0800 0246 121
0191 656 3201
info@thenbs.org
Mon - Fri 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00, Sun – CLOSED

Practical Help
- Pre-Death PlanningGetting prepared ahead of time when expecting a loss.
  - Estate PlanningHow to prepare and distribute left assets.
  - Will Writing ServicesThe importance of writing will and a review of the Will writing options.
  - Trust FundsInformation on various types of trust funds that can be set up.
  - Lasting Power of Attorney: What is It and How to Set Up an LPAA step-by-step guide on how to appoint an LPA and the importance of doing so.
  - Finding a Suitable Funeral DirectorGet help organising and planning a funeral.
  - Covering Funeral CostsGet help for funeral arrangement costs.
- Legal SupportUnderstand your legal obligations around bereavement.
  - Laws of IntestacyDetermines who is entitled to inheritance by law.
  - Making Changes to InheritanceChanging how inheritance is distributed at this stage requires a Deed of Variation
  - Bona VacantiaWhen there is no living blood relatives, ownerless assets default to the crown.
  - Debts after DeathWhat happens to debts after someone dies.
  - Inheriting DebtThe circumstances where someone may inherit the debts of the deceased.
- Probate SupportHelp with probate and inheritance.
  - Getting Help with ProbateHelp for those unclear on the probate process.
  - Grant of ProbateHow to get a grant of probate and when you need one.
  - Probate in Northern IrelandAdvice for Northern Ireland residents needing help with probate.
  - Probate in Scotland (Confirmation)Advice for Scotland residents needing help with probate, known as ‘Confirmation’.
  - Inheritance TaxWhen and how to pay inheritance tax.
  - DIY ProbateHow and when to carry out probate by yourself.
  - Executor of Will DutiesList of duties required by the distributor of the deceased’s estate.
  - Find Unclaimed Assets of a Deceased PersonHelp for finding unclaimed assets left in wills or from dying intestate.
  - Selling a Probate PropertyAdvice on the process of selling a property in probate.
  - Probate FeesGuidance and advice on the fee costs you may incur in during the probate process.
  - Contentious ProbateAdvice on problems and disagreements that can arise during probate.
  - Deed of VariationChange details about how inheritance is distributed.
- Practical Tasks after a DeathThings to do after someone dies.
  - Death RegistrationWho to contact to register a death.
  - Finding a Funeral DirectorGet help finding a suitable director to arrange a funeral.
  - Covering Funeral CostsGet help paying for a funeral.
  - Paying Inheritance TaxHelp on when and how to pay inheritance tax.
  - Benefits CalculatorFree assessment of benefits you may be entitled to.
  - Stopping Junk MailHow to reduce mail and correspondence to the address of a deceased person.
  - When Coroner is InvolvedAn explanation of the coroner’s process and their involvement.
- Getting Practical & Legal HelpSpeak to someone about the practical or legal aspects of bereavement.
Emotional Help
- GriefNavigating and managing the experience of grief.
  - Managing GriefGet ideas on managing the experience of grief.
  - Traumatic BereavementHelp for managing a traumatic bereavement or PTSD associated with bereavement.
- Specific RelationshipsSupporting grief for relationships and partnerships.
- Supporting OthersHelping others through their bereavement.
  - Supporting ChildrenGet help for explaining the loss of a grandparent or elderly relative to a young child.
  - Supporting EmployeesHelp for employers on how to support employees through bereavement.
- Sharing the NewsHelp with communicating bereavement.
  - Social Media MemorialisationHow to create memorialised social media accounts.
  - Explaining to Young Children
- Getting Help & CounsellingUseful organisations for emotional wellbeing and mental health support.
Quick Guides
Workplace & Training
About NBS
- About NBS
- Donate
- News
- Research
Contact NBS

