“It’s like watching a flower opening up as they grow, develop and learn how to adjust to a new way of life. Building a trusting relationship in a safe and confidential environment is so important when working with children and young people.”

The next ‘Primrose Person’ we are going to be hearing from is Sharon Workman, who is one of our Children’s Practitioners in our Family Support Team at Primrose Hospice. We spoke to her about what it’s like to work with children and young people at Primrose Hospice and Family Support Centre. You can listen to or read her words below…

“Hello, I’m Sharon Workman and I’m a member of the Primrose Hospice Family Support Children’s Team. I’ve been at Primrose Hospice & Family Support centre for five and a halfyears; during that time I’ve been a Children’s Practitioner and covered as the Children’s Team Lead.

Many people think Primrose Hospice is where children and young people can come when a family member has been supported at Primrose but that isn’t always the case. As well as

supporting families of patients, we support any children and young people following any bereavement as long as they are registered with a Bromsgrove or Redditch GP. That could be following any death of a loved one, whether it was expected or not.

A favourite part of my role is meeting amazing families, being taken into people’s trust and into their personal lives. So for that, I feel very humbled and privileged, but also, it makes my job really rewarding. I love helping families from different cultures and backgrounds all in unique situations. I love coming to work every day and being part of the bigger Primrose family.

Some days we do have tears, but our team will always talk and support each other.

I’ve collaborated with and supported some wonderful young people who have come to Primrose when a loved one has died and they have been at their lowest point. I’ve then observed the young person as they start to understand that grief is a normal process and their feelings are valid. Helping them realise that it’s also ok to have fun and enjoy life is also reassuring.

It’s like watching a flower opening up as they grow, develop and learn how to adjust to a new way of life. Building a trusting relationship in a safe and confidential environment is so important when working with children and young people. Helping them to explore health coping strategies and ways in which they can continue remembering their loved or special person can also be really positive and give hope that when they walk away from Primrose a bright and happy future awaits them.

We support children and young people by offering a metaphorical blanket of support. This involves psychosocial support, counselling, group support and even complementary therapy. We work as a community involving all those in the young person’s life, family, carers, siblings and schools. Our aim is to approach support for young people in a safe and secure way and to ensure we do what is best for them.

From my perspective, and my experience of Primrose Hospice, life will always end in death, but we have the team who can help people understand their feelings and help them become less fearful. In our culture, I think death is a taboo subject and it’s not talked about enough. Death is a topic that is hard to talk about, but it’s really important.

Did you know a parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK?

At Primrose we know how important it is for our families to have the right support and the right intervention, which really is to help them with a better future. Whether that be to achieve academically, psychologically or emotionally. That is the reason we’re here. That is the reason we want to intervene, and to provide our expertise and skills at that moment in time. Often people are misunderstood. Often, people think that grief has an expiry date, which it absolutely doesn’t.

Death is a topic that is hard to talk about, but it’s massively important. I think Primrose is needed to help those people at crisis point and to help people understand that when they come here, Primrose isn’t about dying. It’s actually a place that’s about living. It’s about living your best life till the end.

At Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre we provide care and support to over 1,400 people every year in North East Worcestershire. This simply wouldn’t be possible without our ‘Primrose People’.

From every volunteer, patient, staff member and fundraiser, everyone plays a vital part in ensuring Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre can continue to provide the free and vital support to our community in their time of need.

Contact our team:

T: 01527 889799

E:  primrosehospice.familysupportreferrals@nhs.net

or find out more here: primrosehospice.org/family-support-referral