William Purves launches Grief First Aid programme for staff
Around 20 staff from William Purves across each region have attended a series of online courses and set about creating the company’s first GFA support team
William Purves Funeral Directors has launched an internal Grief First Aid programme to assist its colleagues in 2024.
It comes after the funeral group approached Cruse, a UK-based bereavement charity, to become one of the inaugural teams to trial a Grief First Aid course that the charity was launching.
Around 20 staff from William Purves across each region have attended a series of online courses and set about creating the company’s first GFA support team.
The GFA programme has equipped staff to recognise and take early action to respond to anyone in their team who may be suffering as a result of loss, grief or bereavement.
As colleagues have been tasked with looking after those who have died and serve the families left behind, William Purves recognised there was a need for a GFA programme as being close up to death daily “sometimes takes its toll”.
A spokesperson from William Purves said: “Creating a team of qualified listeners and safe spaces means we are more conscious about offering help than before – something we can be guilty of exactly because of our professionalism.
“Grief first aid has been a catalyst for many new internal initiatives focused on employee well-being generally, ensuring the benefits cascade throughout the company.”
