Fears for children as bereavement service shuts

Fears have been raised for grieving children following the decision to close a specialist bereavement service.

Leeds City Council said it took the "difficult" decision to shut the Child Bereavement Support Service to help make £106m of savings in the next financial year.

Run by Child Bereavement UK, the provision supports children and young people coping with loss, as well as families when a child has died.

Councillor Ryan Stephenson, shadow cabinet member for children and families, said that the support it provided to children in vulnerable situations "should have been at the very bottom of the list of cuts, not at the top".

He said the service had delivered 1,200 support sessions a year for around 270 families.

Helen Hayden, executive member for children and families, said: "This is not a judgement on the performance or value of the service, which was excellent.

"This is a difficult decision, driven by significant financial pressures faced by the council."

A report said the move would save £136,000 as part of wider savings in the Children and Families Directorate, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said a consultation was held on terminating the contract early, which noted "concern around the gap in services for children affected by bereavement".

Hayden added: "We'll remain focussed on maintaining and further developing comprehensive support for children and families."

The service will continue until the end of its contract on 28 February.

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