Schools/Colleges

Our schools/colleges and nurseries will have annually reviewed policies or guidance documents for dying, death, loss and care.

Schools will develop a policy position that sets out the school’s ethos towards death and dying and have procedures in place for staff to follow.

KCC

HOKH

Speak to KCC Education Team

Education subgroup as part of End of Life Network Steering Group

Identify what already exists

Draft policy

Death and loss will not be a taboo subject in schools and settings. Through a whole school approach, including teaching and learning opportunities, children will become more resilient to the impact of death and dying and develop into emotionally mature adults.

KCC

HOKH

Continue to build on Elmer Learning Programme

Develop schools pack

Recruit school ambassadors

HOKH Assemblies

Staff will have access to training and can demonstrate an understanding of the school’s policy on how to inform and support pupils and/or colleagues about a death or disclosure of a terminal illness.

KCC

HOKH

Training programme for schools

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) and Citizenship curriculum provides teaching and learning opportunities that enable pupils to build resilience and develop an understanding of bereavement, death and dying.

Schools

Continue to build on Elmer Learning Programme

Develop schools pack

Schools will have a compassionate buddies, friends and champions scheme that will enable participants to recognise signs and behaviours associated with grief; understand what support can be offered to staff/students if they have been bereaved; understand supportive literature and recognise safe places to talk; recognise how and where to signpost for support, especially in school holidays; know what do in the case of a crisis or disaster situation and know how to deal with media interest surrounding a death and designating two/three members of staff to act as media co-ordinators.

Schools

As part of school’s pack

Children will have access to bereavement ‘time out cards’ and stickers which alert teachers to the fact that the student’s work may be affected as they try to cope with their situation.

Schools

As part of school’s pack

Monitoring and evaluation: schools identify a member of SLT to oversee quality assurance procedures and practice.

Schools

Schools pack outlines how to carry out evaluation

Workplaces and trade unions

Our workplaces will have annually reviewed policies or guidance documents. There will be a city-wide award for compassionate organisations.

Training and having compassionate champions in the organisation that feel confident in talking to those who are experiencing death, loss and bereavement, so the person affected does not feel alone and feels they have someone to talk to.

MBC

HOKH

Target companies – event

Workplace subgroup as part of End of Life Network Steering Group

Training champions

The organisation will have policies and procedures that compassionately support employees affected by death, loss and bereavement e.g. flexible working, individual tailored compassionate leave policies that take into account the person’s circumstances rather than blanket policies.

MBC

HOKH

Company

Employee pack – potentially use Hospice UK pack

Have a support pack made available to an employee that offers practical advice and support about their options and available support.

Company

Employee pack – potentially use Hospice UK pack

Customer facing organisations should review and ensure their policies and services meet the needs of customers that are affected by death, loss and bereavement to ensure they deliver a compassionate response that meets the aims and values of this charter.

Company

Employee pack – potentially use Hospice UK pack

Places of worship

Our places of worship will have at least one dedicated group for end of life care support.

Have a compassionate network and co-ordinator that can practically support those who are dying and those who are experiencing loss, death and bereavement in their community.

HOKH

AC team

Anna Chaplaincy

Need a spiritual lead

Faith subgroup as part of End of Life Network Steering Group

Have faith members and volunteers who receive compassionate champions training, so they feel more confident in talking about death, loss and bereavement.

HOKH

AC team

Anna Chaplains for Christian faith

Develop ideas for other faiths

Hold regular events and activities that support those who are experiencing loss, death and bereavement e.g. holding ‘compassionate coffee’ events where people can come and seek support, so they feel less isolated and lonely.

Faith inst.

HOKH

Develop pack for faith institution

Hold events that are open to the public which provide an open forum where people can come and talk or receive advice about any aspect of death, bereavement and loss, including making future plans.

Faith inst.

Offering support for school children who are affected by death, loss and bereavement during school holidays.

Faith inst.

Volunteer their venue for compassionate champions/neighbours training and use these spaces to promote the charter’s aims.

Faith inst.

Hospices and nursing homes

Our city’s hospices and nursing homes will have a community development program involving local area citizens in end of life care activities and programmes.

Sign up to the hospice’s practical training and quality improvement programme that ensures the home has end of life champions who can support others in the home to have the confidence skills to care for people at end of life.

HOKH

Secure funding for ECHO Network for nursing homes

Ongoing training programme

Hold annual events during Dying Matters week in which residents and their families can openly talk about their future care wishes and be given advice and support.

HOKH

MBC

Develop pack for organisations for nursing homes

Have community connectors, who with the home’s activity co-ordinators get to know residents’ personal life stories so they can re-engage the resident with their interests and past networks e.g. reconnecting veterans, bringing pets into the home and helping someone paint.

HOKH

MBC

Compassionate Neighbours

Hold events that enable the home to engage with its local community, examples are inviting local schools and choirs into the home.

Nursing Home

Ideas as part of resource pack

Access care home chaplains and other faith leaders who have received compassionate training to provide faith-based support.

HOKH

Nursing Home

Anna Chaplains to establish links

Museums and art galleries

Our city’s major museums and art galleries will hold annual exhibitions on the experiences of ageing, dying, death, loss or care. Our city will work with local social or print media to encourage an annual city-wide short story or art competition that helps raise awareness of ageing, dying, death, loss, or caring.

Create and support artistic events that get people talking about death, dying, loss and bereavement.

HOKH

Support others to run events

Work with schools on activities to raise awareness of end of life issues and helping them to meet their compassionate schools award.

HOKH

Elmer pack already starting those activities

Develop compassionate schools award

Create an annual Maidstone-wide short story or art competition that helps raise awareness of ageing, dying, death, loss, or caring.

