Invitation to young people to take part
Hello
We are reviewing the support available for young people when someone close to them has died. We are really sorry that you have experienced the death of someone close to you. We hope that you have trusted friends and adults around you to support you.
Bereavement is a tricky subject to talk about. We don’t talk about it often, and many people feel awkward discussing death, dying and bereavement. Many people feel uncomfortable and often don’t know what to say. Many people may have had their own experiences, and talking about a death may mean remembering something they find painful or sad.
We think it’s important that we do talk about it. The new United Kingdom Commission on Bereavement is asking bereaved children, young people and adults what happened when someone close to them died. We want to find out how we can improve help and support for everyone when someone close to them dies.
If your bereavement was in the last three years, we would like to ask you some questions about how it has been for you, and get your ideas about how support can be better for young people in the future – because you are one of the experts. The survey will take you about 25 minutes.
Here are some questions you might have about taking part.
Do I have to take part?
No – it’s completely up to you. Please don’t take part if you don’t feel up to it – we won’t mind. It might be easier to take part if some time has passed after your bereavement – six months or so.
What if I get upset?
Taking part might make you feel difficult things as you reflect on your experiences of bereavement. It’s ok to feel those feelings. Check with your parent or carer before you take the survey, and make sure you have someone you trust around as you complete it, so you can talk about any concerns or feelings you have. They can read more about the survey here. It’s fine to take a break, miss out any questions you don’t want to answer, or stop completely.
What if I need more support?
If you need more support after taking part, there is information here about places you can speak to. You may already be receiving some help and support from them or places like them. Please do use them if you need to – they are there for you, your family and your friends. We will remind you of this information at the end of the survey.
What will you do with the things I say?
We will collate all the responses received, analyse them and highlight ways that support could be improved for bereaved people. The report will contain anonymised information, no names, schools or places will be mentioned. We hope that government and other organisations will read the report and help improve support for bereaved children, young people and adults in the future.
Will my answers be private?
Yes, we will keep the things you say private unless we are worried about you or someone else.
We will keep your contact information and answers until the report has been published. We keep these personal data so that we can
- find your answers if you change your mind about taking part
- respond to any safeguarding concerns. All responses to the survey will be reviewed on a regular basis. If a child, young person, or adult shares any information that they themselves or anyone else maybe at risk of harm we will follow this up in line with our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures. If we need to take action to protect a child, young person, or adult at risk we may need to contact you directly or we may need to share your contact information in a referral to the Local Authority/Health and Social Care Board (NI) (safeguarding team).
After the report has been published, we will remove any information from your answers that could identify you, and we will keep this anonymised data until the end of 2023.
What if I change my mind?
You can stop doing the survey at any time. And if you decide afterwards that you don’t want to take part, you can email us by 31 January and we will delete your answers.
Can I save my progress and return to the survey?
No. There isn’t a way to save the survey and return to it, so if you need more time, perhaps minimise the survey, or put your device down and see how you feel later on.
If you have any other questions call 0800 090 2309 or contact us
