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Solihull Bereavement Counselling Service

Annual Report

Expressing my emotions and letting it all out, without feeling judgement, and feeling heard. I felt someone actually cared about my feelings. Thankyou”

Amelia

Chairs

Report

It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of our Chair Person, Sue Rose, on 18th March 2024 after a very brief illness. Sue was in her eleventh year as Chair of SBCS and leaves a huge gap to fill. Her life was dedicated to public service in many different areas – she worked to make the world a better place and her leaving will be felt by many. SBCS owes her a great deal.

Recently, we have also suffered the loss of Trustee and Ray Walters and ex Counsellor Jan Flint. They both gave many years to SBCS and both will leave a legacy of support for bereaved people, given with generosity and kindness.

SBCS continues to be a very necessary service for many people. Undoubtedly bereavement is a normal event in so many people’s lives and many get through it with the help of family and friends. However, the support received from our counsellors is vital for many, helping them rebuild their lives after the traumatic loss of their loved one. Our Service Manager’s report gives details of the work that has been done in the last year. During the year we have continued to offer face to face and/or telephone counselling, offering flexibility to clients and counsellors alike.

Huge thanks go to the counsellors, to our Service Manager and to our staff who have given their services to SBCS unstintingly. The Trustees also give of their time and expertise and appreciation goes to them.

Following Sue’s death I have stepped in as Chair Person for the completion of this year and will stand for election as Chair at the AGM. I have been connected with SBCS since its very beginnings in 1986, being the first Co-ordinator and I will do my best to continue to serve SBCS as best I can.

Isobel Ford

Service

Manager’s Report

As I reflect on the year 2023/2024 I have to say that despite the challenges of food and fuel costs and rising inflation, I have felt it has been a more steady twelve months for SBCS.

As always, I have been proud as Service Manager to see how we have performed and continue to perform, helping those who need it.

We all encounter bereavement at some point. Grieving is a natural process, with its impact on mental and physical health well understood.

Many people can find their way through this time with the support of friends or family, plus there is still a certain societal expectation that we should ‘get over it’ in a relatively short time.

During 2023/2024 we delivered 1,553 counselling and assessment sessions and we received 255 referrals. Demand for our service continues, and it is the hope that our input may potentially reduce the need for more complex or longer-term interventions.

This year SBCS has been working closely with Cruse, Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) formally the CCG, and other partner agencies. Developing and working with a bereavement pathway for anyone wanting to access bereavement counselling easily and quickly across Birmingham and Solihull.

Supervision for our counsellors is provided monthly for 32 counsellors in groups of 4, for 3 hours. Our counsellors receive 1.5 hours per month each, which BACP states is the required number for safe practice. The team responsible for supervision are Bob Smallwood, Alison Wilkinson and Gail Roberts. I would like to thank them all sincerely for all that they give to SBCS, and offering counsellors additional supervision as and when needed.

I would like to thank Val Whitlock, Lisa McNamara and Kay Kennea for their support, hard work and commitment to the service, and helping me keep the wheels turning. I would also like to pay tribute to Sue Rose (Chair of SBCS) who died recently after a very short illness. She could be tough and formidable, yet knowledgeable, compassionate and caring. She will be missed by so many.

Thanks to the Board of Trustees for their support and trust in me; not forgetting our funders, Solihull Integrated Care Board, without whom this service would not be possible.

SBCS continues to develop strong relationships with partner agencies. We have good working relationships with Cruse, Marie Curie, Healthy Minds, Lyndon Clinic, Newington Centre, SIAS (Solihull Integrated Addiction Services) and many more.

Our counselling hours and number of referrals clearly show a need for bereavement counselling in the Solihull Borough, and, as an organisation, we endeavour to help those who need it.

Julie Swiffin M.A. P.G.Dip MBACP (Accred)

Service Manager

Counselling

Service

During 2023/2024

We received 255 referrals
We provided 1,553 counselling and assessment hours

The figures provided highlight our performance. The figures include counselling and assessment hours for SBCS clients.

