Brake, the road safety charity, with the support of Thompsons Solicitors, is encouraging all support professionals and practitioners to attend its seminar on supporting suddenly bereaved families and individuals.

The event will provide information for all support workers caring for families, individuals and children who have been suddenly and traumatically bereaved.

This seminar will explore the emotional and practical support needs of people who have been suddenly bereaved in any circumstances. It will offer a professional development opportunity for all attendees.

The ‘Supporting families following sudden bereavement’ seminar is being run by Sudden, a project coordinated by Brake. It will offer an insight into how practitioners and support workers can best assist families through the shock and grief of a sudden bereavement. Attendees will be offered a professional development opportunity. They will discuss best practice and learn from a variety of academic experts and field leaders.

Traumatic bereavement expert and Director of Nottingham’s Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth, Professor Stephen Regel, will lead the seminar, running an exclusive half day ‘Meet the Expert’ session. Stephen has over 30 years’ experience in working with trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and his time is divided between clinical, teaching and research activities.

Due to funding provided by Thompsons Solicitors, Brake is able to offer places to this seminar at a reduced price of £40+ VAT. This not-for-profit seminar will take place at the Quaker Meeting House, Edinburgh on Tuesday 6 December 2016.

Practitioners and academics specialising in sudden bereavement will discuss:

• Insights into how individuals, children and families experience and express grief
• An overview of early intervention, and guidance on best practice in providing long-term empathetic support to families, individuals and children to aid their recovery
• A common-sense approach to helping children, young people and families deal with the horrendous shock of sudden death
• Signposting to a range of services, organisations and resources that are available for support workers and practitioners working with suddenly bereaved families and individuals

Attendees can register for these seminars online, by calling +44 (0)1484 559909, or emailing jkushner@brake.org.uk. The cost to attend is £40 +VAT.