Regional Teams

  
 

 

 

Who Are We?

Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland exists to provide support to people experiencing grief following a death, working primarily through volunteers, providing free care to bereaved people.

Cruse was founded over 50 years ago in Surrey as a support group for widows. Over the years it grew rapidly opening its doors first to widowers and eventually to anyone who was bereaved. Gradually Cruse developed into a volunteer counselling service.  The first branch of Cruse in Scotland opened in the late 1960s and by the mid 90s there were 28 branches north of the border.

 

  
 
 
 
Local Regional Information

Office

Cruse House
20 Argyle Drive
Hamilton
ML3 9EB
 

E-mail contact: 

lanarkshire@crusescotland.org.uk

 

Office open:

Monday - Saturday,  flexible hours.

Newly Bereaved Group is held on the 4th Tuesday and Friendship Group is held on the 4th Tuesday of the month

 
 
 

 

Lanarkshire Region

  

The Region covers Lanarkshire with premises in Hamilton.
Please make initial contact through our National Phoneliine 0845 600 2227 to obtain a referral,
but before doing so you may find the Questions and Answers below helpful.

 

  
 
Who will I see?

Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland (CBCS) volunteers are people who have undergone special training in the process of grieving and working with bereaved people.  Some have undergone more specialised training to enable them to work with children or those bereaved through suicide.  All volunteers listen carefully and respond sensitively to enable you to work through the grief.  They know that the best solutions are the ones people discover for themselves.  They are of different ages and from different walks of life and many have themselves experienced close bereavements in their lives.  They receive ongoing training in their work.  All volunteers have police checks carried out on them through Disclosure Scotland.

 

What would I expect from my bereavement support volunteer?

Your volunteer will respect confidentiality, will keep appointments, and will see you regularly. S/he cannot take the pain of your bereavement away but will support you while you work through it. You can expect your volunteer to have a friendly manner, but s/he will respect you as an independent individual for whom bereavement support is a temporary, though valuable step, in working through your grief and coming to terms with your loss.  The service is confidential within CBCS's practice and policy guidelines.

 

What commitment would be expected from me?

There is a large demand for the CBCS bereavement support service. We ask that once accepted you will keep your appointments (apart from emergencies), or cancel in good time, so we can make the best use of our limited supply of volunteers.

 

Where does counselling take place?

One-to-one support with one of our carefully selected and trained volunteers takes place either at your local  CBCS premises or at another agreed venue.  A session normally lasts for about one hour.  You would be offered an initial appointment for 30 minutes as quickly as possible. This time is used to ascertain whether or not CBCS is the best organisation to help. You will be placed on a waiting list until a bereavement support volunteer is available.

 

How much does it cost?

CBCS offers a free counselling service to the bereaved. The counsellors and other volunteers all provide their services free of charge. Each branch of CBCS relies on fundraising and donations from clients and Friends of CBCS, to provide the local service.

 

Is it really confidential?

All our volunteers work to a strict code of ethics, which binds them to hold everything you say in confidence, unless they feel there is a risk to your life or the lives of others. You should know that our counsellors are all supervised and they may talk to their supervisor about your experience, but they will never share information which may identify you.

 

If you think counselling could help you, ‘what should I do next’?

Please ring our National Phoneline  - 0845 600 2227.  Our volunteer will be able to advise you and put you in touch with someone locally.  We will ask you for some brief details about you and you bereavement. There may be times when we have to take your contact details in a recorded message.  Be prepared to leave a brief message, remembering to give your name and telephone number, or your name and address if you prefer a written response and Information Pack.  CBCS is aware that some people have difficulty using an answer-phone. Please try.

 

When we contact you, the Referral Secretary will ask you a few questions about your needs and you will be able to ask any further questions you may have about bereavement support and the Lanarkshire Region of CBCS. If you decide you would like to see a volunteer you will be offered an initial interview and then, if mutually agreed, you will be contacted as soon as one becomes available.

 

Do you have any resources I can take away?

Leaflets are available on a wide range of issues following bereavement. In addition Cruse UK publish a wide range of helpful leaflets. The branch administrator can give you details.

 

The Newly Bereaved and Friendship Groups are open to anyone who has been bereaved.

 

 

  

 

Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people in Scotland

We seek to help anyone experiencing bereavement to understand their grief and cope with their loss.  We work primarily through volunteers, providing free care to bereaved people. We also train and educate individuals and organisations who may in turn be able to contribute to the well-being of bereaved people.

 

© 2009 Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland - Scottish Charity Number SC031600