CHUMS Specialist Bereavement Service in Kent

Specialist support is needed when a child or young person is experiencing complex grief or traumatic bereavement. This might mean that it is extra hard for them to manage the death and so it is having an enduring negative impact on everyday life.

This might be because of the way the person died or because various other factors are disrupting their ability to grieve. Children and young people who need specialist support are likely to be experiencing difficulties with anxiety, low mood, overwhelming emotions or post traumatic symptoms related to their bereavement.

Bereavement and grief present unique challenges for all who experience them but children and young people who experience the loss of a loved one unexpectedly often require specialist help and support through our work.

CHUMS continues to offer bereavement support in Kent and Medway through bereavement groups for children and young people; 1:1 bereavement support; telephone advice and guidance and bereavement literature.

Full details about the service are available via the CHUMS website and referrals can be made through our CHUMS referral form

For more information on our Specialist Bereavement Service, visit the CHUMS Kent Bereavement Service page

Volunteer for CHUMS: Working in partnership to achieve maximum impact

A large part of how we deliver services is working with volunteers, those who have lived experience, and those who want to help, from driving to admin, to assisting at bereavement workshops. Without volunteers our services wouldn’t reach as many in need and wouldn’t have the same richness and depth. Over the past 25 years we have refined our delivery model based on feedback from those who have used the service. Current provision includes individual support, drop-in’s, group work, parent and carer support, crisis support and training. All delivered by CHUMS clinical therapists, supported by volunteers and our back office.

We want to be a part of the health support community in Kent and Medway, building a strong connection with the community and join what we know is a thriving, systemwide collaborative approach. Our experience elsewhere tells us that only by all services working together, can the children, young people and young adults be truly supported in a holistic, needs led way.

If you are interested in supporting CHUMS as a volunteer or on a placement then please contact CHUMS by emailing volunteers@chums.uk.com.

Work for CHUMS in Kent and Medway

We are currently recruiting for the following positions in support of our Specialist Bereavement Service in Kent and Medway. If you think you’d be a good fit for either of the roles below, we’d love to hear from you.

• Family Wellbeing Practitioner, Bereavement Placement - Kent
• Bereavement Service Manager, Kent

Visit our website and apply today

CHUMS: A long history of providing bereavement support

CHUMS started as a voluntary service in early 1997. In 2000, CHUMS became an NHS Bereavement Service, and since becoming an independent Social Enterprise 10 years ago, has been delivering Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Services to children and young people. We now deliver nine services across the spectrum of Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing, sharing our head office in Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, with CHUMS Charity, who raise funds for additional bespoke services that we deliver.

For more information about CHUMS, contact Ed Smith, Head of Marketing and Media on 07889 973422 or by email on ed@edsmithcreative.co.uk.