational Services have conducted a needs analysis to identify local strengths and gaps in support for children and young people affected by bereavement. This needs analysis comprised: • Focus Group of 30 Seasons for Growth Companions. • Feedback from pupils participating in Seasons groups. • Survey to all schools and early years establishments completed by 32 establishments. • West Partnership Educational Psychology Network discussion to gather information from other Local Authorities. • Interview with parents who have experienced bereavement. • Bereavement Working Group with contributions from early years, primary, secondary and specialist sectors. 4. Main Issues 4.1 Strengths 4.1.1 The main strength identified in West Dunbartonshire is in the offer of Seasons for Growth in all primary and secondary schools. Seasons for Growth runs regularly in most schools and there are three opportunities per year for new staff to be trained. There are also centrally deployed staff (Educational Psychologists/Central Support Service/Interrupted Learner) trained who can be deployed to support the running of a Seasons group where schools find it difficult to release staff. Seasons for Growth is continually evaluated highly by companions, pupils, and parents and will continue to be run in West Dunbartonshire. 4.1.2 Staff knowledge and understanding of supporting bereaved children and young people was a further identified strength. All staff in primary and secondary had the chance to take part in Child Bereavement UK training in 2019/2020 session giving a universal understanding to the staff group at that time. Whilst this has had long-standing impact, it is acknowledged that with staff turnover and the impact of covid on the delivery of this training, this needs revisited.
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4.1.3 Schools also referred to the value they place on the availability of support from the Educational Psychology Service in the form of advice to both school staff and directly to parents. 4.2.1 Needs identified and plans going forward (Refer to appendix 1) 4.2.1 Universal staff training for all Early Years, Primary, Secondary, and Specialist school staff. School staff identified that there was a need to revisit universal staff training to upskill all staff in knowledge and understanding in bereavement. This training should include discussion of how to share information across school staff to ensure that children and young people have confidence that staff know their story and how to support them appropriately. Recommendation: An updated calendar of training using a cascade model of delivery will be rolled out by the Psychological Service and aimed at all educational establishments. 4.2.2 Support in the Early Years. It has been identified there should be a focus on how we support young children in their bereavement. Seasons for Growth is a programme for six years and older. It is recognised that in early years, support for children is best given by the adults who know them best i.e. their parents and nursery staff. Recommendation: Universal training to early years staff will be rolled out. Nurseries will be provided with resources to draw on as needed when a child experiences a bereavement. 4.2.3 Support for parents to support their child through bereavement. An Educational Psychologist has been trained as a trainer in the Seasons for Growth parenting programme which it has been identified would help support parents support their child through change and loss. Recommendation: A calendar offering parents the opportunity to be part of a Seasons for Growth Parenting Programme to be developed. 4.2.4 Universal Curriculum offer for all young people. The Growing Up Grieving Report and West Dunbartonshire Council’s own needs analysis recognises the gap in the provision to all children and young
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people of a curriculum which enables death and bereavement to be discussed in an age-appropriate manner. Work is underway to develop and pilot a curriculum offer which would fill this gap. The resources being tested have been developed by colleagues in a neighbouring Council. The principle being established is that this should be part of the curriculum offer to children and young people. Recommendation: Pilot universal curriculum materials to determine suitability for wider roll out. 4.2.5 Ensuring supports are appropriate for children with additional support need The needs of children and young people with additional support needs who experience bereavement requires a tailored approach. Seasons for Growth has been successfully adapted and used within one of our specialist settings, the learning from this will be shared across all of schools with ASN bases to ensure equity in available support. Recommendation: Share adapted Seasons for Growth resources across ASN Bases 4.2.6 Ensuring support is offered to children and young people in care or in out of authority placements. School staff in provisions outwith West Dunbartonshire Council have been given the opportunity to have staff trained in Seasons for Growth and some have taken up this opportunity. Further effort is required to ensure as many of our providers as possible are provided with the training. The opportunity to be part of a Seasons for Growth group run outwith school for this group of young people is being scoped out. Recommendation: Consult with young people on providing Seasons for Growth group outwith school environment. 4.2.7 Ensuring resources are available in different cultural contexts (e.g. religious contexts, languages). Gaps in the provision of resources which are culturally sensitive have been noted. Links with West Partnership colleagues has resulted in the sharing of resources which it is planned to make available across West Dunbartonshire schools and early years centres. Recommendation: Develop and share culturally sensitive resources on bereavement. 4.2.8 Raising awareness of the resource bank available to all school
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establishments. The Educational Psychology Service in West Dunbartonshire have a number of resources available for all schools, however it was identified through the school survey that the availability of the resources needs to be highlighted and promoted. Recommendation: Publicise available resources on bereavement to early years centres, schools and parents. 5. People Implications 5.1 Based on current staffing levels within Educational Psychology Service there are no people implications as a direct result of this report. The proposed recommendations will help to support children and young people affected by bereavement. 6. Financial and Procurement Implications 6.1 There are no financial or procurement implications as a result of recommendations of this report. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 If the Council decides not to agree to the recommendations the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people affected by bereavement may be adversely affected. 8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 8.1 Enacting these recommendations would allow all our children and young people to access support when bereaved and would provide support to parents and staff working with these children. 9. Consultation 9.1 A working group of education staff and West Partnership colleagues has informed and continues to inform the approach in this report. Feedback from parents, children and young people has also been sought and continues to inform the approaches being suggested. 9.2 The Section 95 Officer and Legal Services have been consulted. 10. Strategic Assessment
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10.1 This report is in line with the motion agreed at Committee in April to look at the universality of support on offer for children and young people affected by bereavement. Laura Mason Chief Education Officer Person to Contact: Ellen Moran, Principal Educational Psychologist E-mail: ellen.moran@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: App.1 Diagram summarising levels of bereavement support for children and Young People in West Dunbartonshire App 2: EIA References: [1] Paul, S. and Vaswani, N. (2020) ‘The prevalence of childhood bereavement in Scotland and its relationship with disadvantage: the significance of a public health approach to death, dying and bereavement’ Palliative Care & Social Practice Vol. 14: 1–12 [2] Growing up grieving: The National Childhood Bereavnent Project’s Final Report (September, 2022, Includem) https://issuu.com/includem2000_/docs/ncbp_includem_2 2_v4#:~:text=This%20report%20is%20the%20culminatio n,and%20when%20they%20need%20it. Background Papers: Wards Affected: All Wards