Childhood Bereavement Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate

St Christopher’s Hospice and Help the Hospices are working in partnership to deliver the UK's first stand-alone university-validated programmes in childhood bereavement. Teaching is led by staff from the Candle Project, which provides bereavement support to children and families in south-east London. Leading expert practitioners from the field of childhood bereavement and related disciplines teach on the course. Guest lecturers include: Prof Barbara Monroe, Julie Stokes, Dr Colin Murray Parkes, David Trickey, Alison Penny and Dr Jane McCarthy.

These innovative programmes, validated by Middlesex University, are offered as a Diploma and a Postgraduate Certificate. Each of the programmes is taught as two modules on a parttime basis over nine months. Students will be required to attend:

• two non-residential sessions (Friday am to Saturday pm) at the beginning and end of the course at St Christopher's Hospice, London SE26 6DZ and
• six one-day sessions at Help the Hospices, London WC1X 9JG

Recently re-validated by Middlesex University, the courses were commended for:

• their impact on the development of bereavement services across the UK
• the richness of the programmes with practising clinicians and outside experts
• the quality of the support from tutors and the librarian
• their contribution to the personal and career development of students and
• the way in which they model good practice of inter-professional work.

This programme offers a unique opportunity to link theory to practice but is currently not accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Working with Bereaved Children, Young People and Families: Module 1 (Diploma: 20 credits at Level 2); Module 3 (Postgraduate Certificate: 20 credits at Level 4)

• Theories of bereavement
• child development; loss through the life-cycle; the family context
  the death of a child – the family perspective
• pre-bereavement issues
• children bereaved by a traumatic death
• assessment issues
• working with individuals, with families and in groups
• brief versus extended interventions, telephone work and
• supervision and support.

Context and Framework: Module 2 (Diploma: 20 Credits at Level 2); Module 4 (Postgraduate Certificate: 20 Credits at Level 4)

• Service development: assessing need and setting up a service
• setting standards for service delivery: recordkeeping; monitoring and maintaining quality; working with volunteers
• inter-agency working; referral to other services; working with minority groups
• legal issues and report writing
• a parent’s perspective and
• training issues for service providers: resources; methods; reflective practice.

Extended study for Postgraduate Certificate students

An extended essay – the chosen topic of which should relate to material covered in both Modules 3 and 4 and which should make reference to the real-life experiences of children and/or of young people and their families.

Further information or applications
Administrative Officer, Childhood Bereavement Programmes, Help the Hospices, 34-44 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JG
Telephone 020 7520 8200
Fax 020 7278 1021
Email childhoodbereavement@helpthehospices.org.uk