Bereavement Support Hub

Family Support Line

Our Family Support Line is available Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. Your call will be answered by one of our Family Support Workers, who will help you with your request.

Whether you need advice or support, have questions about respite, want to be referred for counselling or therapies, or would just like someone to talk to, we are here for you.

If you are aware of a family who may need our support, get in touch with us here.

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Named Team Member

Each bereaved family is given a dedicated Named Team Member, who will help guide and support you during the first three years after your child dies.

Your Named Team Member can be there to support you during the first few weeks, providing specialist advice and helping you with questions, challenges and practicalities you might face. They can help you address the needs of all the members of your family (from the youngest to the grown-ups).

Your Named Team Member can provide you with information about the support you can access for the first three year of your bereavement. This includes access to counselling, therapies, family memory days, social groups, support visits and resources.

Your Named Team Member will call you three times during the first year to talk about how you are and to offer any further care. They will call again at 18 months. You are encouraged to call your Named Team Member or our Family Support Line at any time you need support, or would value time to talk. Some families choose to meet their Named Team Member for a cup of tea at one of our hospices, and others choose their home.

If possible, your Named Team Member will be a member of our team who had the privilege of knowing your child in their lifetime. We recognise the importance of you spending time with those who cared for your child. If your Named Team Member didn’t have this opportunity, they will appreciate getting to know all about your child through you.

If you have any questions or if you’re unsure who your Named Team Member is, please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Bereavement Pack

Our Bereavement information sheets can help answer questions and support you with some of the challenges that may arise.

• Grief of the newly bereaved
• When your baby dies
• When your only child dies
• When your grandchild dies
• Death of a stepchild
• Sibling grief in Children
• Sibling grief in young adults

If a bereaved parent or sibling requires more in-depth support then one of our therapists or counsellors can provide time and space to talk about and explore difficult feelings.  This maybe counselling sessions for adults, or creative therapy sessions for children.

Making Keepsakes

Making meaningful memories is at the heart of everything we do here at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, both throughout the child’s life and at the end of life.

Creating keepsakes to cherish after a child has died, helps to maintain the connection you shared with your child in their lifetime. We help create hand and foot casting, hand and foot printing, hair locks and memory boxes. We also work closely with external companies who can create personalised artwork and jewellery using a child’s individual prints.

We are passionate about making sure that these keepsakes are personal to each individual family, and our skilled staff are dedicated to creating these keepsakes in a dignified and sensitive way.

Memory making sessions can be facilitated in the hospice, in your home or in hospital.

For any questions or to request help making keepsakes please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Willow Suite and Cuddle Cot

We have a dedicated area at Christopher’s, with a private room where a child can lay at rest. This allows you and your family time to say goodbye in a safe environment, supported by an expert care team.

We can also provide cold blankets and cuddle cots. A cold blanket chills a mattress allowing the body of a child who has died to be preserved so that their family can spend extra hours or days with their child. This specialist equipment is especially important for parents who wish for their child to be at home in their final days, rather than at our hospice or hospital.

Our care staff are trained in the use of cold blankets and cuddle cots and helping family members understand how to use them.

Contact us for more information

Telephone – 01483 230960
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Read more

Funeral support

We are here to make every moment easier for the families we support. We can help you plan and organise your child’s funeral, guiding you every step of the way.

We can help you find charities and organisations that will support you with costs. This includes the Children’s Funeral Fund for England and further charities who can help towards additional costs.

We can help you find poems, readings, songs and share some of the elements other families have included in services to personalise it for them.

We will do everything we can to help you ensure that this important day is just how you wish it to be. If you have any questions now, or would like a short chat, please do make contact with us.

For help with a funeral please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Faith support

We support families from all faith backgrounds and are committed to expanding our knowledge and improving our practises. Religious leaders are welcomed at the hospice. If you would like us to arrange a visit from a leader of any particular faith, please speak to a member of the care team.  Alongside our knowledgeable staff we also have Church of England vicars who have an association with each of our hospices. They visit the hospices regularly and are available to explore life’s big questions and support you in your faith.

