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St Luke's Hospice, Basildon, Essex





 
Macmillan Dove Community Counselling Service

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 Patient/Relative Quotes

"My counsellor was so very kind, helpful and understanding"

"A Tremendously helpful and understanding experience that has made a positive contribution to resolving issues thank you."

" I found the sessions very helpful and would recommend bereavement counselling to others in same position."

Macmillan Dove Macmillan Dove Community Counselling Service (MDCCS) is a joint initiative between St. Luke‘s Hospice, Thurrock MIND and supported by Macmillan Cancer Support. The service aims to support patients receiving palliative care and their families’ resident in Basildon and Thurrock Districts. We also provide bereavement support for non-cancer related palliative care referrals or other bereavements from 18 years of age. The service can also provide couples counselling for spouse / partners following bereavement.

The service is compliant with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Chapter 12 and works within the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice.

MDCCS also co-ordinates bereavement support for the Hospice, providing pre-bereavement support and preparation, as well as ongoing bereavement support. When someone important dies people can experience a debilitative range of emotions, some of which can be very frightening and disturbing. The service contacts anyone who has agreed to support whose relative was associated with any St. Luke’s Service six weeks from the date of death. Support interventions are responsive to individual and/or family needs. The service-co-ordinator/counsellor will meet with you to discuss the most beneficial support, which may include:

  • Individual bereavement support which may mean offering a trained bereavement support volunteer or a bereavement support worker who will have time to sit and listen, allowing the bereaved person to remember the person who has died and to share and explore their thoughts and feelings through the early weeks of bereavement in a safe and confidential environment. For people who may need support through more complicated issues following the death of someone close, support may be offered through one-to-one counselling with a qualified counsellor.
  • The Bereavement Support Group is a welcoming group that meets monthly at the Hospice between 7 and 9pm. Access to this service is by attending an initial assessment in all cases. After an initial assessment, any adult who has been bereaved is welcome to come along and talk or just listen to others. This is a facilitated group that means attendees will be helped to explore their feelings and emotions in a safe environment, There is also time for peer support where the views of all are respected. The group is time limited and is not a long term intervention.
  • Further groups allow bereaved people to regain independence and confidence as they begin to live with their bereavement. Groups are facilitated by qualified staff and trained volunteers. This is provided as ongoing support for all who have already accessed our service through the initial bereavement group.
Before being offered any of these support interventions the Service Co-ordinator will arrange to meet the potential service user to agree the best support. This may include referral to another service according to the assessed needs of each individual.

Services offered:
  • Assess client need
  • Information giving/signposting to other services
  • Informal one-to-one support
  • Bereavement support visiting
  • Facilitated groups
  • Individual Counselling
  • Couples Counselling – spouse/partner
  • Bereavement Directory available giving information on groups and other support systems

The service aims to enable bereaved people to make informed choices about how and where to seek support; to be responsive to the needs of each bereaved person; to acknowledge and affirm bereavement and the pain of grief, as a natural part of human experience; to support each bereaved person in his/her ongoing adjustment to life without the deceased; to respect each bereaved person’s choices and variety of expressions of grief consistent with different patterns of belief, family, community, culture and religion; to be demonstrably non-discriminatory and deliver without prejudice, so that wherever practicable, the bereaved person is able to access appropriate support regardless of their age, colour, disability, ethnic or national origin, financial circumstances, gender, geographical location, health status, language, marital status, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

The service is based at St. Luke’s House, Corringham, however, Counselling takes place at Luke’s Hospice, St Luke’s House and Thurrock MIND in Grays. In all cases, rooms are private and sessions remain strictly confidential. Home visits can be arranged in specific cases on medical grounds.

Counselling is an opportunity to explore feelings, thoughts and memories. Once started you will meet weekly with your counsellor for a 50 minute session and your appointment will be at the same time each week. Clients will be offered up to ten Counselling sessions.

Cost
This service is free of charge

Referral Criteria
  • Clients must be resident within Basildon & Thurrock District
  • Referrals should be cancer related or non-cancer palliative care
  • Clients may be patient, their families, carers or bereaved
  • Bereavement referrals should be no longer than five years bereaved
  • Referrals must be made with the permission of the client

The service is unable to accept referrals for clients with complex long term mental health needs.

Referral Procedure
  • Referrals may be made personally by telephone
  • or through a Healthcare Professional using a referral form
Contact details:
St. Luke's House - Tel 01375 648179, Fax 01375 648181
E-mail: Macmillandove@stlukeshouse.org.uk

Links
Social Work Service
Lukes Counselling Service for Children and Young People
Information Resource Service (based at St Luke's House)
Youth Service (based at St Luke's House)

Downloads
Macmillan Dove Leaflet
Macmillan Dove Referral Form
 
 
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