Sands has supported bereaved families and and professionals for over 40 years.
Through our consultancy services we help organisations develop and implement best practice to ensure bereaved parents receive the support they need when they need it most.
We can support statutory, voluntary and corporate services on all issues relating to the death of a baby, ensuring that organisations and individuals have the knowledge, skills and confidence to work with the bereaved.
Health Care
Sands consultancy works with with health care Trusts and Boards to ensure staff are supported and bereaved families receive the best possible care.
We use national guidelines as a starting point and work with organisations to find optimal ways to incorporate this guidance into clinical practice, in often challenging environments and with limited resources.
Whether it is advice on specific issues, the development of a parent-centred bereavement care service or broader training requirements for staff, we have the knowledge and expertise to help.
Bereavement in the workplace
There are many things that employers can do to support staff who have experienced a bereavement. Central to this is an awareness amongst management about the impact of pregnancy loss and the death of a baby, and having policies and procedures in place to support staff returning to work.
Sands can provide a tailored service to meet the needs of any organisation, visit here to find out more about our bereavement in the workplace services.
For further information on how Sands could help to support your organisation contact us at corporate.partnerships@sands.org.uk
Case Study - Bereavement in the workplace
Sands was pleased to pilot its Training for Employers workshops with Lendlease and their mental health first aiders network.
Lendlease, a leading international property and infrastructure group with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas, started their mental health programme five years ago and have a strong commitment to supporting the wellbeing of employees in their workplace.
The sessions enabled participants to develop the knowledge and skills needed to feel confident in communicating sensitively with staff whose baby has died, and to develop an understanding of current employment rights.
Paul Hay, Environment, Health and Safety Training Manager at Lendlease Europe, said: “It’s incredibly important for us as a company to support the wellbeing and mental health of all our employees. Ensuring we have the right support in place for anyone who has been affected by baby loss is a crucial part of our mental health programme and so it was imperative that we took part in these informative and expertly delivered training workshops from Sands.”
Emma Cann, Framework Lead at Lendlease, said: “Returning to work after the loss of a baby is isolating and overwhelming. By training staff to understand how they can support colleagues after such a devastating loss will help make that step a little less daunting.”
The new consultancy services are an important new area of work for Sands, allowing us to work with organisations to ensure that bereaved parents receive the right support in the workplace.
A bereaved parent said: “It was difficult for me to return to work after my son was stillborn. On my first day back one of my senior colleagues met me outside so I had someone to walk into the building with, this made it a bit easier to do. Many people think that mentioning your baby will make you sad but actually I really appreciate it when people at work talk about her.”