Bereavement support

Grief is a natural process, but it can be devastating. For those who need help, there are many sources of support available.

West Yorkshire and Harrogate ICS grief and loss support service
Open to people in West Yorkshire and Harrogate, the service is the first point of contact for anyone suffering any form of grief and loss, or those worried about losing someone, whether this relates to a family member, friend or member of their community. It is also available to those feeling impacted by the deaths of public figures and/or the volume of deaths across the country.

People will be able to self-refer to the service or will be signposted by other agencies such as the police, hospital bereavement services, funeral directors, GPs, community and faith organisations and others. People will be signposted to further support where required, with the service well-connected to local place-based specialist bereavement support services.

More information can be found at www.griefandlosswyh.co.uk

The phone number for the telephone support line is: 0808 196 3833, while a live chat and live text functionality will be available on the website.

Cruse Bereavement Care
Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email and website support. They have a national helpline and local services, and a website and free phone helpline specifically for children and young people. Our services are provided by trained volunteers and are confidential and free. The website contains information to support children, bereavements at work, those bereaved through homicide and suicide, drugs and alcohol-related deaths and those in the military.

National helpline: 0808 808 1677
Website: https://www.cruse.org.uk/

Gov.uk 
The Government website includes practical information on what to do when someone dies.
Website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/births-deaths-marriages/death

Marie Curie
Marie Curie provides useful information for bereaved family and friends. Losing somebody close affects everyone differently. Through their work with the family and friends of those living with terminal illness, they have gathered a range of resources to help you cope emotionally as well as handle the practical side of losing someone close to you. The website contains useful sections related to bereavement:
• Coping with grief
• Coping with grief as a teenager
• Supporting a child when someone dies
• Practical, legal and financial matters
• Organising a funeral

National helpline – 0800 090 2309 (Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones).
Website: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/bereaved-family-friends

Winston’s Wish
They provide guidance, support and information for bereaved children, young people and families. There is also an interactive website with resources for young people, parents/carers, schools and professionals.

They have a free advice and support helpline for bereaved children and their families. The helpline is manned by trained clinical practitioners and is free and confidential.

They also offer specialist support for children bereaved through homicide and suicide, as well as military families who have been bereaved.

National helpline: 08088 020 021 (Freephone)
Website: www.winstonswish.org.uk

Support for those bereaved by suicide

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service
West Yorkshire & Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service (WYHSBS) is a postvention service, providing practical and emotional support to people who have been affected by a suicide bereavement.

Phone: 0113 3055800
Email: info@wyhsbs.org.uk
Website: https://wyhsbs.org.uk/

Help is at Hand booklet
Help is at Hand is a resource booklet by the Department of Health, aimed at the wide range of people who are affected by suicide or other sudden, traumatic death. It contains information about procedures which will be involved after the death, including the coroner’s inquest, and about the feelings and emotions that bereaved people may experience. Suggestions for how to cope are given, including details about sources of support, with contact details of helping organisations and pointers to useful reading material.

Website: http://supportaftersuicide.org.uk/support-guides/

Survivors Of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS)
SOBS is a self-help organisation set up to provide a safe confidential environment in which bereaved people can share their experiences and feelings, giving and gaining support from each other. For people over 18 years of age who have been bereaved by suicide.

Helpline: 0300 111 5065
Website: http://uk-sobs.org.uk

Facing the Future
Facing the Future has been developed by Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care to help support people who have been bereaved by suicide.
Support groups run weekly for six consecutive weeks and last for 90 minutes with a maximum of eight participants. Groups are free of charge and are run by two trained volunteer facilitators from Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care.

Website: http://www.samaritans.org/facing-the-future

Trust information

The Trust has developed a guide to give you information about South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s serious incident process. It has been designed to help you, your family and friends understand what happens after a serious incident and how the Trust can learn and adapt.

Raising questions or concerns

There may be times when family members may have questions, and/or concerns they would like answers to in relation to the care and treatment their loved one received from the Trust, but don’t always want to make a complaint.

If you have any questions or concerns about the care your relative may have received from the Trust prior to their death, please do not hesitate to contact their clinical team in the first instance. They will try to answer your questions.

Alternatively, you can contact the Trust’s customer services team who will support you with your enquiry. They can be contacted on:

Freephone number: 0800 587 2108
Email: customer.servicesSWYT@nhs.net

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