HOKH

MBC (Museum)

Maidstone Museums event

Support displays/exhibitions around death, dying and loss in Dying Matters Week.

HOKH

MBC

As above

Pack for Dying Matters

City Wide Memorial Event

Our city will host an annual peace time memorial parade representing the major sectors of human loss outside military campaigns – cancer, motor neuron disease, AIDS, child loss, suicide survivors, animal companion loss, widowhood, industrial and vehicle accidents, the loss of emergency workers and all end of life care personnel, etc.

Creation of a memorial walk that is open to all.

HOKH

MBC

Run event or Bluebell Walk?

Promoting and supporting events that are memorial events that are held for certain communities.

HOKH

Ongoing support

Encouraging the public to attend services of remembrance or undertake individual acts of remembrance.

HOKH

Hospice series of events – but none in MBC

Incentive Schemes and Awards

Our city will create an incentives scheme to celebrate and highlight the most creative compassionate organisation, event, and individual/s. The scheme will take the form of an annual award administered by a committee drawn from the end of life care sector. A ‘Mayors Prize’ will recognise individual/s for that year who most exemplify the city’s values of compassionate care.

Creating new categories for end of life compassionate awards in existing award ceremonies.

HOKH

MBC

KCC/KM Media

Maidstone Business Awards

Schools awards

Creating end of life compassionate awards in organisations and sectors e.g. schools, crematoriums, funeral directors, hospitals and care homes.

HOKH

MBC

Review options using End of Life steering group

Recognise and nominate those individuals, organisations who are making a difference to those affected by death, loss and bereavement and who are fulfilling the charter’s aims.

HOKH

Hospice Care Week/Dying Matters awards

Sponsor an end of life compassionate event or award.

HOKH

MBC

Other partners

Look at options

Promoting and Celebrating a Compassionate Borough

Our city will publicly showcase, in print and in digital media, our local government policies, services, funding opportunities, partnerships, and public events that address ‘our compassionate concerns’ with living with ageing, life-threatening and life-limiting illness, loss, bereavement and long-term caring. All end of life care-related services within the city limits will be encouraged to distribute this material in print or digitally, including veterinarians and funeral organisations.

Encouraging the public to attend a Compassionate Neighbours information session.

HOKH

In progress

Encouraging the public to make and share a pledge to make a difference, and to share personal stories.

HOKH

MBC

Other partners

Use website

Local libraries promoting end of life activities in their area.

KCC

Ongoing support

Promoting Inclusive Policies and Practices

Our end of life services and policies will be inclusive and will address inequalities of access to end of life care. This includes those individuals who are homeless, in prison, live in rural locations or who are from BME, LGBTQ and Traveller communities; and those with cognitive, frailty and sensory issues.

Look at their service provision and profile service users to ensure they are meeting the needs of the whole population and identify any gaps.

HOKH

MBC

End of Life steering group

As part of information packs for organisations

Engage and listen to the needs of marginalised groups that are not accessing the services they need. Listen to their personal stories and find out about any barriers, invite them to work in partnership to address any barriers to make services more accessible.

HOKH

MBC

As part of information packs for organisations

Ensure their service is aware of the needs of those with a disability or sensory impairment and be mindful of their communication needs and make information accessible.

HOKH

MBC

As part of information packs for organisations

Ensure organisational policies, literature, images and online presence are inclusive, to ensure that all sections of the population can identify with the service and know it is a service for them.

HOKH

MBC

As part of information packs for organisations

Ensure their workforce is aware of the end of life needs of various groups.

HOKH

MBC

As part of information packs for organisations

Promote the use of equality, diversity and inclusive champions in their organisation.

HOKH

MBC

As part of information packs for organisations

Ensure that there is good end of life care for all, regardless of diagnosis.

HOKH

MBC

As part of information packs for organisations

Homeless and Prison Community

The homeless and the imprisoned have support plans in place for end of life care and loss and bereavement.

Having a compassionate response to those who are homeless and those who are imprisoned at end of life.

HOKH

MBC

Projects already in progress

Ensure that Heart of Kent Hospice and other services work closely with the prison and the services that support the homeless, to ensure end of life care needs are understood and the staff who care for these individuals feel supported.

HOKH

Projects already in progress

Support Maidstone Prison and East Sutton Park to become a compassionate prison and share best practice with other prisons.

HOKH

Update training

Sharing of best practice

Ensure those services who work with the homeless community feel supported and have access appropriate end of life training.

HOKH

MBC

Project already in progress

Deliver a Compassionate Network

Our city will establish and review these targets and goals in the first two year and thereafter will add one more sector annually.

Raise public awareness of the issues around death and dying including those from diverse communities so every can make better-informed decisions on what can be done to help each other and themselves nearing the end of their lives.

MBC

HOKH

Identify key members of End of Life Steering Group

Establish and manage End of Life Steering Group

Compassionate Borough Action Plan

Build emotional resilience in our communities by developing and encouraging our community’s ability to talk about death, dying and bereavement giving everyone the best chance to die well and have a normal grieving process reducing the risk of negative long term impacts on mental and physical health due to isolation, anxiety for those who are experiencing loss and bereavement. 

HOKH

Compassionate Neighbours scheme being piloted 2019-20

HOKH comms – Hospice Care Week and Dying Matters

Increase compassion at end of life through developing self-sustaining voluntary compassionate networks so people, colleagues, families and communities are better supported in practical, emotional and empathetic ways. To support those who are dying in our communities so they can die in a place of their choosing.

HOKH

MBC

Compassionate Neighbours scheme being piloted 2019-20