Harry’s Rainbow
Working with schools to help children fi nd their way through bereavement
Death is one of the most diffi cult subjects to talk about. Many adults struggle with how to discuss grief and loss, and when it is a child that has suff ered a bereavement, the fear of saying or doing the wrong thing is heightened. Harry’s Rainbow, the Milton Keynes-based children’s
bereavement charity, has recently appointed Mark Creasy as its Education Liaison Development Officer. His role will involve working with schools to train staff about bereavement, particularly with responding to and supporting a child that has lost a loved one. Mark can also deliver assemblies on bereavement and help schools look at how they can include bereavement in the curriculum, as well as in behavioural and attendance policies. Mark said: “Statistically, there is likely to be a child in every
classroom that has lost someone close to them. It’s important to have a realistic approach and for schools to prepare for that eventuality because, sadly, a child could lose a parent or sibling at any time. “T ere are ways to address the issue so that it is relevant to
children. Children often need assurances about death, from adults that support them and listen to them, but who use words like ‘dying’ and ‘death’ and help them understand that someone who has died has gone and cannot come back. When the whole family is dealing with grief together, having someone at school a child can turn to is important.” Harry’s Rainbow has a package that costs £300 through which
Mark will carry out a 60 to 90-minute training session with as many individuals as the school wishes. T at can include anyone from teachers and support staff to governors and volunteers who go into school to help children with reading. In addition, the package includes an assembly dealing with the
issue of bereavement, a donation of books that help address the topic, and working with the school to update its policies.
Mark said: “If the school doesn’t feel comfortable at fi rst with the
idea of an assembly, that’s fi ne. I will deliver the training and am always happy to fi eld follow-up questions at the time or if they want to email me later. Our package compares with some bereavement courses that can be around £250 per person, and it can be covered through mental health funding. “Death is a diffi cult topic to speak to children about. What
matters though, is understanding how to deal with children experiencing a bereavement, because just like adults, they need to deal with it in their own way. “T e school might be the fi rst to see that a child’s behaviour has
changed, they might become more withdrawn, or they might start to behave in a way that gets attention. Some children want to talk about it, others might want to just sit in silence with their thoughts. T e important thing is that they are given the space to express how they feel in their own way with someone who is there for them.” T e intention is that the Education Liaison Programme will
eventually be rolled out to workplaces but, in the meantime, if any business is especially keen to gain more understanding of bereavement, the Harry’s Rainbow team will be happy to assist.
Find out more about the work of Harry’s Rainbow and its Education Liaison package by visiting
www.harrysrainbow.co.uk or contact Mark Creasy on 01908 061676.
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