PPT2 The impact of a specialist palliative care service building an external partnership to enhance bereavement support and access within the community

<h3>Background</h3> One of our Trust objectives is to build external partnerships to improve the health and wellbeing of the community. Grief affects many individuals and impacts overall health and wellbeing. Building upon the bereavement services already available, the Trust Specialist Palliative Care Service (SPCS) partnered with Stockport Libraries to develop a Grief Café, and increase access to books aimed for bereaved children. <h3>Methods</h3> A monthly Grief Café was developed and promoted via social media and word of mouth. A leaflet was also added to the SPCS bereavement packs, given to the bereaved following a patient death. With information from Winston’s Wish and Child Bereavement UK, we identified bereavement books aimed at children, including those with Special Educational Needs. Grief Café attendees completed a feedback questionnaire to review their impact. <h3>Results</h3> Attendance at Grief Cafés ranged from 1-3 sessions (n=2) to &gt;5 sessions (n=2). All attendees who completed the questionnaire (n=4) felt supported and able to speak openly, and ‘strongly agreed’ that they felt welcomed. All ‘strongly agreed’ that attending the Cafés helped them feel less alone in their grief. The location and timing of the cafés were suitable, convenient and the length of the session felt ‘just right’. Stockport libraries increased the availability of bereavement book titles aimed at children from nine to twenty-five. There are now multiple copies of these twenty-five titles of bereavement books for children across Stockport Libraries. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Building an external partnership between the Trust and Stockport Libraries has provided new resources to support the community’s health and wellbeing. While additional feedback is needed to further enhance bereavement access and support in Stockport, the commitment to this partnership remains. We are aiming to expand the Grief Cafés to other areas within Stockport and have multiple events planned together for Grief Awareness Week in December.