“I found talking about my feelings helped me understand my distress. I am a much happier person. I have completely changed from being very unhappy to being very happy and I thank Sarah for helping me.”

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Pauline
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Appendix 1 at the end of this report shows a breakdown analysis of the yearly client referrals for 2023/2024

Counselling

Service

Clients who do not progress to counselling are either signposted to other agencies, or the clients themselves decide that one-to-one counselling is not what they wanted at the time of the assessment. SBCS’s aim is to assess clients within 5 weeks of their referral, and to allocate to counsellors within acceptable timescales. We train new volunteers each year, so we are fortunate to have counsellors available at all times. However, there are occasions during peak holiday periods when we have to delay allocations. Clients are always kept informed if there is a change to the standard allocation time.

We offer counselling appointments Monday-Friday from 9.00am till 7.00pm, ensuring we meet the needs of people who work, or have childcare issues. We offer face to face or telephone sessions.

“It has been good for me knowing that there was someone who I could talk to outside the family. It helped me come to terms with what has happened and showed me how to regain my life and move forward. Just like to say a big thankyou to everyone involved who run the service. You do a fantastic job.”

Jonathon

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Volunteers
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The service has 32 volunteer counsellors. Each counsellor manages a caseload, which can vary from one to five clients. To ensure cover for the number of referrals we receive each year, SBCS endeavour to have approximately 30 to 34 volunteer counsellors available.

Volunteers at SBCS need to have a Diploma in counselling, or be studying on a Diploma course. This high standard we require reflects in our service delivery and quality assurance.

We are very proud of our volunteers, and to show our appreciation we present a long service certificate at our Annual General Meeting to any counsellors who have completed 5 years service initially, and every subsequent 5 years thereafter. This is our opportunity to acknowledge the commitment and loyalty of our counsellors.

“For the first time in 46 years was able to actually talk about the event, talk about my feelings. The way the counsellor spoke, giving a trusting space, the counsellor made me feel safe to talk. Serina has been brilliant, has made me feel much better than I have felt in 46 years.”

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Angela
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Training and Supervision

In compliance with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework, SBCS continues to provide on-going training to all our counsellors.

Each counsellor is required to undertake a minimum of ten hours continuing professional development training (CPD) per year as part of their contract with SBCS.

SBCS has tried to reduce the costs of training by external trainers and are grateful to those who have lowered their fee because of our charitable status.

The following topics have been covered during the year (April 2023– March 2024)

Stress Management April 2023 (5 hours in person) Difference & Diversity September 2023 (5 hours in person) Trauma October2023 (5 hours in person) Inner Child January 2024 (5 hours in person) Brief Solution Focused March 2024 (5 hours in person)

BACP Ethical Framework states that supervisors remain competent to carry out their role by attending monthly external supervision. SBCS pays for the supervision of our supervisors.

Counsellors attend group supervision sessions for 3 hours per month. This meets BACP guidelines of 1.5 hours supervision per month per counsellor.

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2023-2024
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“Opening up, learning about myself and why I react the way I do. As strange as it sounds, I've really enjoyed learning and talking openly. Harry was incredible.”

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Laura
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Funding

Core funding from Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) is specifically for clients who live in the borough of Solihull or whose GP is part of the Birmingham and Solihull ICB.

We would like to thank our funders Solihull Integrated Care Board (Solihull & Birmingham Mental Health Trust) for having confidence in SBCS and work in partnership with us. Thanks also goes to Charitable Trusts, who donate funds and support us. Without you, our work would not be possible.

“Very supportive, and understanding. Lovely therapist Sam, made a massive difference.”