To access support please contact familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk or phone 01483 230 974

Spirituality support

Spirituality is embedded in our hospice values and in all our work with families. We recognise that spirituality means different things to different people. We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable with the hospice care they receive, as everyone’s values, thoughts, beliefs and ideas are important to us. We welcome any suggestions, questions or requests you may have to ensure our good practice.

Please email spirituality@shootingstar.org.uk with non-urgent enquiries.

For more pressing matters please contact:
Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Groups and events

Click on the link below to access details about our upcoming online and in-person events.

Having the opportunity to meet with other bereaved siblings, parents, and grandparents can be hugely beneficial for family members. Children and parents tell us that there are so few opportunities to talk to someone who shares this heart-breaking experience.

Many of our events include activities designed especially for children or specific family members, as well as opportunities for families to attend together.

Regular events include an annual Memory Day, time for dads to be together and a Grandparents’ Coffee Morning.

In-person events are run at our two hospice sites, as well as venues in the community.

View events

Stars and Leaves on our Memory Trees

In the tranquil Memory Gardens at our hospices, there are Memory Trees with stars and leaves hung permanently to honour the life of your child. At Shooting Star House, the tree is full of stainless steel, silver stars engraved with the child’s name and age. At Christopher’s, the tree is full of rust coloured copper leaves engraved with the child’s name and age. You can choose to have either a star at Shooting Star House or a leaf at Christopher’s.

The stars and leaves are usually hung during Memory Day which takes place annually in the summer, or they can be taken home for you to keep. This is a gift from Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. If at any time you would like to order additional stars or leaves, we can provide you with contact details so that these can be purchased directly from the sculptors.

If you’d like to ask any questions about our stars, leaves or Memory Day, please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Memory Day

We invite you to a Memory Day at the hospice each year for three years. This is a safe space to join with other families, treasuring your memories and the life of your child. The hospice is decorated with flowers and each room/space is prepared with activities and mementoes to create. There is a short service of remembrance including music and photos of your child, as well as time to light a candle. When the weather is fine, we move outside to fill the sky with bubbles floating up into the clouds.

Our hospices can be a special place to remember the life of your child. You can choose to have a page in the Memory Book (see link below) dedicated to your child. This can be created by your family or our resident artist. You can choose to have a star or leaf (see link below) to hang on one of our Memory Trees engraved with your child’s name. When you receive a Memory Day invitation you will be asked if you wish for either of these, so that they can be prepared for you for Memory Day.

Memory Day takes place in the summer, with an invitation that arrives in spring. We welcome mums, dads, brothers and sisters.

This year our Memory Day is taking place at Shooting Star House, with the opportunity to drive on to Christopher’s to hang or visit a leaf on the Memory Tree there. We hope that very soon we will be able to host Memory Days at Christopher’s also.

If you’d like to ask any questions about Memory Day or you haven’t received an invitation, please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Memory Book
 
Stars and Leaves
 

Dedicating a page in our Memory Book

Our Memory Books hold the names of all the children from Shooting Star Children’s Hospices who have died. We have a book at each hospice and since 2021, we have included the names of all of the children known to our care at both hospices.

We invite you to have a page in the Memory Book with a photo and words dedicated to your child. The page could include a photograph and a poem (or words of your choice). If you choose to have a page, our resident artist can decorate this for you. We ask you to let us know your child’s favourite colour or some illustrations that would be meaningful to you (e.g. hearts, stars or a favourite character like Winnie-the-Pooh), just as you wish. Or you may wish to take a page from the Memory Book to decorate yourself. It would then be bound back into the book.

We will ask you if you would like a page for your child when we invite you to our Memory Day. You should receive this invitation in the Spring, and the page would be ready for you when you attend our Memory Day in the summer. If you have a leaf on our Memory Tree at Christopher’s, your page will appear in the Memory Book placed in the Sanctuary at Christopher’s. If you have a star on our Memory Tree at Shooting Star House, your page will appear in the Memory Book placed in the Sanctuary at Shooting Star House.

