Case study:

12 May 2010

Accessing pre-bereavement care for families: SeeSaw’s Macmillan Children and Families Support Worker in Oxfordshire

Key points

SeeSaw, an Oxfordshire children’s grief support service, is providing advice, guidance and help to children and their carers where a parent or sibling is dying.

The scheme, which involves a full-time project worker linking in with professionals, has helped communication within the family and meant young people have needed less bereavement support at a later stage.

There is also anecdotal evidence that there is greater awareness of children’s needs within end of life care settings. Meanwhile staff feel supported and have greater confidence in communicating with patients, children and parents.

The scheme began in 2002 when SeeSaw decided to appoint a Macmillan Children and Families Support Worker to provide training, support and guidance to professionals working with children whose parent or sibling was dying. This involved working with schools staff, nursing and medical staff among others.

The project has also helped develop understanding and skills about the pre-death stages within the child bereavement service as a whole.

The service is highly valued and has demonstrated the need for continuity of care from before death to throughout the bereavement process.However, its six-year funding from Macmillan Cancer Support has now run out and it is currently negotiating to try to secure funding for the future.