A study has revealed that teachers and support staff at Moray’s schools required assistance in helping their pupils to cope with bereavement.
As a result staff throughout the region are now to be trained in bereavement counselling and support, with eight secondary and 45 primary schools set to appoint a bereavement coordinator.
Trainers from Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland will provide fully qualified trainers in the workplace.
The initiative, which has been set in motion by the local Cruse Moray team and is being funded by the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation, is the first of its kind to be provided to schools in the north of Scotland.
A Moray Council spokesman said: “The aim is to develop and deliver appropriate training and guidance materials to all schools across Moray in order to support children and young people suffering from the effects of bereavement or other significant loss or change.
“Training will be delivered to the first 16 schools next month, with co-ordinators at the other schools being trained by May next year.
“The training has been developed and will be delivered by qualified trainers from Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland to whom we are very grateful for assisting in the project.
“Similarly, the initiative would not have been possible without the financial support of the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation.”