Related Experiment Videos
Childhood bereavement services: a survey of UK provision
1Clara E Burgess Charity Research Project, School of Health and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, UK. lrolls@glos.ac.uk
Insights
This study surveyed UK childhood bereavement services, finding most are in the voluntary sector and offered by host organizations. Services provide diverse interventions and support for both bereaved families and professionals.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Public Health
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Childhood bereavement services in the UK are diverse, with varying organizational structures and funding models.
- Understanding the landscape of these services is crucial for effective support and evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map the geographical distribution, scope, and nature of childhood bereavement service provision across the United Kingdom.
- To identify the types of interventions offered and the target populations, including direct family support and secondary users like schools.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was distributed to 127 childhood bereavement services in the UK.
- A response rate of 85% (108 services) provided data on service location, organization, staffing, interventions, and funding.
- Services were categorized as dedicated or part of a host organization, with analysis of intervention types and secondary user support.
Main Results:
- 85% of services operate within the voluntary sector, with 86% integrated into host organizations (44% being hospices).
- Interventions include individual and group work for children and families, pre-bereavement support, information, training, and resource provision.
- 74% of services support secondary users, including schools and other professionals, highlighting a broad impact beyond direct family care.
Conclusions:
- Childhood bereavement services in the UK are predominantly voluntary and integrated, offering a wide array of support.
- The diversity in provision, including staffing models and funding streams, presents challenges and opportunities for service evaluation.
- Findings underscore the need for tailored evaluation frameworks that acknowledge the varied nature of childhood bereavement support.
Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to identify the location, range and type of childhood bereavement service provision in the UK. A questionnaire was mailed to 127 services who were either solely dedicated to childhood bereavement or who offered a service within the range of work of a host organization and for which there was a supporting organizational structure. Responses were received from 108 services (a response rate of 85%). The findings identified that 85% of childhood bereavement services are located in the voluntary sector; 14% are dedicated childhood bereavement services, while 86% are offered as part of a host organization. Forty-four per cent of host organizations are hospices. The majority of services (73%) relied on both paid and unpaid staff, with 11% relying entirely on paid staff and 14% of services relying entirely on unpaid staff. The interventions offered ranged from individual family work (86%), individual child work (62%), groupwork with families (53%) and groupwork with children (45%). In addition, services offered prebereavement support (64%), a 'drop-in' service (17%), information and advice (95%), training (32%) and the provision of resources (88%). As well as offering a service to children and their families, 74% of childhood bereavement services provided a service to 'secondary users', such as schools (66%), the emergency services (28%) and other professionals (63%). In terms of funding, 12% of services relied solely on external sources of funding, including donations, legacies, revenue from the host organization or grants, while 12% of services relied solely on internal sources of funding, including fundraising and training. The majority of services (73%), however, gained income from a range of sources. The study identifies the diversity of provision that has implications for the evaluation of childhood bereavement services.