Procedures for Family Liaison Officers
who have contact with bereaved families
ARMY
Liaison with a family of a casualty is through
a casualty notification officer and casualty visiting officer.
Casualty Notification Officer: Informs
the next of kin (emergency contact) of a death or very serious
illness. The officer is selected using the following criteria:
— Within reasonable travelling distance
of the emergency contact;
— Minimum rank of Captain, serving
or retired;
— Preferably from the same regiment
or corps as the casualty;
— Familiar with the personal details
of the casualty;
— If possible, experienced in notification.
When the next of kin lives near the casualty's
unit (for example, a spouse living in Service family accommodation
at the unit) the casualty notification officer is normally an
officer from that unit. Where, for whatever reason, a unit cannot
appoint a casualty notification officer, Divisional HQ will do
so.
If there is no Army unit within a reasonable
distance of the next of kin, help will be requested from the CO
of the nearest RN, RM or RAF establishment to provide a casualty
notification officer. Alternatively the services of the local
police may be sought.
In cases of death, a male casualty notification
officer should be accompanied by a female, if possible a person
known to the next of kin. The casualty notification officer will
confine his visit to notification, and any immediate welfare problems.
He will not discuss aspects such as funeral arrangements, money
matters etc, but will make it clear that he will make another
visit shortly to introduce the casualty visiting officer. In all
cases this follow-up visit will be made as soon as possible.
Casualty Visiting Officer: Provides long-term
support and advice to the next of kin. Selection criteria are:
— Minimum rank of Captain, serving
or retired;
— Preferably from the same regiment
or corps as the casualty;
— Familiar with the personal details
of the casualty, and any further details unavailable at the time
of notification;
— In post for the foreseeable future,
since support and assistance is to be long term;
— Experienced in casualty visiting
officer duties, and should have also attended a casualty visiting
officer seminar.
Changes in casualty visiting officers should
be rare, and are only made in exceptional circumstances.
The casualty visiting officer acts as liaison
between the next of kin and other MoD agencies, such as MoD Pensions,
welfare services, chaplains, funeral directors and the media.
He is responsible for advising the emergency contact on available
funeral arrangements and ascertaining their wishes.
The time he maintains contact will depend on
many factors, not least the nature of the incident, the age and
health of the next of kin, family support available, and of course
whether the next of kin wishes to retain the contact. There is
no hard and fast rule.
In certain circumstances (such as unnatural
death, high profile cases or deaths liable to attract media attention)
the RMP or civil police (depending on jurisdiction) may decide
to appoint a family liaison officer. When such an appointment
is made primary responsibility for family liaison will rest with
the police, the prime objectives being to provide care, support
and information to the family and ensuring family members are
given information about support agencies that may be available,
as well as gathering evidence and information from the family
in a manner which contributes to the investigation. The duties
of a family liaison officer are similar to those performed by
the casualty visiting officer and it is important that the two
individuals work in harmony to ensure that support is given, and
information passed, to the family coherently.
A copy of the recently (Jul 04) revised Chapter
3 (Notification and Visiting) to the Army Compassionate Procedures
2000 is attached,[25]
which describes the above policy in more detail. A copy of the
Guidance Notes for Casualty Notification and Visiting Officers,
which provides a comprehensive package of guidance to the officers
concerned is also included.25
Circumstances will often preclude a Commanding
Officer from immediate involvement with the next of kin, but he
still has an important role to play in making sure he remains
in contact with both the nominated casualty notification and visiting
officers.
Finally, a senior officer normally not below
one-star rank will be responsible for the treatment of the individual
family. He has the authority to take up any problems drawn to
his attention by the casualty visiting officer (for example, concerns
over delays in obtaining information) and will ensure that these
issues are addressed and that families are treated properly.
NAVY
The initial notification visit to a bereaved
family is made by an Officer, in person in uniform, normally accompanied
by a Naval Chaplain and or a Family Service Worker from Naval
Personal and Family Service (NPFS) or Royal Marines Welfare (RMW).
