Situation:
It is estimated that every school class in Northern Ireland (NI) will have at least one child who has been bereaved by a parent or sibling, and most children will have experienced the death of someone close to them by the time they leave school. In spite of this schools in NI do not routinely teach pupils about grief, loss or bereavement (Grief Encounter, 2024)
Aim
• To raise awareness of Palliative Care, Grief and Bereavement amongst Year 8 pupils in Dunclug College, Ballymena.
Objectives
• Improved understanding of palliative care, grief and bereavement
• Awareness of resources and where to access further support
• Development of coping skills should anyone close to them die now or later in life
• Promote ongoing conversations with family and friends around palliative care and bereavement
• Increased community awareness of palliative care and bereavement
Task:
• An Initial meeting was arranged with Religious Education and Pastoral Care leads from Dunclug College to discuss ideas and appropriate ways to present information, taking into consideration any special educational needs.
• A focus group with staff and students was used to decide on a name for the project
• A number of meetings took place with Sarah McKillop (RE Teacher) to develop the content of the workshop
• Feedback on the workshop content was sought from expert staff to ensure it was appropriate; including a Specialist Palliative Care Social Worker and Chaplain, as well as Autism and Learning Support leads from Dunclug College, to ensure accessibility was maximised
• An Information letter and consent form were sent to parents/guardians
• Workshop programme delivered by Tracey Stewart, Specialist Palliative Care Dietitian, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT)
• Teaching staff supported delivery. They were present to help monitor for and respond to any child who became distressed. Also, they supported with pupils with the artwork component of the workshop
• Pre and post workshop questionnaires were used to assess knowledge
• Teacher’s feedback was captured using an evaluation form
Content of workshop:
PowerPoint presentation
o Why Elephants?
o What is Palliative Care?
o Who delivers Palliative Care?
o What do Palliative Care Dietitians do?
o Food – so much more than just nutrition
o Memories
o How do we feel when someone dies
o Good friend recipe
o Elephant shortbread recipe
Creating a piece of artwork
o Art work to form a memory wall
Action:
An interactive fifty-minute workshop for year 8 pupils was coproduced by Tracey Stewart Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Dietitian, NHSCT and Sarah McKillop, RE Teacher, Dunclug College Ballymena.
The workshop which is comprised of a presentation, art work project and follow up assembly, uses the theme of elephants and focuses on food and memories to raise awareness of palliative care, grief, loss and bereavement.
The art project captured each pupil’s personal memories and was displayed in the school to act as a conversation starter for other pupils, reinforcing the messages from the workshop. Each pupil who took part in the workshop was given a signposting bookmark, an elephant cookie cutter and shortbread recipe to keep and use at home. When used at home, the cutter will help to start conversations with other family members about palliative care and bereavement. This will enhance awareness of palliative care, grief and bereavement within the family and local community, with the hope that people will feel more at ease at discussing these important topics and will be able to talk more freely about their preferences and wishes.
A follow up assembly 6 months later was used as an opportunity to reinforce the messages of the workshop and to check knowledge.
Result:
Feedback from pupils
After the session
• 67% of pupils reported they understood more about palliative care
• 55% of pupils reported they understood more about bereavement
• 78% of pupils reported they understood more about grief
One pupil commented – “It helped me deal with the death of my parents”
Feedback from teachers
• Very worthwhile and valuable teaching experience to our student body. The feedback has been amazing, from pupils, parents and staff alike, many of whom have made personal contact with me and thanked our school for hosting such an event
• The session was excellent. It was clearly delivered at a level of understanding suitable for the age group
• The opportunity to discuss the art naturally developed into a conversation about the reasons for this. There were some very powerful conversations witnessed
• It was good to see the different ways grief and bereavement can be explained in an age-appropriate way
Feedback from parents
• Glad this is being offered, it’s so important
• Could information sessions be offered for parents?
What would be done differently:
• Consider input of other professionals during session
• Wider engagement with community organisations to support resources
• Timing of session and delivery within school schedule
other comments:
Future plans include:
• adapting the workshop for Primary School pupils
• providing training to teachers who wish to deliver the workshop independently
• Workshop for Learning Support Assistants
