Grief matters for children

Thursday 16 April 2009

The Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN) is the national, multi-professional network of organisations and individuals working in the field of childhood bereavement. Alison Penny, CBN co-ordinator, outlines its current campaigning work.

The Childhood Bereavement Network (CBN), hosted by NCB, promotes the interests of bereaved children and their families and encourages the development of quality support for them. Services include a directory of support organisations, regional meetings for subscribers, downloadable training resources, an email bulletin and a point of contact for anyone working in or trying to set up a childhood bereavement service.

In 2006, CBN launched a major three-year policy, practice and awareness campaign, Grief Matters for Children, funded by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The campaign wants support to be available to all bereaved children, wherever they live and however they've been bereaved.

Support in schools
Year one of the project focused on support in schools. Young NCB members gave their views about why it was important for schools to tackle bereavement, and how they could do this. Their presentations formed part of a series of taster days in each of the four nations for healthy schools staff, personal, social and health education (PSHE) co-ordinators and others to explore ways of developing the curriculum.

The needs of young people in care who have been bereaved were explored in the second year of the programme. Young people, carers and professionals involved in Healthy Care Partnerships talked about their experiences and shaped how support could be provided, culminating in a briefing for staff and managers and a programme of regional seminars bringing together foster carers, social workers, managers and bereavement services.

Successful parliamentary activity has included an early day motion calling for improvements to childhood bereavement services, supported by 62 cross-party MPs; a tea-party for young people, families and parliamentarians; a meeting with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and speeches to an All-Party Parliamentary Group.

CBN also provided briefings to parliamentarians during the passage of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 and is currently working on the Coroners and Justice Bill.

For more information and to get involved, visit the Childhood Bereavement Network website.