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Suicide Bereavement Support Service to launch in Warwickshire

Suicide Bereavement Support Service to launch in Warwickshire

A contract to provide support to people who have been bereaved by suicide has been awarded by Warwickshire County Council to The Kaleidoscope Plus Group. The two-year contract has been awarded to the West Bromwich – based charity to deliver the Suicide Bereavement Support Service until at least March 2020.

The initiative will run out of venues across the county and will specifically aim to help those bereaved by suicide to start to cope with their loss and find support from others who have experienced a similar loss.
Paula Mawson, Commissioning Lead for Public Mental Health at Warwickshire County Council said: “Ensuring that people who have been bereaved by suicide in Warwickshire receive timely and effective support is a priority for us. The service will provide a safe place where clients can receive support that is focused on their individual needs, delivered in a group based setting. The Kaleidopscope Plus Group is a leading mental health and wellbeing charity, and we look forward to working with them to bring this new service into the county.”

The Kaleidoscope Plus Group Director of Operations, Claire Dale, said: “This is a really positive step forward in supporting people across Warwickshire who have been affected by a loved one, friend or colleague taking their own life. We are well aware that people bereaved by suicide will benefit from support which is tailored to their individual needs, and it will be a unique chance for people to share their feelings in a safe space with others who have been similarly affected.”

The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, Chief Executive Monica Shafaq is delighted to add this new pilot scheme to a wide range of support services the charity already offers across the West Midlands. She said: “I’m already very proud of the great work we do day in, day out for people either suffering from or affected by mental ill health; however this type of support service is something we have been advocating for many years, so to have been awarded this contract is fantastic news. It’s a great privilege to be delivering the Suicide Bereavement Support Service and I have no doubt it will help build effective links to other specialist and community mental health services too. I would encourage anyone across Warwickshire who is struggling with bereavement by suicide to reach out for our support; it really can make a positive difference.”

The first group will be held in Nuneaton and Bedworth and subsequent groups will be set up in each district and borough to allow ease of access across the county. A launch event will be held at the CHESS Centre, Camp Hill, on 24th May with the first group being held at the same venue on 31st May.

As the contract is mobilised updated information will be available on the Warwickshire Mental Health and Wellbeing webpage: https://warwickshire.gov.uk/mentalhealth and The Kaleidoscope Plus Group website: http://www.kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk/our-services