Whenever possible notification will be by the CO or a senior officer
of the casualty's ship/unit, although the appropriate Area Co-coordinator
NPFS (or Director Royal Marines (DRM) for RM) will arrange notification
if the ship/unit is deployed.
Notification may also be through whichever Service
unit is nearest to the family home, or the local police, if the
family live beyond reasonable traveling distance from main base
ports. Visits by the police or non-Naval units will be followed
up by a Naval visit as soon as possible.
Notifying Officers are briefed as fully as possible
in the timescale available. Further help is available from the
Chaplaincy and or NPFS/RM Welfare who have more in-depth bereavement
training. In addition to notifying the family the Notifying Officer
will explain the follow-up process, including details of media
shielding facilities available and the Board of Inquiry (BOI)
process if required, and that normally there will be a further
contact or visit within 24 hours by a Funeral Officer.
The Funeral Officer will discuss options for
the funeral and assist the family in making the necessary arrangements.
After the funeral a Business Visits Officer is normally appointed
who will visit the family to assist in dealing with pay, pensions,
family quarters, death certificate and other business/administrative
matters. A Family Service Worker will normally accompany funeral
and Business Visits Officers.
In addition separate pastoral and welfare visits
are available to the family to provide bereavement and other counselling
and support where required. Family Service Worker support is maintained
as long as is required by the family, with follow-up checks thereafter.
A working arrangement is currently being formalised between NPFS
and the Veterans Agency War Pensions Welfare service to ensure
longer-term support for families.
Where the death is the subject of a BOI/Investigation,
the family will be kept informed of progress by the Directorate
of Personnel Support (Navy) (DPS (N))—Naval Casualty Branch,
through the Visiting Officer or Family Service Worker as appropriate.
Previously units have provided in house bereavement
training for personnel likely to be involved in the notification
process. This was enhanced for Op Telic to provide a larger pool
of Notifying Officers. Funeral Officers attend a two-day course
at the Royal Naval School of Specialist Welfare (RNSSW), which
is also developing a general bereavement course. Business Visit
Officers are Logistics Branch (Pay) officers, and so experts in
the particular subject. But they will attend the general bereavement
course.
RAF
Notification of a death will be made by the
most appropriate, available RAF Officer or by an Officer from
whichever Service unit is nearest the family home. The local police
may also be asked for assistance if it is not possible to arrange
a timely visit from a Service representative. An Assisting Officer
is then appointed, normally by the parent unit of the individual,
to offer advice and practical support to the Next of Kin (NOK)
and act as the conduit through which specialist advice on any
Service or non-Service issues can be sought. The Assisting Officer
may be the same person who initially notified the family of the
death.
Assisting officers are usually mature personnel,
of at least Flight Lieutenant rank (OF2), who ideally will be
an acquaintance rather than a close friend of the deceased or
their family. The Officers are expected to remain in the local
area/current post for at least nine months, thereby ensuring continuity
of support.
Assisting Officers offer help and advice on
a range of issues and will, at the relatives' request, arrange
the funeral. They also attempt to resolve any immediate financial
concerns, housing issues and help the bereaved claim any grants
or pensions to which they may be entitled. In the longer term
they seek NOK views on the marking of the grave and will accompany
them to any Inquest. Assisting Officers are not expected to be
experts in all these fields but are expected to call upon the
services of subject matter experts, particularly Unit personnel
staff, chaplains, pension and welfare officers for advice.
The key to successful interaction between the
bereaved and the Assisting Officer is to build a rapport. In the
immediate aftermath of a death, Assisting Officers can expect
to be visiting or contacting the family on a daily basis. After
the funeral, the interval between visits and contacts, whilst
still a regular occurrence, is likely to decrease. However, the
family is given the Assisting officers contact details and can
call on their services as and when required.
Assisting Officers remain in contact with the
family for as long as required. Whilst, in some cases this may
involve contact for over a year, as time moves on most relatives
begin to rebuild their lives and contact will gradually cease.
However, many Assisting Officers become and remain family friends.
25 Not printed. Back
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