The IBCN – which works to promote the voice of bereaved children – developed the draft standards to help create a consistent and quality approach to supporting bereaved children nationwide.
The network hopes the standards will be implemented nationally and used as a best practice model by professionals as well as family and other concerned adults supporting bereaved children.
To ensure the standards are robust, accurate and completely fit for purpose the ICBN is welcoming feedback.
Brid Carroll, chair of the ICBN advisory committee said: “The appropriate standard of care and support should be provided to children so that their bereavement needs can be met regardless of their religion, culture, gender or economic status of their location within Ireland.
Ms Carroll who is Co-ordinator of the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Professional Certificate in Children and Loss said: “It’s intended that the standards are used by all adults, by professionals, by volunteer organisations and by policy makers who are concerned about bereaved children.”
Two in every one hundred children in Ireland lose a parent by the time they are nine years old. Up to one in twenty children lose a parent by the time they are 18.
In most situations children can be supported through their grief through accurate information and emotional support from their family and community. But others may have extended needs that require support outside of the home.
Studies have shown long-term physical and mental health implications into older adulthood for those bereaved of a parent in childhood.
The five Draft Standards for Supporting Bereaved Children are:
- Child: Children’s experience of bereavement will be recognised, acknowledged and supported in accordance with their needs over time.
- Family: The family is generally the main source of care for the bereaved child and may require access to reassurance, information, guidance and support to provide this care.
- Local Community: All bereaved children should have access to bereavement information, guidance and support services in their local community.
- Service providers: All service providers must ensure that governance, procedures and protocols are in place to ensure ethical, safe and appropriate bereavement service delivery to the children in their care.
- Standard 5 – National: National policy and local infrastructure includes appropriate responses to and integrates the needs of bereaved children.
The full document is available to view on the ICBN’s website: www.childhoodbereavement.ie
Feedback should be returned to nicola.jordan@hospicefoundation.ie by December 20th.
Britain’s first Children’s Commissioner, Professor Sir Al Aynsley Green was among the guest speakers at the ICBN’s recent “Children Grieve Too” Conference. It marked the end of the first ever Bereaved Children’s Week.
Sir Al said children are often “hidden mourners” who grieve under the radar of many services, even though bereavement can have enduring and life-changing consequences for many of them.
He said “there is a huge unmet need for many adults in coming to terms with childhood bereavement. “
The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN) shares a vision that all children and young people, together with the adults in their lives, can easily access a choice of high quality local and national information, guidance and support to enable them to manage the impact of death on their lives.
IBCN is funded by the Irish Hospice Foundation and Tusla. It was founded in 2012 to act as a hub for those working with bereaved children, young people and their families.
Membership is open to professionals working directly with bereaved children, those who occasionally support them and people interested in the area of children and young people’s loss.
The network is governed by an Advisory Panel with representatives from bereavement services nationally including Barnardos, Anam Cara, Rainbows Ireland, Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Our Lady’s Hospice, Tusla, Milford Hospice, Limerick and Cois Ceim Counselling, CorkSharon Vard – Anam Cara
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