A Qualitative Evaluation of the Provision of Bereavement Care Accessed by Service Users Living in a Health and Social Care Trust Area in Northern Ireland

Within the health and social care sector in the United Kingdom, the<br/>management of death and bereavement has become increasingly<br/>challenging. This service evaluation sought to explore the bereavement<br/>care offered to individuals living in one Health and Social Care<br/>Trust catchment area of Northern Ireland. Qualitative interviews<br/>were conducted with key government and voluntary agency staff.<br/>The findings indicated that much of the bereavement provision is<br/>based on the interest and initiative of individual staff members, with<br/>few processes to assess the level of bereavement care needed and those<br/>best skilled to provide it. Recommendations are made for a bereavement<br/>care strategy that outlines a bereavement needs assessment process,<br/>identifying the scope of interventions and protocols for practice.