Practical Help
- Pre-Death PlanningGetting prepared ahead of time when expecting a loss.
  - Estate PlanningHow to prepare and distribute left assets.
  - Will Writing ServicesThe importance of writing will and a review of the Will writing options.
  - Trust FundsInformation on various types of trust funds that can be set up.
  - Lasting Power of Attorney: What is It and How to Set Up an LPAA step-by-step guide on how to appoint an LPA and the importance of doing so.
  - Finding a Suitable Funeral DirectorGet help organising and planning a funeral.
  - Covering Funeral CostsGet help for funeral arrangement costs.
- Legal SupportUnderstand your legal obligations around bereavement.
  - Laws of IntestacyDetermines who is entitled to inheritance by law.
  - Making Changes to InheritanceChanging how inheritance is distributed at this stage requires a Deed of Variation
  - Bona VacantiaWhen there is no living blood relatives, ownerless assets default to the crown.
  - Debts after DeathWhat happens to debts after someone dies.
  - Inheriting DebtThe circumstances where someone may inherit the debts of the deceased.
- Probate SupportHelp with probate and inheritance.
  - Getting Help with ProbateHelp for those unclear on the probate process.
  - Grant of ProbateHow to get a grant of probate and when you need one.
  - Probate in Northern IrelandAdvice for Northern Ireland residents needing help with probate.
  - Probate in Scotland (Confirmation)Advice for Scotland residents needing help with probate, known as ‘Confirmation’.
  - Inheritance TaxWhen and how to pay inheritance tax.
  - DIY ProbateHow and when to carry out probate by yourself.
  - Executor of Will DutiesList of duties required by the distributor of the deceased’s estate.
  - Find Unclaimed Assets of a Deceased PersonHelp for finding unclaimed assets left in wills or from dying intestate.
  - Selling a Probate PropertyAdvice on the process of selling a property in probate.
  - Probate FeesGuidance and advice on the fee costs you may incur in during the probate process.
  - Contentious ProbateAdvice on problems and disagreements that can arise during probate.
  - Deed of VariationChange details about how inheritance is distributed.
- Practical Tasks after a DeathThings to do after someone dies.
  - Death RegistrationWho to contact to register a death.
  - Finding a Funeral DirectorGet help finding a suitable director to arrange a funeral.
  - Covering Funeral CostsGet help paying for a funeral.
  - Paying Inheritance TaxHelp on when and how to pay inheritance tax.
  - Benefits CalculatorFree assessment of benefits you may be entitled to.
  - Stopping Junk MailHow to reduce mail and correspondence to the address of a deceased person.
  - When Coroner is InvolvedAn explanation of the coroner’s process and their involvement.
- Getting Practical & Legal HelpSpeak to someone about the practical or legal aspects of bereavement.
Emotional Help
- GriefNavigating and managing the experience of grief.
  - Managing GriefGet ideas on managing the experience of grief.
  - Traumatic BereavementHelp for managing a traumatic bereavement or PTSD associated with bereavement.
- Specific RelationshipsSupporting grief for relationships and partnerships.
- Supporting OthersHelping others through their bereavement.
  - Supporting ChildrenGet help for explaining the loss of a grandparent or elderly relative to a young child.
  - Supporting EmployeesHelp for employers on how to support employees through bereavement.
- Sharing the NewsHelp with communicating bereavement.
  - Social Media MemorialisationHow to create memorialised social media accounts.
  - Explaining to Young Children
- Getting Help & CounsellingUseful organisations for emotional wellbeing and mental health support.
Quick Guides
Workplace & Training
About NBS
- About NBS
- Donate
- News
- Research
Contact NBS

Grief & Bereavement Support for Employers

Working with organisations across commercial, charitable and public sectors, the National Bereavement Service provides grief and bereavement support to management, employees and volunteers to help your people through what can be an extremely challenging time.

Immediate, practical information and advice is delivered by professional Bereavement Advisers, together with emotional support, and access to Adroit Legal Services’ panel of expert legal professionals if required.

Our free-to-access grief and bereavement support is complemented – and funded – by specialist training for employers, health and social care professionals. By enhancing bereavement knowledge, awareness and competence, entry level courses by NBS increase your peoples’ confidence in dealing with death, grief and bereavement-related topics.

Contact NBS Now Step by Step Guide for Employees [Opens PDF]

Bereavement support for a stronger organisation

Marie Curie’s “Respecting and supporting grief at work” report found that 1 in 3 line managers would welcome help in how to support bereaved employees.

In our experience, Employee Assistance packages often lack the bereavement care and wide range of professional legal services provided by the NBS and our sister company, Adroit Legal Services. Our team works with client organisations to create a tailored package of support for you and your people, enhancing your employee value proposition and providing invaluable support for people when they need it most.

Whether your people are carers, have experienced the death of someone close, or who want to plan ahead for their own deaths, professional grief and bereavement support from the National Bereavement Service helps your organisation to build stronger relationships with your people and reduce bereavement-related ill health and absences.

Contact NBS to Find Out About Our Employee Benefits Services

“When we were deciding which bereavement service to work with, it was really important for us to choose a company that had the same customer values as us.

We have not been disappointed, and we have many examples of where NBS have gone out of their way to help our customers and their families. They genuinely do care for the bereaved and will do everything they can to support them at their time of need.”

Dawn Read - Product Manager Neilson Financial Services

“Their work goes far beyond bereavement guidance in their efforts to support our patients, medical team and supporters. Their guidance is both free and impartial with
the client’s best interests at the very heart of what they do as well as supporting our free Will initiative across the country.

Their nationwide coverage and their ability to act quickly compared to the majority coupled with their compassionate nature sets them apart, and we would have no hesitation in recommending them to any other service provider. They provide a caring yet professional service which aligns perfectly with our ethos and values as a UK charity.”

Paula Chadwick - Chief Executive Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

What to expect from the NBS

Anyone who contacts NBS (by phone, webchat or email) speaks directly to a Bereavement Adviser who listens to the caller’s concerns, provides accurate information and explanations and, if appropriate, presents options for the next steps to take.

Our role is to inform and empower people, enabling them to carry out essential death administration without unnecessary expense. When appropriate, we’ll signpost to other organisations and services, including professional services, for further advice and support.

Many people who contact us are struggling to cope with the varied and powerful emotions that form part of grief. We provide ‘first aid’ emotional support, and we have found that simple explanations and reassurance about what is ‘normal’, backed by our team’s empathy and understanding, are often all our callers need.

