Bereavement & the yard team

Yard owners, head girls, anyone leading a team through repeated loss.

• ◆Recognise grief in yourself and colleagues
• ◆Hold a brief team debrief after a loss
• ◆Signpost professional support
• ◆Build resilience without numbness

1. 01.

   Grief at work

   How it shows up, why we minimise it.

   • ·Behavioural signs of unprocessed grief in the workplace
   • ·Why equine carers tend to minimise — and what it costs the team
   • ·Cumulative loss and 'compassion fatigue' explained
   • ·When to take it seriously: red flags
2. 02.

   The team debrief

   A simple 20-minute structure that helps.

   • ·Setting up the debrief — when, where, who is and isn't there
   • ·A four-question structure that works in 20 minutes
   • ·Holding the room when somebody cries
   • ·Closing well — what each person takes away
3. 03.

   Looking after yourself

   Cumulative loss and what to watch for.

   • ·A weekly self-check practice
   • ·Boundaries between work grief and home life
   • ·Professional support: where to find it, how to refer
   • ·Building a yard culture that talks about loss

None — come ready to talk and listen.

Reflective written piece (one A4 page) within 14 days; reviewed privately.

• §Adams et al., 'Coping with pet loss: a review' (J Vet Behav, 2000)
• §Vetlife UK — practitioner mental-health resources
• §Cruse Bereavement Care — pet-loss section