Glasgow service wins GO Excellence in Public Procurement award

7 November 2019

Child Bereavement UK was announced as the winner in the Best Service – Micro and Small Business and Third Sector Organisations category at the Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards 2019/20 Scotland. The awards celebrate achievements in teamwork, social value, market development and more.

The GO Awards are the culmination of the Scottish Festival of Procurement, also including the Scottish Government National Procurement Conference and Procurex Scotland. The Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in all aspects of procurement, recognising outstanding achievement from the public, private and third sectors.

The GO Awards Scotland were presented at an awards ceremony, held at the Marriott Hotel, Glasgow, on Tuesday 29th October 2019. The 10 awards categories at the GO Awards Scotland also celebrate achievements, including in teamwork, market development, and social value.. The judging panel for the GO Awards Scotland is made up of seven of the country’s leading procurement experts, who were delighted to recognise the achievements that led to Child Bereavement UK achieving Highly Commended status.

Grahame Steed, Chair of the GO Awards Scotland judging panel, said:

“In a year when the quality of submissions into the GO Awards Scotland has risen still further, being chosen as Winner is a great achievement. We hope that the recognition this project has received will inspire others to do more, and to ensure that procurement continues to be a force for positive change and social benefit.”

Child Bereavement UK supports families and trains professionals both when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, and when a child is facing bereavement. In 2017, the charity was commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with funding from Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, to provide bereavement support to families bereaved of a baby or child, and training to support NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff. The team of five includes three trained bereavement support practitioners, who provide free sessions both at the Royal Hospital for Children and at Child Bereavement UK’s dedicated centre in Glasgow.

Support is available to families affected by stillbirth, the death of a baby, the death of a child up to the age of 18 years, or when a baby or child is not expected to live. In addition to face-to-face support sessions and booked telephone support, the service runs support groups which allow parents, families and siblings to meet others who are bereaved. For NHS staff there is confidential support, drop-in support and information sessions, bereavement awareness training, study days and team debriefs.

Michael was supported by Child Bereavement UK at Glasgow Children’s Hospital following the death of his son. Michael said:

“Child Bereavement UK basically get it. You're very aware of all the assault that has happened to you after the death, but it’s a revelation when you sit down with someone who is talking about it in a way that shows they fully understand how extreme the set of circumstances are and that here is a programme and a mechanism for actually dealing with that.

Richard Stafford, Child Bereavement UK’s Director of Development, Scotland said:

“We’re very pleased that the achievements of our service in Glasgow have been recognised by the judging panel. Our partnership with NHSGGC and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity has helped ensure that NHS staff have the skills and support they need to meet the needs of bereaved parents and has enabled Child Bereavement UK to make sure more families in Scotland can access support to help them rebuild their lives when a child is bereaved and when a child has died.”

Photo: Richard Stafford (left), Director of Development: Scotland for Child Bereavement UK with Kristin O’Neill (Co-ordinator), Karen Lafferty (Team Lead), and Pauline Erskine (Practitioner).

Source: GO Awards Scotland 2019/20 (www.goawards.co.uk), Photographer: Sandy Young (W: www.scottishphotographer.com)

For support and information about Child Bereavement UK in Scotland, go to: www.childbereavementuk.org/glasgow

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Child Bereavement UK www.childbereavementuk.org

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals both when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, and when a child is facing bereavement. The charity has trained more than 100,000 professionals since it launched in 1994, helping them to better understand and meet the needs of grieving families.
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