Where more emotional support is needed, our Bereavement Advisers explain the different types of ongoing support available and explore with our caller those organisation(s) which are the best match for their circumstances.

Unless we need to call someone back for any reason, we never record any caller’s personal data.

The NBS is always free at the point of need, whether someone has called us through a workplace support service, or an individual who has seen our website or been recommended to us.

NBS & Adroit Legal Services Together

Working in partnership with Adroit Legal Services enables the not-for-profit NBS to operate efficiently through the sharing of infrastructure and by giving callers who require legal services, especially for Wills, estate planning and probate, an excellent choice of quality, vetted and specialist legal services. Adroit’s legal advisor panel is carefully monitored for service and quality, offering transparent and extremely competitive fees.

The NBS only makes a referral to Adroit Legal Services with a caller’s full consent and having explained all options, including ‘DIY’.

Grief & Bereavement Training

Bereavement affects most people during their lifetime, but many don’t know what to do when someone dies.

Whether your organisation works with bereaved people, is a bereavement counselling service or a business that wants to support bereaved employees or customers more effectively and sensitively, professional bereavement training from the National Bereavement Service helps you to support your people, clients and customers with invaluable, practical guidance and emotional support at what can be an extremely challenging time.

Did you know?

More than half of employees would consider leaving their employer if they were treated badly following a bereavement (NCPC Dying Matters (2015) Life after death bereavement report)
Only 1 in 3 employers have a bereavement policy in place (Marie Curie Respecting and supporting grief at work)
The UK Bereavement Commission’s Bereavement is everyone’s business report recommends that people whose role brings them into contact with bereaved people must ensure they receive culturally-informed and contextually tailored bereavement training, at an appropriate level and including training on complex and traumatic grief

Bereavement training tailored to your organisation

All death, dying and bereavement training courses by the National Bereavement Service are designed to your organisation’s unique needs and outcomes.

Most training is delivered by our own professional, experienced and expert advisers but if appropriate – and with your agreement – we may invite third party specialists to contribute, especially on technical legal topics. We select guest contributors for their plain English communication, knowledge and professional experience.

Every training course allows time for Q&A, and sessions are recorded.

Our most popular training courses are listed, but if you can’t see what you’re looking for, please contact us to discuss bespoke grief and bereavement training for your organisation.

Bereavement & Grief
Introduction to the work of the National Bereavement Service	20-60 mins
Overview of what to do when someone dies Includes both coping with grief and the emotional aspects of bereavement and what you have to do when someone dies.	90-120 minutes with a short break
Step by Step – what to do when someone dies checklist Understanding the detail of what to do when someone dies from a practical perspective.	60-90 minutes
The Experience of Grief Grief and bereavement training that focuses on feelings and how people respond to the emotional side of grief.	60-90 minutes
Communicating with Bereaved People as Part of Your Job An interactive bereavement training session to help your team deliver helpful information clearly and with empathy.	60-120 minutes with a short break
Understanding Probate A session that outlines what probate is and what it involves, including what happens when someone dies without a will.	40-90 minutes
Planning Ahead Death, dying and bereavement training that helps people understand what they need to do to protect their family.	40-90 minutes

We also offer a range of short bereavement training sessions on legal & financial topics in partnership with Adroit Legal Services:
Why You Should make a Will It is easy to put off making a Will – this session explains why it is important and how it can protect your family if you are no longer here to care for them.	30-45mins
The Importance of Lasting Powers of Attorney This session covers why you need a Power of Attorney, common misconceptions and what happens if you don’t have them.	30-45mins
Residential Conveyancing This session explains the many types of matters a conveyancer can deal with and the importance of engaging with a reputable, trustworthy, and proactive firm. We also cover FAQs, such as how long does a property transaction take, and why, as well as taking you through the conveyancing process.	30-45mins
Family Law This session discusses everything ‘family’, including divorce and finances, children (including types of court orders, no order principle, the role of CAFCASS, and parental responsibility), family agreements (pre and post nuptial and cohabitation agreements), and domestic abuse (harassment and the police, non-molestation order, occupation order).	30-45mins
Funeral Plans Explained This session explains what a funeral plan is and the different options, the key benefits of taking out a plan, and the important points to consider before purchasing.	30-45mins
Protecting your Property and Money This is a longer more in-depth session explaining ways to protect your property and money including the benefit of lifetime trusts to protect your wealth, avoid probate, and help reduce inheritance tax.	45-60mins

Grief & Bereavement Training

Our NBS team works with organisations of any size, including large corporate clients in retail, banking, logistics and housing services, as well as small charities.

You may choose to access stand-alone grief and bereavement training, which is a great introduction to the breadth of our expertise and what we offer.

Alternatively, contact us for more information and to discuss tailored training as part of a complete employee benefit package.

Get in touch

Contact us today

For more information about the National Bereavement Service, contact us today on:

or contact us via our live chat function below.

Grief & Bereavement Support for Employers

Bereavement support for a stronger organisation

What to expect from the NBS

NBS & Adroit Legal Services Together

Grief & Bereavement Training

Bereavement training tailored to your organisation

Bereavement & Grief

Grief & Bereavement Training

Get in touch

Contact us today

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