A local care home provider has hosted a workshop designed to help staff navigate the emotional challenges of grief and bereavement.

Bristol Care Homes ran the half-day workshop at its Beech House setting in Thornbury, for 15 members of staff, including carers and team leaders, who have been affected by loss.

The informative session was provided by local funeral venue Bristol Memorial Woodlands, which runs regular seminars, workshops and events around death and dying with the help of facilitator and grief specialist Mireille Hayden.

The session focused on providing practical tools to help staff manage their feelings of loss, particularly after the passing of long-term residents. It also covered how best to support the family members and loved ones of residents and touched on staff’s personal feelings and experiences with bereavement.

Participants engaged in interactive discussions, shared personal experiences, and learned techniques for approaching grief and bereavement. Topics covered included loss and bereavement theory, the impact of bereavement and practising communication.

Val Knight, training and staff development manager at Bristol Care Homes, said: “The training provided by Mireille and Bristol Memorial Woodlands was brilliant. It’s a hugely emotional subject but we received really positive feedback from the staff who attended.

“Dealing with death is the worst part of our job and some of our residents are with us for a long time so, of course, we become attached to them. We really wanted to ensure we were taking care of our staff and supporting them in this area as much as possible – both in terms of their own emotional support and providing tools to help them support our families.

“Mireille was fantastic at giving pointers on what is good to say and equally what is not appropriate to say. This was great, particularly for some of our newer staff who perhaps haven’t been in the industry for very long.

“The feedback from the workshop has been overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees expressing appreciation for the opportunity to openly discuss their feelings in a supportive environment.”

Mireille Hayden, said: “Bristol Care Homes running this session with us shows their commitment to the wellbeing of both residents and their families and employees, and recognises the profound impact that loss can have on the caregiving community.

"Grief is a natural part of life, but unfortunately we still find it very hard to talk about. It's crucial that caregivers have the tools and support to manage their emotions effectively. Workshops like this provide a safe space to acknowledge grief, share experiences, and learn coping mechanisms that can make a significant difference in their professional and personal lives."

Bristol Care Homes runs four homes: Glebe House in Almondsbury, Beech House in Thornbury, Field House in Horfield and Quarry House in Fishponds. For more information visit www.bristolcarehomes.co.uk

Bristol Memorial Woodlands is a peaceful and dignified funeral setting near Almondsbury, with 100 acres of burial woodland, providing families with a place to visit and remember loved ones for years to come. As loss and bereavement specialists their workshops have become renowned for providing important advice and training.

For more information on training and events provided by Bristol Memorial Woodlands visit www.memorialwoodlands.com/events-and-training/