Evaluation of a British child bereavement service: The user's perspective

Objective: This article summarizes the findings from a 3-year independent evaluation of a regional Child Bereavement Service (CBS). The service was commissioned by a Primary Care Trust in Northern England, and funded by a British cancer charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. The need for a CBS was recognized by members of a Palliative Care Group who identified a gap in local services for bereaved children, who may be susceptible to short/long-term psychiatric/psychological disorders. The service was established to offer support for professionals working with bereaved children and their family. Method: Interventions provided by the service included pre/post bereavement support, individual work with the child and/or family, and group work. An evaluation (2004-2007), was conducted to inform service development utilizing semi-structured interviews with parents/carers of service users (n = 20), and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals (n = 8). Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using grounded theory methods. Results: Referrals were higher than expected. Sixty per year were anticipated; however, in the first year alone, there were 255 referrals. Health and social care professionals who attended training courses, provided by the CBS staff, expressed confidence in providing bereavement support themselves, or by making appropriate referrals to the CBS. Parents and carers welcomed a service specifically for their children. Significance of results: The CBS is a viable organization that supports bereaved children as expressed in this article.