Bereavement

While this is most likely not an area where you will have expertise, you may have your own personal experience to draw on.

It is important to note that people often experience and deal with bereavement very differently, so try not to assume that your own experience will be replicated.

If students tell you about a bereavement that they have suffered, you can help by:

• Sympathising with them and simply listening to them if they need to talk. This does not mean you have to do anything other than listen.
• Identifying if there is anything practical that you can do in your role as a member of staff e.g. do they need advice on getting a coursework extension, or on how to catch up with a class they have missed?
• Directing them to or working through with them some guidance on manging grief and loss. 
• If they look like they are really not coping well and it is having a prolonged impact on them, suggesting that they seek some help from the Welfare Team.