We welcome you to visit the Memory Book and stars and leaves on the Memory Trees at times in the year that are special to you. We ask that you kindly let us know 7 days in advance so that we can make sure we can support you with this.

If you’d like to ask any questions about our Memory Book, Memory Trees or Memory Day, please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Counselling support for parents

Our team of experienced and fully qualified counsellors can offer psychological support via telephone, online or in person at Christopher’s or Shooting Star House. We can support you with a question you may have, or with ongoing sessions for you, or you and your partner together.

Counselling sessions offer the time and space to talk about your child, and your grief. Everyone in your family may experience this differently, with individual ways of feeling the pain and individual hopes and wishes for your future. Together with your counsellor, you can find ways that might help you manage each day.

Counselling sessions are confidential. In this safe environment, you can explore your needs. The emphasis is on supporting you to work at your own pace and for you to bring what is important to you.

Parents, couples and in some cases, grandparents can seek counselling support, to support them through the first three years of bereavement.

Psychological support is also available for siblings. Click here to find out more.

For more information or to request this support, please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

To find out more about counselling

Read more

Emotional support for children

Emotional support for children and young people

Our team of experienced and fully qualified children’s psychological therapists can offer support direct to a sibling through a series of sessions, or sessions for your family. Face-to-face sessions can be accessed at both Christopher’s and Shooting Star House, where appropriate it is possible to offer sessions virtually.

Advice and support can be sought by parents wanting to learn how best to explain things to a sibling, and to answer their questions about their brother or sister’s death. Parents can speak with a therapist at any time to talk about a sibling, to work together to ensure their emotional needs are being met at home and at school.

Sessions are confidential so a child/young person feels safe to share challenging and potentially harmful feelings they might be struggling with. This is carried out with frequent opportunities to work closely with parents and close collaboration with schools and professionals involved.

For more information or to request this support, please contact Family Support

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

To find out more about counselling

Read more

Complementary therapies

Bereaved parents and siblings can benefit from complementary therapies at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

Currently, in-person appointments are available at Shooting Star House on Mondays. We will let you know when appointments are also available at Christopher’s. An aromatherapy massage is used to help with deep muscle relaxation, and with emotional and physical symptoms you are experiencing. Complementary therapies take a holistic approach to supporting your wellbeing.

Virtual consultations are available to families so that our Complementary Therapist can assess your needs and support you with a tailored blend of oils placed on an Aroma Stick and delivered by post to your home, and a programme of exercises for you to follow. This can assist with a range of concerns such as anxiety, stress, panic attacks, sleep difficulties or headache.

Contact Family Support to request an appointment for yourself or a family member.

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Bereaved Parents Facebook Group

This group is for bereaved parents of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. The group is designed to provide a safe and reassuring space where parents can connect with each other and gain peer-to-peer support.

Members of the group will be informed of gifts and experiences donated to Shooting Star Children’s Hospices families and will be informed of resources and learning opportunities from other charities.

The group is a private Facebook group, which means that only those invited to the page will be able to see it. When members request to join the group, administrators need to approve them.

The administrators will approve families who are currently or have previously been supported by Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

The administrators of this group are staff members who may interact with posts within the group.

Request to join the Parents Support Facebook Group via the button below

Request to join

Shooting Star House

Day time family support services are accessible at Shooting Star House. This includes face-to-face counselling sessions for parents, therapy sessions for siblings and independent visits to use the facilities (Sensory Room, Arts and Crafts Room). Bereaved families can book sessions in the Hydrotherapy Pool and several groups and events take place on site at Shooting Star House. If you need help with transport to Shooting Star House, please let us know.

Due to the pandemic, we have the following guidelines in place when visiting Shooting Star House.

