Guidance for Staff
Responding to a Student or Staff Death
If you become aware of a staff or student death, whether current, on placement or alumni, this webpage and the document below outline the Emergency and non-Emergency Procedures to be followed when responding to a death.
In times of great distress, it is important for those grieving to have only one point of contact within a complex organisation such as ours.
There is a great temptation for a range of people on the periphery to become involved and to try and help. But this can often make a difficult situation worse.
It’s important that Student Services or Human Resources takes control of the situation very quickly and all communication and information pass through the nominated individual and no one else.
Emergency Procedure (should you discover a body)
If you find a student or staff member who you think has died, unless it is absolutely clear that they are beyond medical help, you should call an ambulance immediately on 999, attempt first aid/resuscitation if you are able to and inform Security on 01509 222141.
If it is clear that the person has died, do not touch the body or the surroundings. Security will co-ordinate the immediate response.
In other circumstances where you become aware of a death please follow the procedure below.
Reporting Steps
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REPORTING |
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Action |
Student Death |
Staff Death |
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Report the death |
Report the death to Student Services: Call 01509 222765 or email studentservices@lboro.ac.uk
If it is urgent, we recommend calling Student Services rather than emailing.
Please provide the following details (as far as possible):
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Report the death to Human Resources and Organisational Development. Call 01509 222009 or email A.M.MacKinlay@lboro.ac.uk or A.E.P.Lamb@lboro.ac.uk.
HROD will then liaise with the relevant people as appropriate.
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Action Checklist
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ACTION CHECKLIST |
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Action |
Student Death |
Staff Death |
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Notify VCO providing them with the details available at that stage.
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Director of Student Services to contact PA to the COO. |
Director of HROD or nominee to contact PA to the COO. |
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Agree with VCO who will contact family/next of kin.
Act as a point of contact for VCO and also liaise with other parties on their behalf where appropriate.
Agree wording of emails as appropriate with the COO and the Vice-Chancellor |
Director and COO to agree. |
Director of HROD or nominee and COO to agree. |
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Ensure School /Professional Service is informed (usually to the Dean/Director and/or Operations Manager)
Act as a point of liaison for the School Dean/Professional Service Director and Operations Manager.
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Director or nominated representative.
If they are not already aware. Make the Academic School aware of how contact with the family will proceed. |
Director. |
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Notify other areas of the University
After contact with the family/next of kin is made, the offer is made of a Book of Remembrance and contact with the University Centre for Faith and Spirituality.
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Director or nominated representative to inform Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity, Warden Service (if applicable), Security, LSU, Registry (for Student Finance England), The Medical Centre and Student Services SMT, and if the deceased was an alumnus Marketing and Advancement. |
Director to inform Centre for Faith and Spirituality |
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Contact the University PR Team (pr@lboro.ac.uk or 01509 222239) to make them aware of the death.
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Director or nominated representative to liaise with family and agree notice to students. |
Director to liaise with family re public notification. |
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Coordinate support for staff and students affected. Offer the school or service support for their staff and students |
Director to liaise with relevant parties Support can be offered by Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity and Centre for Faith and Spirituality for staff and students and the Employee Assistance Programme for staff only.
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Director to liaise with relevant parties
Support can be offered to colleagues by the Employee Assistance Programme, Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity and the Centre for Faith and Spirituality. |
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Act as main liaison with family throughout the initial response and ongoing |
Director or nominated representative. |
Director of HROD or nominee to organise a death in service payment and return of any personal belongings. |
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Offer to prepare notices and communications to go to students, staff and student and staff noticeboards (see templates below) |
Director or nominated representative. |
Director. |
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Other
(inc arranging any translation services should they be needed)
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Director or nominated representative to organise an update to the student record, inform medical centre
Arrange any visits to campus, including working with colleagues in Campus Services to accommodate the family on campus if they wish to stay. |
Director to update employee record, arrange death in service payment and release of pension set with letter from the VC. |
Email to Students
Dear Students,
It is with great sadness that I write to let you know the very sad news of the death of [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT], who was studying [INSERT NAME OF PROGRAMME].
Some of you may have already heard this news and some of you may have known [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT] well. It’s important at this time that your look after yourselves and each other, but please also remember that the University can provide support. You may wish to talk to your Personal Tutor and Student Services will also be setting up a drop-in session for the department. We will write out to you with further details of this.
