Bereavement & Loss Support: Support Services

The Spiritual Care Department operates a Bereavement Service and provides either one to one support or there is group facilitation. This can be arranged through contacting the Bereavement Coordinator or self referral

• SIMBA

To honour babies who have died, been stillborn or miscarried.  https://www.simbacharity.org.uk/search?search=western+isles

• Sèimh

Western Isles baby and child loss support group, information can be found on facebook or by contacting 0778 904 3879

• Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

If you have lost someone who used alcohol or drugs, our bereavement service is here to support you.

https://www.sfad.org.uk/service/sfad-bereavement-service-drug-related-deaths-western-isles

The Community Chaplaincy Listening (CCL) service is available in GP surgeries and also by telephone where appropriate. It is not a counselling service, but instead offers a trained CCL listener to help you tell your story; understand your feelings and provide a safe space to explore a way forward for your own sense of health and wellbeing.

• View our leaflet Community Chaplaincy Listening (CCL) Service

Values Based Reflective Practice is used to support staff wellbeing, it provides practical tools within a safe and boundaried space in which to reflect in a supportive and creative environment.

The Spiritual Care Department provides a a safe and confidential staff listening service which is available either through direct contact with the team or through requesting support from their line manager.

When someone close to us dies, life can very quickly become profoundly different and very difficult. Initially, you may feel numbed by what has happened, or kept occupied by all the practicalities that have to be attended to. After a while, everyone else’s life can seem to return to normal and you may feel left behind, wondering how you can go on. For some people, meeting with others (individually or in a group) can be helpful, but because we are all different, others prefer to grieve more privately. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions but there are some coping strategies that may be relevant to you and that you might wish to try. Listed below are some useful self-help resources.

Resources & Links

There are numerous self-help books available now. Many are excellent, some are not, and of course what suits one person will not suit all. Look for self-help books that have been recommended to you by someone you trust, or endorsed by a reputable organisation or health or social care professional. The same is true of websites.

NHS Education for Scotland Reflections of Life Words of Comfort and Encouragement

Good places to start online might include:

• Mindfulness and Grief, an organisation offering resources and links to help navigate the paths of grief.
• NHS Scotland also offers a variety of online support: Moodjuice, produces self-help guides, including one specifically about bereavement.
• The website of Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland includes a selection of leaflets and web-based information.
• Macmillan Cancer Support have a specific bereavement section in their Online Community.
• AfterTalk is an online grief support site offering blogs, inspiring quotes, and interactive writing tools to help you engage with and manage your grief. It's an America-based site but its content is internationally relevant.