A Gold Standard for Bereavement Signposting

What Might a Gold Standard Signposting Service Look Like? 

1. Be an Online Service

Many organisations provide signposting and information in printed form.  This will always run the risk of becoming out of date.  A quality and reliable signposting service should be an online service where information can be easily changed and kept relevant to changing situations.

2. Be a Dedicated Service

Many organisations signpost to bereavement services on website pages but this will always be limited and can lead bereaved people down ‘blind alleys’ when that too becomes out of date.  Quality and reliable signposting should be run by a dedicated team, ensuring information is kept up to date by regularly checking with services and information providers.

3. Offer the Range of Bereavement Services

Gold Standard signposting will list as many bereavement services as possible to provide choice for bereaved people. This is important because one size does not fit all:

1. People are bereaved in different circumstances and help from services specifically related the type of loss they are dealing with, whether by relationship or cause of death, is often most useful.

2. People often need age, ethnicity, faith, gender and culture appropriate services.

3. Many small, informal services provided by faith and other community groups often provide valuable and effective support.

4. Directing to the range of services allows bereaved people to choose the types of service that suit their personality, learning styles, preferences and needs. 

5. Choice allows people to access more than one type of support to provide holistic, all-round help, e.g. local assistance often complements specialist support.

6. Choice also allows bereaved people to access support according to availability and affordability, including those free of charge.

7. Choice spreads the load across services and avoids long waiting lists.  Delays in seeking support can lead to mental and physical ill-health, substance abuse, relationship breakdown, low attainment, job-loss, etc.

4. Be Comprehensive

Bereavement affects every area of life.  Gold Standard signposting will provide access to all forms of help in addition to services – information, resources, products etc , from administrative and practical, to financial and legal, as well as grief support and therapists – everything that a bereaved person needs leading up to the death, around the time of death and further down the line.   This will enable self-help alongside the support given by professionals.

5. Ensure Emergency Help Can Be Found

Easy access to the range of helplines to provide emergency help is important in bereavement.  Suicidal thoughts are common in grief – especially when bereaved by suicide - and unsupported grief can lead to depression.  Bereaved people need to know where they can find emergency help and for this to be immediately and clearly available.

6. Be Accessible

Gold Standard signposting should provide information for bereaved people that is sensitively written and simple to use.  Many bereaved people experience trauma and need help with navigating complex circumstances and challenges at a time of reduced functionality.  Being able to access information in their preferred language will also help.

7. Provide Geographical Equity

Gold Standard signposting should ensure bereaved people can access the same high standard of support anywhere in the UK, because. 

1. Access to personalised bereavement support should not be dependent on postcode availability.

2. Someone may die in a different part of the country to their family. Being able to search where the individual lives is essential.

8. Provide Life-Long Bereavement Support

Access to support should be available for everyone whenever they need help to process their grief. Gold Standard signposting should be a vital and integral part of the NHS’s plans for universal Personalised Care.

1. Helping loved ones and carers facing the loss of someone nearing the end of their life to access information about support should be part of the care offered by Palliative Services.

2. Universal and routine referral to support at the critical time immediately following the death should be part of the care and support offered to bereaved families by professionals encountering them at this time – health care professionals, funeral directors, medical examiners etc.

3. After a funeral, bereaved people often need support and information about how to deal with the ‘sadmin’ such as probate, finances and accounts, as well as personal health and well-being, dealing with anniversaries and how to remember and celebrate their loved one.

4. Grief can be life-long. People can often delay processing their grief and need support many months, often years after the death occurs.  Information about support needs to be available whenever it is needed.

9. Be a Free Service

For every bereaved person to access the support they deserve, and for professionals to fully support them, quality signposting should be free to users, whether health care and other professionals or bereaved individuals, and properly funded to ensure ongoing provision.

10. Recognised, Endorsed and Valued

Gold Standard signposting could make a major contribution to the personalised care provision required by the 2022 Health and Care Act.  To achieve this, the service needs to be endorsed and supported by professionals, valued and added to by service providers, and shared widely, so that everyone always knows where to find bereavement support and information when they need it.

For further information contact: office@ataloss.org

AtaLoss welcomes this website being directed to by organisations and professionals all along the grief journey, from anticipatory grief through to memorials, special occasions, and life events (potential trigger points). Download our logo here. Describe us as 'AtaLoss.org, the signposting hub for finding UK wide bereavement support services, helplines and information.'