If you would like some support or just to talk, the Counselling Service can be contacted on 01509 222148 or ucs@lboro.ac.uk
If you would find comfort in the Centre for Faith and Spirituality you can contact them on 01509 223741 or cfschaplains@lboro.ac.uk
In time we will set up a book of remembrance for [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT].
Email to Staff
Dear Colleagues,
I’m writing to let you know the very sad news of the death of [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT/STAFF MEMBER], who was studying [INSERT NAME OF PROGRAMME OR DEPT]. I will shortly be sending out a message (below) to our students on this course and it may well be that close friends and others who knew them will contact you, as their personal tutor or as someone that they feel able to talk to. Student Services will set up a special session for us [INSERT DATE, TIME AND LOCATION – IF APPLICABLE] and will be writing to us with further details.
The University Chaplains are also available for any support we need. The VCO will be in touch with the family.
If you would like some support or just to talk, the Counselling Service can be contacted on 01509 222148 or ucs@lboro.ac.uk.
If you would find comfort in the Centre for Faith and Spirituality you can contact them on 01509 223741 or cfschaplains@lboro.ac.uk.
Email to Student Groups (Friends and Housemates)
Dear Students,
It is with great sadness that I write to let you knowthe very sad news of the death of [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT], who was studying [INSERT NAME OF PROGRAMME].
Some of you may have already heard this news and some of you may have known [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT] well. It’s important at this time that your look after yourselves and each other, but please also remember that the University can provide support. You may wish to talk to your personal tutor or another member of staff.
You can also access the following range of support from Student Services at any stage, individually or as a group;
- 1 – 1 emotional support or counselling
- 1 – 1 or group support provided by the Centre for Faith and Spirituality
- Group debriefing, to share how the incident has impacted you as a group of housemates/friends and decide together how you are you are going to cope from here on
- Practical support and advice if you are experiencing any mental health concerns following the incident
- Advice about any financial or housing concerns as a result of the incident
Please contact Student Services on 222765, or email studentservices@lboro.ac.uk and ask to speak to an Adviser (in the Duty Assessment and Inclusion Team) who will help you decide which service(s) will be most appropriate.
If you are aware of any other student who you think may be affected by this incident but has not received this email, please share this information with them.
Template for All Student Email from the Vice-Chancellor
Dear Students,
It is with great sadness that I write to let you know the very sad news of the death of [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT], who was studying [INSERT NAME OF PROGRAMME].
Some of you may have already heard this news and some of you may have known [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT] well. Myself and my staff at the University want to extend our deepest sympathies.
I also wanted to remind you at this difficult time that the University can provide support. You may wish to talk to your Personal Tutor, another trusted member of staff or Student Services.
Student Services can be contacted on 01509 22765 or email studentservices@lboro.ac.uk
If you would find comfort in the Centre for Faith and Spirituality you can contact them on 01509 223741 or cfschaplains@lboro.ac.uk.
In time, with permission from the family, we will set up a book of remembrance for [INSERT NAME OF STUDENT].
Kind regards
Content for Staff and Student Noticeboard
STUDENTS
We are sad to inform you that [INSERT NAME], a student within the School of [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL], has died.
Our thoughts and sincere condolences go to the friends and family of [INSERT NAME] and all those at the University who knew them.
Any students or members of staff who feels they need support or wish to talk to someone should contact the University Counselling Service or the University’s Centre for Faith and Spirituality.
STAFF
We are sad to inform you that [INSERT NAME], a member of staff within the School of [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL OR SERVICE], has died.
Our thoughts and sincere condolences go to the friends and family of [INSERT NAME] and all those at the University who knew them.
Anyone who feels they need support or wish to talk to someone should contact the University Counselling Service or the University’s Centre for Faith and Spirituality.
Template Death in Service Letter for Staff from COO
I was very sorry to hear of [INSERT NAME OF STAFF MEMBER] passing and I know that all my colleagues at the University would wish me to extend our most sincere condolences to you and your family at this very sad and difficult time.
I am enclosing a cheque for [INSERT AMOUNT], this is an ex-gratia death-in-service payment from the University and is not connected with any pension benefits; nor does it form part of [INSERT NAME OF STAFF MEMBER] estate for tax purposes. I hope you will find this useful in the interim period before the settlement of [INSERT NAME OF STAFF MEMBER] affairs.
Julie Ball of Human Resources, will be in touch with you soon about pension benefits and will be glad to help if you need any advice in the meantime. Julie can be contacted on 01509 222922, email J.D.Ball@lboro.ac.uk