In the UK, nearly 135,000 people aged 25-69 years old died of cancer in 2021, many of whom left behind children whose world changed overnight. Schools can be a place of support, offering routine when home feels uncertain. Yet staff often feel unsure how to support these vulnerable children.
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Our unique programme will prepare 2,000 school staff with specialised training to support children with confidence and compassion before their parent dies. “Living with a dying parent is considered one of the most traumatic experiences in a child’s life” (Philips, 2014) and “children are most vulnerable before bereavement” (Siegel, 1996) making this intervention vital for healthy development. By equipping staff to provide timely support, we can help prevent emotional, social or academic setbacks
Schools should prioritise pre-bereavement skills and policies, not just post-loss support (Wray et al., 2022). RSF’s new “Responding in the Moment” (RiM) programme solves the problem by providing 2-hour eLearning and advanced one-day training courses, to enhance staff confidence and promote holistic support in schools when managing pre-bereavement. RiM also marks the launch of a new Minecraft Education game ‘Detect & Diagnose’, aimed to help children aged 8-11 understand more about cancer.
