Posted By Zoe Barnett Please be aware that this post raises the traumatic subject of death in childhood. I am a governor at a school for children with profound learning disabilities. Sadly, many of the children have conditions which mean that they do not live into adulthood. Staff at the school build very close relationships with the children which means that when one of the students dies, there is a deep sense of loss. Older, more experienced staff try to deal with their own grief whilst supporting younger colleagues, many of whom have never been bereaved before. Needless to say, this has a strong impact on staff stress. The school's educational psychologist has been very supportive in providing training on the various stages of bereavement, and the headteacher attended excellent training from the Child Bereavement Trust. However, most of the information and support available is aimed at people who have lost only one child. I am asking whether any colleagues have any guidance or advice on dealing with repeated loss of this type. In the last three years the school has had to deal with the deaths of three pupils and two teachers, the most recent being a child who died suddenly yesterday. As medical care improves, more and more children will survive to school age and so this problem is one that will tragically grow as the years go by. Sorry to post such a sombre question, and I hope I've not stirred up any painful memories for anyone.

Posted By Neil Pearson Hi Zoe, I'm sure you're way ahead of me here, but I do know of a body that offers special grief counselling, called Cruse. That's where I would start, but I'm sure you're aware of them. Anyway, here's the link: http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk/ Neil.

Posted By Stephen J W Clegg. Hello Zoe, have you contacted your local hospital for advice? Particularly the units that specialise in Terminal and Intensive Care. They might be able to help… Good luck!