New partnership to provide Fed members and families with extra bereavement support

12 May 2023

Free bereavement support is now available for families and Nottinghamshire Police Federation members following the death of an officer in the line of duty or by suicide. 

The counselling service is being provided thanks to a new partnership between National Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo, and bereavement support organisation, Just ‘B’.

Nottinghamshire Police Federation chair Simon Riley has welcomed the initiative.

He said: “This is a very important addition to the support available to our members and their families if a colleague, a friend or a loved one dies.

“The death of a police officer is always a traumatic and devastating event and the impact it can have is incalculable. 

“Police officers and their families are fully aware of the risks they take and the dangers they might face when they report for duty each day and thankfully deaths in service are rare.

“But officers are only human and this extra support could be absolutely essential for anyone struggling to cope in the aftermath of a bereavement.”

The new service will be entirely funded by Oscar Kilo and provided through specialist bereavement service Just ‘B’, which will allocate a counsellor to each person, providing either group or one-to-one support, to help manage their grief.

Just ‘B’ provides expert emotional wellbeing and bereavement support, as well as information and advice to a range of individuals, including professionals experiencing any type of bereavement.

A referral will most likely be made by the Force’s occupational health or wellbeing team, following the usual process that is involved when a police officer or member of staff dies in the line of duty or by suicide.

The partnership demonstrates the ongoing commitment being made by Oscar Kilo to deliver the Police Covenant, by ensuring that all police forces have options to provide more support to officers and staff, as well as their families. 

Just ‘B’ chief executive Tony Collins said: “Our tailored support will be there for police officers, staff and their families across the 43 police forces, ensuring it can be accessed during a time when it’s most needed following a death in service or by suicide, with our specialist support provided alongside existing structures in place.”

If you feel you need additional bereavement or wellbeing support then please speak to your line manager or contact the Federation.