Children and Young People

The Family Support Service offers pre- and post-bereavement support to children and young people up to 21 years of age. Referrals can be internal or external, and can be submitted up to three years following the date of bereavement.

For external referrals, there is no requirement for an existing connection to the hospice, as long as the patient had a life-limiting illness and lived within the hospice catchment area of Glasgow and parts of East Renfrewshire.

The Family Support Team includes a Young Person’s Development Worker, Social Worker, Counsellor, Music Therapist and Chaplain, who provide therapy, emotional and spiritual support. The team is also supported by regular volunteers.

The Butterfly Service is for children under 12 years old.
STAGES (Safe, Talk, Advice, Grow, Express, Support) is for young people aged 12 to 21.

Parent and carer support is also provided, focusing on the impact of grief on children and young people. This helps parents and carers feel more confident and supports a more family-centred approach.

The team liaises with schools across the catchment area to ensure a consistent approach. The Young Person’s Development Worker and Social Worker also contribute to the education training day on loss, grief and bereavement, and the review of the Whole School Approach Toolkit.

The team provides support to a range of external professionals around loss, grief and bereavement. This support can be accessed via phone or email, and training can also be delivered.

The Family Support Team regularly reviews service provision to ensure the changing needs of our community are recognised and responded to. For example, we are currently developing a sibling support service.

The team works closely with other hospice services, including the Creative Arts Service and the Young Adult Service, to ensure a holistic approach to care.

In addition to the children and young people’s service, we also provide support to patients and family members through the adult service. The criteria for this are slightly different, as there must be or have been a connection to the hospice.