Bereavement training for employers: Understanding bereavement, grief & how to communicate better
Professional bereavement training by the National Bereavement Service for employers of all sizes, spanning almost any sector, empowers teams to communicate better with bereaved people.
Giving colleagues the tools they need to navigate the emotional and practical aspects of bereavement, to have better conversations, and to support bereaved people with sensitivity, empathy and professionalism, CPD-accredited bereavement training from the NBS’ experienced facilitators takes your organisation’s customer and client care, and employee wellbeing, strategies to the next level.
Why invest in bereavement training?
Bereavement training matters. Evidence and research shows that:
- A third of bereaved employees did not receive any communication from managers or leaders in relation to grief or bereavement (Sue Ryder (2021) Grief in the workplace)
- 1 in 3 line managers would welcome help in how to support bereaved employees (Marie Curie Respecting and supporting grief at work)
- Only 1 in 3 employers have a bereavement policy in place (Marie Curie Respecting and supporting grief at work)
Do your people, managers, service providers or volunteers know how to:
- Confidently & compassionately communicate with a bereaved person?
- Give practical & emotional support to bereaved colleagues, customers & clients?
- Understand the emotional, cultural & legal impact of bereavement?
Inspiring long-term behaviour change, upskilling with new knowledge and skills, and increasing awareness and open conversations around what can be a difficult topic in a safe space, professional bereavement training delivered by experienced experts drives lasting, impactful and meaningful change in our client organisations.
How can bereavement training improve our customer experiences?
Build a stronger organisation that’s recognised for customer care:
- More compassionate & professional conversations
- Better outcomes & reduced stress at times of crisis
How will our people benefit from professional bereavement training?
Establish a strong, open and resilient internal culture that attracts and retains your best people:
- Greater emotional resilience & confidence
- Enhanced engagement & staff retention
- Managers equipped to support bereaved team members
How is bereavement training delivered?
All bereavement training courses by the National Bereavement Service are designed to dovetail with your organisation’s policies, brand values, learning objectives and participants’ roles. Co-branded to ensure consistency for your team and encouraging interaction through workshop exercises, training is suitable for:
- Line managers & HR teams
- Customer service & telephony staff
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Volunteers & people leaders
Training formats range from 1-hour webinars to full-day, face-to-face workshops and specialist sector-specific modules, in one or across multiple UK-based or international sites.
Can bereavement training be tailored to my organisation?
Professional bereavement training by the NBS is structured entirely around your organisation and the demands of your sector.
Beginning with our core module, you may then choose to embed and enhance your team’s training through the addition of sector-specific sessions that are designed to help you meet the challenges unique to you.
NBS Core Training: Increasing Awareness of Bereavement, Grief & Loss
An evidence-based, CPD-accredited session exploring the emotional, physiological, and practical impact of grief.
- Understanding the psychological impact of grief
- Building confidence in conversations with bereaved people
- Recognising cultural & faith influences in death traditions
- Promoting resilience & self-care in support roles
- Delivered in a 3.5hr workshop online or in-person (max 20 participants)
Sector-specific modules
Tailored to your organisation and your working world, the National Bereavement Service has developed targeted modules for sectors including:
- Financial services
- Health & social care
- People partners & leaders
- Charity professionals
- Mental Health First Aiders
Don’t see what you need? We’re continually developing our sector-specific training. Contact us for a chat to let us know what you’re looking for.
Who we work with
A huge range of organisations, from universities, care providers and nursing homes, to banks, housing associations and utilities providers, work with the NBS to train their people managers, customer service teams, Mental Health First Aiders and volunteers.
Equipping people to communicate confidently, to offer compassionate support, and to improve outcomes for bereaved individuals, NBS’s training clients span organisations including:
- Financial services (banks, investment and pension providers, mortgage lenders and insurers)
- NHS Trusts
- Primary & secondary healthcare providers
- Local authorities
- Universities & schools
- Charities
- Housing Associations
- Utilities providers
- Funeral services providers
- Professional services such as solicitors & accountancy practices
- Government bodies including the FCDO & Department for Transport
What do our clients say?
“We recently booked a session with the National Bereavement Service, which was hugely beneficial to our team. We talk to bereaved people every day, and the training session has left us feeling more confident about having these conversations and talking about death.
The sections on language to use was particularly useful, and there was plenty of opportunity for discussion within the training session. Our trainer, Zoe, created a safe environment where everyone felt comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences.”
Alzheimer’s Research UK
“The training was exactly what we we’re looking for as an organisation, it was informative and engaging.
I think everyone should be educated in the bereavement space, it was such a worthwhile session that has opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about death and the grieving process.
Zoe was brilliant and I feel confident that the knowledge I have learnt from the session will benefit a lot of our colleagues, especially working in the healthcare sector. Starting these kind of open discussions will be invaluable to us.”
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
“Zoe found a way to create a safe space in the room and make us feel comfortable when talking about such a sensitive and uncomfortable topic. She was also really mindful of the work we do as a charity and the practical applications of the training to our everyday roles.
Of particular benefit to the team was the section about self care – often something we forget when our jobs revolve around caring for others!”
Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex
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Book tailored professional bereavement training for your organisation with the National Bereavement Service
Do your people, managers, service providers or volunteers know how to:
- Communicate & have a conversation with a bereaved person?
- Give practical & appropriate support to bereaved colleagues, employees or customers?
- Understand the emotional impact of bereavement?
Professional bereavement training from the NBS’s experienced facilitators helps your organisation to have better conversations and to support bereaved people more effectively and sensitively, with invaluable guidance at what can be an extremely challenging time.
Providing access to practical and emotional understanding, support and new skills, bereavement training brings greater confidence and lasting positive impact for client organisations, their people and customers.
Find out more about bereavement training services from NBS
Call 0800 024 6121 or email info@theNBS.org
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