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Armed Forces: Bereavement Counselling

Answer

Service personnel who act as Casualty Notification Officers or Visiting Officers are provided with appropriate training and welfare support as necessary, in keeping with these emotionally demanding roles. Bereavement and aftercare support staff are often civilians who do not tend to deal directly with families in the early stages of loss. Line managers are, however, alert to the effect which this type of work might have on staff and provide signposting to support services as necessary.

The Defence People Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (DPMHWS) 2017-2022 was launched on 20 July 2017 and covers all Defence people. The Strategy identifies the need for strong Partnerships with the Department of Health, the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations and the charitable sector and a new operating model focusing on Promote, Prevent, Treat and Detect. The Strategy is well resourced through connected agencies and services which the forthcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Action Plan will take on and develop, including plans to introduce standardised mental health and wellbeing education and training for all those working in Defence. The DPMHWS can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-people-mental-health-and-wellbeing-strategy

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

111645

Session

2017-19

Subjects

Armed forces Staff Bereavement counselling

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk