We offer a wide range of support to patients, their families and carers, including:
St Richard’s also provides Bereavement Support Worcestershire (BSSW) to anyone registered with a South Worcestershire GP. BSSW offers bereavement counselling in a group setting to adults, young people and children. In addition, it can offer practical advice and signposting.
BSSW offers support for any type of bereavement, but staff very often work with people who have experienced traumatic and unexpected death such as suicide, road traffic collisions, death from cardiac arrest, accidental death, and multiple deaths.
Click to view Family Support and Bereavement Support South Worcestershire referral criteria
Bereavement Support South Worcestershire offers support to grieving adults between three months and three years following a bereavement.
For St Richard’s Hospice Bereavement Service, support can be offered at any point in a person’s grief journey.
For both services, people aged under 18 can be referred at any stage following their bereavement. Referrals can be made by a parent or guardian, or professional.
Our staff are trained to work therapeutically in pre and post bereavement care. The safety and wellbeing of each individual is paramount. Therefore, it is essential that we work within our skillset and competence as professionals. This safeguards both individuals and professionals.
We are:
- unlikely to support individuals who are actively suicidal, self-harming, or at high risk.
- unlikely to be able to offer support if another external agency is providing therapeutic support, e.g. Mental health
- unlikely to support if clients are actively using substances to cope/manage. This needs to be under control and well managed before we can accept the referral.
- St Richard’s Hospice and Bereavement Support South Worcestershire are unlikely to offer urgent pre and post bereavement support.
If we are not able to offer support we will signpost individuals to other services so they can access the right support at the right time.
We will:
- consider each individual. If it is determined that an individual does not meet the criteria for our service we will we will look at alternative options including signposting, and may on occasion offer a brief intervention if appropriate.
- signpost individuals and health professionals to specialist services, both local and national.
- offer training in pre-and-post bereavement support for external staff by the St Richard’s Learning Team
