Promoting excellence within a caring, Christian community
Tel: 01484 714964 | Fax: N/A
Email: admin@st-andrews-inf.calderdale.sch.uk
A message from our Learning Mentor, Mrs Wood:
“As learning mentor, I am here to help, guide and support the children and parents or carers through difficult times. I can offer support in school and signpost to other agencies. I support children struggling with social, emotional, and behavioural problems. I run small intervention groups to support these children as and when needed and provide information and advice to parents and carers. I work closely with classroom staff and parents or carers to ensure as much support available is given.”
Bereavement
We understand that during a time of bereavement it can be very difficult to explain what has happened/happening to children young and old. In school, we will help and support your family during this time and refer to various agencies for advice.
We use a variety of resources but have found the following publications to be especially useful:
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
Why Things Die by Katie Daynes
I Miss You – A First Look At Death by Pat Thomas
Here are some useful links as a parent to read through to help support your child through bereavement.
https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help/for-parents/childrens-understanding-of-death
https://www.childbereavementuk.org/supporting-bereaved-children-and-young-people
https://www.winstonswish.org/supporting-you/supporting-a-bereaved-child/
Many organisations are currently providing further specific support for children and young people during the Covid 19 pandemic.
NHS
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/children-and-bereavement/
Open Minds Website – http://www.openmindscalderdale.org.uk/bereavement-support-2-2/
Local support contacts for families and young people including
Winston’s Wish – https://www.winstonswish.org/coronavirus/
National Freephone helpline 08088 020021 (in order to protect our staff, our Helpline is currently operating a remote service. Please leave a message on our voicemail with your first name and a contact number (with area code) and a Helpline Practitioner will call you back from a withheld number as soon as possible) Mon – Fri 9am -5pm. Email info@winstonswish.org
Themes include;
Child Bereavement UK – https://www.childbereavementuk.org/pages/category/coronavirus
Helpline Mon – Fri 9am -5pm 0800 88840. Email support@childbereavementuk.org
Themes include;
Cruse Bereavement Care – https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help/coronavirus-dealing-bereavement-and-grief
0808 808 1677 Monday and Friday, 9.30am to 5pm, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30am to 8pm. Email info@cruse.org.uk
Themes include;
Hope Again – https://www.hopeagain.org.uk/hope-again-about-us
0808 808 1677 Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm. Email hopeagain@cruse.org.uk
Part of Cruse Bereavement provides support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone they love dies
Grief Encounter – https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/serviceupdate/
0808 802 0111 Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm, or email contact@griefencounter.org.uk
Themes include;
020 7843 6309
The Compassionate Friends; https://www.tcf.org.uk/
0345 123 2304 Email helpline@tcf.org.uk
Escayp and The Nick Smith Foundation
These organisations have partnered to provide counselling and therapeutic play sessions for children aged 3 and over who face the death of a parent or significant figure in their lives in Calderdale – both pre-bereavement and post-bereavement.
Rainbows https://rainbowsgb.org/
Able to download a free book about Corona virus for children https://rainbowsgb.org/2020/04/coronavirus-a-free-book-for-children/
Rainbows West Yorkshire (Leeds, the Dales and all West Yorkshire)
rainbows.westyorkshire@btconnect.com
The UK Trauma Council has been set up by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
They have created a website with links to the latest UK picture and resources available to schools and colleges to help and support traumatically bereaved children and young people.
It has a short-animated video guide on You Tube to set the scene of what Traumatic Bereavement is showing the sort of cases that would apply and benefit from additional support.
There is also a 6-point support plan supported by video resources and monitoring plans.
The video and resources are all available from this site:
https://uktraumacouncil.org/resources/traumatic-bereavement-for-school-communities
Ok Rehab
A helpline for those seeking help for addiction and underlying mental health problems.
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have created a new guide to help children and young people ‘choose well for mental health’. Aimed at young people in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, we hope the ‘choose well for mental health’ guide will:
Parents, carers, families and friends can also use the ‘choose well for mental health’ guide to look out for children and young people close to them and help them get the right support and advice.
The guide has been co-created with children and young people with lived experience, and specialist healthcare teams who work with them, carers and their families.
Mrs Wood, our Learning Mentor, is available should you any further help or support.