Follow us
Follow us
Need to speak to a member of our team? Call us on 0161 711 0339
Thank you for reaching out to Once Upon a Smile. We are truly sorry for what you and your family have gone through and continue to face.
When we receive your referral, we assess whether we are the right organisation to meet the needs of your family. This helps ensure that you receive the appropriate support as quickly as possible.
The next step in our process is the initial meeting, which is a crucial and beneficial part of our support. This meeting allows us to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the death of your loved one and the type of support you and your family need.
One of our Bereavement Support Practitioners will reach out to you or the child’s parent/guardian to schedule a convenient time for the meeting. This can be done in person at Sidley House or remotely via platforms like TEAMS or ZOOM, based on what works best for you.
Following the initial meeting, we may invite your child to come along and meet with one of our Bereavement Support Practitioners. This will be an introduction to Once Upon a Smile where your child can then decide to enter our support programme.
No, the initial assessment is with parent/guardian so we can fully understand and talk openly about the death of your loved one.
Usually, an assessment would last about one hour, but there are instances where assessments can take longer, or even be split into two parts. Regardless of this, we will always go at your pace.
You’re more than welcome to bring along another adult for support.
Many families are unsure what they are looking for, our bereavement practitioners are very experienced and will guide you throughout
We offer a safe, comfortable and non-judgemental environment where you will be supported throughout the meeting.
Similarly to our bereavement support meeting our pre funeral support takes place either in person or remote. Initially with parent/guardian or a named trusted adult with permission from parent/guardian.
The death of someone important can often confuse and overwhelm children, equally it can feel just as overwhelming for those supporting children.
Our aim is to offer support to adults to feel more comfortable to approach the subject of death and dying and engage in open conversations with children. One of the most important reasons to talk to children prior to the funeral is so they can understand what’s happened and what may happen over the next few days/weeks. Providing information to children will help them process their grief, ease anxieties and provide opportunities for any questions.
“I’m so glad I reached out to Once Upon a Smile prior to my husband’s funeral, they helped me to explain the cremation process in age appropriate ways and offered me some wonderful resources to support the children on the day.”
Our referral process is the first step of reaching out for support from Once Upon a Smile. Referrals can be made by you for your family or can be made on behalf of a family you are seeking support for.