Visitors aged 12 years and above are asked to provide evidence of a negative Lateral Flow Test upon arrival. Those who have tested positive for Covid during the last 90 days are exempt from testing. 

Visitors under 12 years will have their temperature taken when they arrive. All guests must wear a mask as they move around the buildings and socially distance where required. 

Please get in touch with Family Support if you have any questions ahead of your visit.

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Find out more about Shooting Star House

Read more

Counselling

Children’s therapy sessions

Visiting stars and leaves

Christopher’s

Family Support Services are currently accessible on site at Christopher’s. This includes counselling sessions for parents and children’s therapy sessions for siblings. Complementary therapy sessions are currently only available at Shooting Star House.

Bereaved families are welcome to arrange a visit to the Memory Tree at Christopher’s to view your child’s leaf. If you need help with transport to Christopher’s, please let us know.

Due to pandemic, we have the following guidelines in place when visiting Christopher’s.

Visitors aged 12 years and above will need to provide evidence of a negative Lateral Flow Test on arrival. Those who have tested positive for Covid during the last 90 days are exempt from testing. Visitors under 12 years will have their temperature taken when they arrive. 

All guests must wear a mask as you move around the buildings and socially distance where required.

Please get in touch with Family Support if you would like to visit Christopher’s.

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Find out more about Christopher’s

Read more

Counselling

Children’s therapy sessions

Visiting stars and leaves

Splash! Book a swim

Bereaved families can now book sessions in the hydrotherapy pool at Christopher’s and Shooting Star House using our online booking system.

This can be a helpful way to spend time at the hospices, either remembering shared time spent together in the pool, or created a new experience. The smells and lights in the pool can spark specific memories and be both soothing and fun for everyone to enjoy.

We ask that children over the age of 12 and adults complete a lateral flow test on the day of your appointment and bring proof of a negative test along with you,

Contact Family Support with any queries

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Book time in our Sensory Room

Families can book a 45-minute slot in the Sensory Room at Shooting Star House on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. facilities in the room can aid rest and relaxation and stimulate senses. You can lose yourself in a story surrounded by lights, colours, and magical sounds, enjoyed by children and parents alike.

This unique room is equipped with sensory equipment including a musical floor, fibre optics, mirrors, lights, bubble tubes and a waterbed. The ball pond is currently closed due to infection risk. The room is cleaned thoroughly after each session.

Before or after your session you can use the facilities in our dining room and enjoy our accessible garden. This is available between 10am and 3pm.

Book time in our Arts and Crafts Room

Families can book a 45-minute slot in the Arts and Crafts room at Shooting Star House on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Parents can book time in the room on their own, or with a child using the facilities in the room for fun arts and crafts, or simple a safe space to relax on a beanbag, read children’s books, play, and enjoy our resources.

Arts and crafts act as a creative outlet and sensory experience for all and the masterpieces they create become treasured items for families to keep.

Interactive sessions

Our Family Support Workers can provide a set of 2-6 interactive sessions for bereaved siblings who might benefit from this one-to-one time.

These can help a child / young person talk about their brother or sister who has died, or help them become familiar with our team through one-to-one sessions  If you feel your child could benefit, we will organise an assessment.

These interactive sessions can be delivered in the hospices or in your home, moving into the hospice environment when appropriate. The frequency and content of the sessions are planned in the best interest of the family, using play to help engage and support the individual. Sessions are adapted for young people, or to meet the needs of children with disabilities.

Contact Family Support for more information

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Our resources for families

We have created these resources and help sheets especially for our families.

This includes activities that everyone in the family can share in together, building memories, resilience, and well-being together as a family. There is also a resource pack especially for siblings, with other sheets focused on building good mental health.

Our resources include help sheets. We recognise difficulties our families frequently face and we want you to have access to immediate advice and support via this hub. Equally we strongly encourage you to call us to talk about your specific situation, so that our experienced and skilled therapists can understand you or your child’s needs and tailor strategies especially for you.

