Professionals
We welcome referrals from professionals for bereaved young people aged between 0-17. We know it can be difficult for a grieving family to seek support. Parental consent is required for referrals made for children aged under 16, and the young person’s consent if aged 16-17. Once a referral is made, we will make contact with the family to progress their support. If there are any reasons as to why you feel the family are unable to progress their referral please make us aware.
We can offer support whether the person died very recently or a long time ago. If the family are allocated a Child Bereavement Support Worker, they will keep you updated and work alongside other agencies.
Covid-19 update: We are currently unable to deliver all of the services referred to on our website due to the Covid-19 outbreak. However, please still get in touch with us as we are still here to help – please click here to find out how best to make contact with us.
Training for professionals
Nelson’s Journey is currently offering free 1-hour Covid-19 Bereavement Awareness Training online to Professionals working with children and young people in Norfolk. For information about the training and to register, please visit our online training page.
Online forum
Our online forum helps bereaved children and young people to share their feelings, memories and experiences. Only young people supported by Nelson’s Journey can access the forum, and all messages are monitored before they appear. Families are provided with their childrens’ login details after we receive a referral.
Megan’s story
Megan talks about when her Dad died and her experience with Nelson’s Journey
How Nelson’s Journey can help
We provide different services depending on the individual needs of each child / young person. These may include:
- Telephone guidance through our Support Line.
- A professional assessment of the child / young person’s needs by one of our Child Bereavement Support Workers. This gives an opportunity for the child / young person to talk about their feelings and memories of who died, and talk about ways to cope with their feelings and remember their special person.
- Following an assessment, it may be that further sessions are appropriate. Each session is around an hour, and sessions can be spread over several months depending on their needs.
- Group sessions, such as workshops or positive activities, may be offered where children can meet others with similar bereavement needs and experiences
The resources below are helpful if you directly support the children, and you please call us for further guidance. If you would like to refer a child / young person, there are details for how to do this at the bottom of the page.
It’s helpful if you explain to the family that Nelson’s Journey will assess which services are most appropriate for their child / young person’s individual needs. Most children won’t need access to all of the services that we offer for their needs to be met.
Resources you can use and share
Sometimes, you may be able to provide the support a family needs by sharing our resources for use at home – or otherwise by making use of them in your own practice.
Try our Smartphone App, ‘Smiles and Tears’
Save your memories, remember your special person and seek support from our free smartphone app, developed by our young volunteers and available to download from Google Play and the App Store.
FAQs (printable version)
Memory Book
At Time of Bereavement Booklet
Ways to remember
Book List for Professionals
Sleep tips for teenagers
Sleep tips for younger children
#ExamReady
Memory Bricks
Activity sheet: ‘Things I loved about you’
Activity sheet: ‘Things I remember about you’
Refer a child or young person for support
Please note: we are only able to accept referrals for young people up to their 18th birthday who live in Norfolk.
We welcome referrals from any professional working with a child. Please call us on 01603 431 788 so that we can discuss the child’s needs in detail with you, and how we might be able to help. We can also suggest other services which may be able to support them. We have Child Bereavement Support Workers on duty between:
Monday 9:30am – 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am– 4:30pm
Thursday 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am – 4:00pm
We are closed on bank holidays and at weekends.
Please have as much information as possible to hand when you call. For example, the person who died, when they died, the cause of their death and the effect this is having on the child / young person.
If Nelson’s Journey can provide an appropriate service for their needs, we will contact the family to inform them that you’ve referred their child / young person, and to ask that they also contact us. We understand this may be difficult for some families and we can discuss how to help with this when you refer them.
When the parent / carer calls us, we will discuss the concerns about their child’s needs, and assess if Nelson’s Journey services can help. Some families will be allocated to a named Child Bereavement Support Workers, and we also provide a telephone Support Line service which can provide the fastest and most appropriate means of support.
Positive Activities
We offer children and young people referred to us (and on occasions their families) the opportunity to take part in one off positive activities. These may include outings, events or activities that offer children and young people the opportunity to meet others who’ve had similar experiences and help them relax and enjoy themselves. These positive activities may be run by NJ staff or by other providers and partners.
Weekends and activity days
Some children join us for a residential weekend or one-day programme at Hilltop Outdoor Centre and learn how to cope with emotions and new ways of remembering their special person who died. They build their self-confidence and make new friends. A Child Bereavement Support Worker will discuss with families whether this could be a helpful service for their child’s needs.
Contact Us
Nelson’s Journey, Bradbury Building - Smiles House, Octagon Business Park, Hospital Road, Little Plumstead, Norwich, NR13 5FH
