Professionals
We welcome referrals from professionals, as it can be difficult for a grieving family to seek support. We need parental consent for referrals made for children aged under 16, and the young person’s consent if 16+. 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.
Megan’s story
Megan talks about when her Dad died and her experience with Nelson’s Journey
Residential weekends and activity days
We run these several times a year at Hilltop Outdoor Centre in Sheringham. They are a mix of building self-confidence, making friends, how to cope with emotions and ways to remember the person who has died. The family’s Child Bereavement Support Worker will discuss whether this would be appropriate for their child.
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.
Try Smiles and Tears, our new Smartphone App
Save your memories, remember your special person and seek support from our new, free, smartphone app available to download from Google Play and the App Store.
Online forum
Our forum for children and young people to share their feelings, memories and experiences. All messages are monitored by Nelson’s Journey before they go on the forum. It’s only for young people supported by NJ and there are photos and videos. We can let you know the family know their childrens’ login details as soon as we receive a referral.
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.
“I was kept regularly updated on how the family were doing, which was helpful in making sure we weren’t doing activities that were too similar.”
School Pastoral Worker in Great Yarmouth
Some resources you can use
You may find these resources helpful
FAQ’S (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
Refer a child or young person for support
Please note: we are only able to support young people up to their 18th birthday who live in Norfolk
We welcome referrals from any professional working with a child. We have slightly changed our referral process recently – we no longer have an online referral form for professionals so instead please call us on 01603 431 788 to make a referral. We can then discuss the child’s needs in detail with you, and to discuss 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 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am – 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 support is felt to be the appropriate service for them, we will then send an email or letter to the family. This will inform them that you have referred their child / young person to us, and explain that we now need them to call us themselves.
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 they have about their child, and assess which Nelson’s Journey services are appropriate. This does not necessarily mean they will see one of our Child Bereavement Support Workers in person – we also provide a telephone support line where this is felt to be most appropriate at that stage.
Thank you for your understanding – these changes will help us to use our service and resources as effectively as we can.