Sandra

Finance Report SB cs SOLIHULL BEREAVEMENf COUNSELLING SERVICK 491,9DI Con 287 Client t¢trIbleI 7,120 mghD0¢lr 40128 8719 3527 52.961 2.01 744 3,2Q3 1.870 2,100 4JO 422 I1• P¢nsion TrAvel & oth¢r F4pOnl ststYSuF¥TY151on Thint $2 75 Oth•T tno 2,SW TrminI F¢es 603 lrtorltt Imurlnc AOM Costs AdVlI]In8 J31 olfi domtl 140 Gift Aid tDx 330 PToYi¥lon uipme Chv WobCos 73 401,103 l J6003 03.929 2.7tS6 01163 01.163 D•pwllAlccJf t 70A17 qulty wr 14527 Red¥lld•oy PY•wlth 21,7 Tr•TIV ll Aprll2Q I hv¢ 0XamCd the1 ond KL%TrJntsof SolnvJJl BtreAvtttteI CurylliDg Sffvi W¢tifythllt th¢Above L8 themvith. Fllianthal

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Staff
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We have 5 Trustees and this is an appropriate time to thank the Board of Trustees for their support and commitment to the service.

Over the year the service employed one full-time Service Manager, three part-time office staff, and three clinical supervisors.

Service Manager 37 hrs per week Counselling Co-ordinator 7 hrs per week Administration Assistant 7 hrs per week Administration Assistant 10 hrs per week Supervisors x 3 7.5 hrs. – 10.5 hrs per month, depending on how many

“Counselling has improved other relationships within the family. I understand my grief and continuing my life positively. Very grateful to have been able to access the service, and to have met and worked with the service”.

Olivia

supervision groups they supervise.

Achievements 2022-2023

Achievements for 2023/2024 were:

Ensured our counsellors received guidance, support, and training through supervision in the ongoing transition from face-to-face to telephone work.
Continuing our in-house CPD to all counsellors, in person.

“It was easy to talk in confidence to someone who was understanding and nonjudgemental. I would like to thank the service and Jean in particular”.

Maintaining our supervision groups via Zoom/ in person
The opportunity to now offer clients telephone counselling in addition to face-to-face counselling, whilst still ensuring our service meets the needs of individuals, and keeping clients and counsellors safe.

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June
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Being able to keep up with demand for our service and continuing to keep our waiting times at a reasonable level, ensuring this is managed appropriately.

Appendix 1

Referrals

Female 194

April 2023 - March 2024

255 Male 61

Referrals Analysis

Column 1		Column 2			Column 3		Column 4		Column 5
Age Group years	Totals	Source of referral	Totals		Death of	Totals	Cause of Death	Totals	Interval from Death to Referral	Totals
11-17	1	Self	32		Husband	48	Cancer	71	Under 1 month	0
18-25	17	GP	96		Wife	10	Heart related	46	1 -3 months	80
26-39	59	Family	3		Father	45	Other illness	55	4 -7 months	45
40-55	57	Health workers	20		Mother	69	Stroke/Aneurysm	8	8 -12 months	35
56-70	82	Hospital/Hospice	0		Sibling	17	Suicide	8	13 - 18 months	13
71-85	34	Social Services	0		Child	19	Accidents	7	19 - 23 months	11
85 & over	5	Voluntary Agency	20		Grandparent	15	Road Trafc Accident	0	2 - 5 Years	51
		SBCS Website	73		Partner	15	Covid 19	7	6-10 Years	10
		Friend	7		In- Laws	0	Murder/Assault	1	11-20 Years	7
		Employer	3		Other relatves	10	Term, stll, neo	3	Over 20 Years	3
		Educatonal Welfare	1		Friend	6	Old Age	12
					Term, stll/neo	1	Liver Failure due to Alcohol	6
							Pneumonia	11
							Brain Tumor	5
							Dementa	15
Total	255	Total	255	Total		255	Total	255	Total	255

Appendix 2 PLACE OF DEATH

Solihull Hospital 2 Heartlands Hospital 57 Good Hope 6 Diff Hospital 38 Marie Curie 6 Nursing/Resid 15 Own Home 96 Other 10 Accident/Scene 8 Hospice 17