The first days and weeks following a death on the road can be particularly hard to bear. The emotional shock can be overwhelming. Brake's Support Worker service aims to provide you with a support worker to help you through this terrible early time of your bereavement by providing you with face to face emotional support, usually in your home.
How do I access a Support Worker?
To access this scheme, you, or someone caring for you, calls the Brake helpline as soon as possible on 0845 6038570. The helpline officer you speak to will then try to source a Support Worker who lives near you who can visit you as soon as they can. The experience of the Support Worker will be discussed with you, and they will be assigned to you and given your details only with your agreement. We aim for the Support Worker to visit you within a couple of days of your call to us, although sometimes this isn't always possible and it may take a little longer.
Who are Support Workers and what do they do?
Your Support Worker will not work for Brake. They may work for a local bereavement service, such as one operated by a hospital or a charity. Or they might work for a local trauma or disaster service, such as one operated by a local authority or other agency. To be considered as a Support Worker they have to provide Brake with evidence that they have appropriate experience of specifically caring for people in the early stages of a violent and sudden bereavement and also that they are qualified to provide this support.
Your Support Worker has one goal - to provide you with emotional support to help you feel as safe and cared for as possible during a time when you are highly vulnerable because of the traumatic nature of your bereavement. They will aim to think only of your welfare and be a strong presence and empathetic listening ear - a rock to lean on in your darkest hour, whether you are crying, screaming or just unable to say anything at all. They will not provide you with counselling or any other kind of therapy as this is inappropriate during the first few weeks of your bereavement. They will not try to replace any additional invaluable support you may receive from family and friends.
A bereaved user of the service says: “My support worker has really, really helped and was available when I needed her. I don’t know what I’d have done without her; I need to talk. You do a remarkable job.”
How many times will I see my Support Worker and how long will I receive support?
It depends, but Brake tries to source a Support Worker who can offer you regular support as soon as possible over the first couple of months of your bereavement, during the initial shock period.
What if I don't like my Support Worker and don't want their help?
After your first visit from your Support Worker, Brake will contact you by phone to ensure that you want this support to continue. At that point, if you do not think the Support Worker we have assigned is helpful to you, we can withdraw their support, and, if you wish, seek a different support worker. At any time you can call the Brake helpline to have this support withdrawn. Most people, however, find their Support Worker valuable and do not ask for the withdrawal of the service.
Will it always be possible to find me a Support Worker?
Brake will always endeavour to find you a Support Worker as soon as possible. However, we are reliant on availability of people with the requisite experience and training in your region. In a minority of cases it is not possible to find a Support Worker right away. In some cases, we cannot find a Support Worker who meets our criteria, but we have access to someone who we think might be able to help you nonetheless. In such a case, we will explain to you the level of experience and skills of the person we have in mind, and you can choose whether or not to receive their help.
What happens after my Support Worker stops supporting me?
At the end of your support from your Support Worker, you will not have recovered from such a terrible bereavement; your grief will continue. At this stage, the Brake helpline will offer to help you access further help that is appropriate. The help we recommend will depend on whether you feel you are still suffering severe shock symptoms. These could include, for example, shaking, inability to sleep, stuttering, inability to eat, feelings of deep depression and many other symptoms that are not good for your health.
If you are suffering such symptoms, then the Brake helpline can help you access a medical assessment of your ongoing needs, which may recommend a course of treatment such as a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (which means talking with an experienced therapist in often weekly meetings over a period of time).
If you are not suffering such symptoms, you may still benefit from ongoing support of a different kind, for example support from a local bereavement service specifically caring for people in your circumstance (there are agencies, for example, that specialise in supporting people who have suffered the death of a partner or of a child). Depending on your case, you may also benefit from being signposted to organisations that campaign for particular road safety measures.
To access the Support Worker service, call the Brake helpline on 0845 6038570
