A practical, trauma-informed guide to talking about death with confidence, compassion and honesty.
Led by Jessica Jane Parker.
Tickets: free for members, £50 for non-members.
Talking about death with children and young people can feel daunting. You might worry about saying the wrong thing, making things worse or opening conversations you don’t feel equipped to manage. Yet avoiding these conversations can leave children feeling isolated at the very time they need trusted adults most.
Death is one of the few experiences every child will encounter in some way, yet many adults feel unprepared to talk about it. Whether a young person has experienced the death of a parent, sibling, grandparent, friend or someone within their school community, the quality of adult responses can profoundly influence how safe they feel expressing their thoughts and emotions.
This Live Classroom provides practical, trauma-informed guidance to help professionals approach conversations about death with confidence, compassion and honesty. Rather than focusing on finding the ‘right’ words, we will explore how authentic relationships, curiosity and presence can help children and young people feel heard, supported and less alone.
Together we will consider how children’s understanding of death develops, why grief looks different for every child, how to respond to difficult questions, and what to do when you don’t know the answer.
You will leave with practical strategies you can use immediately within schools, health, social care and community settings.
There is no formal preparation required.
You may wish to reflect on a child or young person you have supported through bereavement, serious illness or significant loss. Throughout the session there will be opportunities to apply learning to real-life situations, reflect on professional practice and consider how trauma-informed conversations can help children feel safer, understood and connected.
“Really enjoyed this session and the trainer clearly knew her material and had a great presentational style – friendly and inclusive.”
Jessica Jane Parker is Director of Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd and an internationally recognised trainer, speaker and author specialising in mental health, trauma-informed practice, safeguarding, children’s mental health and education. She is co-author of Trauma-Informed Approaches in Schools: A Guide for Senior Mental Health Leads and has over twenty years’ experience working across education, safeguarding and children’s services, including as a former Assistant Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Director of Education.
Jessica delivers training, facilitates workshops and speaks nationally and internationally, helping professionals develop compassionate, evidence-informed approaches that strengthen relationships and improve outcomes for children and young people. Her work is grounded in the belief that feeling safe, seen and understood is fundamental to children’s wellbeing and recovery.
This session will be held via Zoom.
We would encourage you to read this document for advice on how to access zoom particularly if you haven’t accessed zoom before. If you are planning on attending via a work device, you may need to seek access permission in advance.
You will receive a zoom link to access the live classroom at least 48hours before the live classroom takes place.
Feel free to contact us prior to the scheduled event date if you have any specific questions or requirements relating to access.