Download our guide to Apps that support mental health

Download our Mindfulness family activity pages

Download our Siblings activity pages

Download our guide to Supporting children with anxiety

Download 10 sensory activities to do at home

Download our guide to The importance of sleep for children

Though we recognise the internet is full of information, these resources are specifically created with you in mind. They have been put together by skilled mental health professionals, and include ideas contributed by families we have supported over the years.

For more information or to request advice, please contact us via the Family Support Line:
Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Activity Packs

We can post an activity pack to you at home, these are put together especially for bereaved siblings of all ages and abilities. Packs are carefully tailored to what your child enjoys, and materials appropriate for their stage of development/ability.

These fun packs are great for children to enjoy on their own or with other family members, particularly if you are isolating, shielding, or wishing for activities to complete in the safety of your home.

You might request a pack because you are finding it difficult at home, for a sibling experiencing a challenging time, or simply to enjoy playing and being together.

Order through Family Support, and we can have these posted to you in a jiffy.

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Catch-up meeting

Catch-up Meetings give you the opportunity to talk to us in detail about how things are going and find out what services or support is available.

Catch-up meetings give you the opportunity to help us understand your family’s current needs as best as possible, to spend time with a member of our family support team and to ask us any questions you may have.

Meetings are available for families who have been bereaved. These can take place over the phone, online or in person.

Contact Family Support to request a catch-up meeting

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Find Financial Support

We understand the financial challenges bereaved may face and we recommend and source organisations that can help.

Our team can help make what can be a very daunting task much easier. We are there to help you understand what support is available, from sourcing specific funding for household items to special experiences.

Contact Family Support for more information

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Food Bank Vouchers

For families in need, we can provide vouchers to use in a local food bank close to where you live.

Contact Family Support to request vouchers

Telephone – 01483 230 974
Email – familysupport@shootingstar.org.uk

Wellbeing

Young Minds

Tips, advice and where to get support for your child’s mental health in general and specific advice for during the pandemic.

Find out more

Mind

Lots of practical advice and information for managing your mental health during the pandemic.

Find out more

Every Mind Matters

NHS information with a mental health wellbeing app to download,  as well as advice and links for immediate support.

Find out more

Anna Freud Centre

A page bursting full of self-care advice for young people laid out in an accessible way.

Find out more

Calm

Popular mental health mobile app, also available via website (link below) that includes sleep stories, meditation, mindfulness, help with stress, anxiety, anger and difficulty sleeping.

Find out more

Headspace

A mobile app (link to website below) which helps you bring mindfulness into your everyday life. Lots of interactive exercises, tips and ideas.

Find out more

Services in your area

Find local services in your area to support your family with mental wellbeing and more.

• Brent
• Croydon
• Ealing
• Harrow
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• Hillingdon
• Hounslow
• Kensington and Chelsea
• Kingston
• Lambeth
• Merton
• Richmond
• Surrey
• Sutton
• Westminster

Useful links for families

Below are a few websites which provide useful information to families, like yours.

Together for Short Lives
Together for Short Lives is the national charity for children with life-limiting conditions.  They support families, professionals and services, including children’s hospices.

Hospice UK
Hospice UK is the national charity offering services to support hospice and palliative care professionals across the UK.

Child Bereavement
Child Bereavement provide support to families to help them to rebuild their lives, when a child grieves or when a child dies.

Contact a Family
Contact a Family is committed to ending the poverty, difficulty and isolation experienced by families with disabled children across the UK.

Winston’s Wish
Winston’s Wish offer practical support and guidance to bereaved children, their families and professionals.

Sullivan’s Heroes
Sullivan’s Heroes is a charity offering fundraising support and financial assistance for families raising essential funds towards vital home adaptations for a disabled child.

Cruse Bereavement Care
Cruse Bereavement Care offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies, and to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.

Disability Benefits Helpline
Government website for advice on Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.

Citizens Advice – benefits
Information on benefits and tax credits if you are working or unemployed, sick or disabled, a parent, a young person, an older person or a veteran.