The Stages of Grief and Organisational Policies

The provided document appears to be an academic essay or report that delves into the concept of the stages of grief, specifically outlining the progression from unconsciousness to acceptance. It also evaluates organisational policies and procedures for measuring effectiveness in supporting individuals through significant life events. External sources are mentioned as a means of support for overcoming such events. The document concludes with recommendations for improving health and social services in emergency cases like significant life events.

SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 impact of significant life event..............................................................................................1
1.2 Group responses to significant life events............................................................................2
1.3 Impact for others in health and social care............................................................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................4
2.1 effectiveness of organisational policies and procedures.......................................................4
2.2 support to individuals experiencing significant life events...................................................5
2.3 support through external sources..........................................................................................5
LO3..................................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Analysis of organisational responses for support..................................................................6
3.2 Reflection..............................................................................................................................7
3.3 Recommendations.................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Significant life event is a happening disaster in life which changes the life for full time in
such a way that it cannot come back. This study lay emphases on Grenfell tower disaster in
which a fire gets spread from fourth floor to top floor of 24 storey building. In this event 72
people are founded dead and approx. 50 people are injured in incident. It is declared as a major
incident. Health and social services support the organisation and provides facilities to treat
injured people. Services focussed on providing long term security to people. This assessment
will include a impact on significant life event. It also frames the suitability of external sources to
support individual. It consists a reflection report of self in which participation in significant life
event.
LO1
1.1 impact of significant life event
Significant life event refers to a huge change in life because of a happened event or
circumstances due to which same life never gets revert back. It can be occurred at any stage of
life and affects the left years of life. Stages of life are childhood, teenager, adulthood, middle old
age, dying. A stressful life event is about a change in life which increases stress level in people.
This stress can be because of marriage or divorce or can be caused due to death of any closed
belongings (Nagpal and et.al., 2015). In this Grenfell tower case, 72 people are dead which are
belongs to happy families. These family members are in stress because they lost their loved ones
in just a second. They do not get a chance to save them. Stress can be identified by their change
in behaviour. Stress can be psychological, cognitive, behavioural and emotional.
Let's explain a life change model which shows the behavioural changes in people because
of a happened event in life. There are different stages involves in this which are described below:
Stage 1: Pre Contemplation
In this stage, people are not aware of any changes that can be made. Even they do not
think about it but they know if ta event happened, then it can make effects. Like in Grenfell
tower disaster, before disaster, people do not know about such condition that it can occur in
Grenfell tower. But they know the consequences of fire attack (del Palacio Gonzalez, Watson
and Berntsen, 2015).
Stage 2: Contemplation
1

In this stage, people are about “in denial” condition where they are not ready to accept
the changes that are made in life because of a sudden event. They are just in unconscious state of
mind and not in the condition of acceptable environment. Like after Grenfell tower disaster,
management team of tower are unacceptable mode because their investment ruined way and they
are in financial crisis mode (Johnson, Robertson and Cooper, 2018).
Stage 3: Preparation
In this stage, people accepted the happened event and prepare or plan to make changes. In
this management team start to thinking over how to overcome from this fire attack situation and
cover the huge losses.
Stage 4: Action
In this stage, actions are taken after planning and determining. Like in Grenfell tower
disaster case, management team starts to take donation from London Emergencies Trust and
Rugby Portobello Trust (Campos and et.al., 2016).
Stage 5: Maintenance
In this stage, measurement of actions is done means it measures the effectiveness of plans
that are considered for renovating the infrastructure of Grenfell tower. In this, mistakes were
realised and aware them to avoid them for the future.
Stage 6: Termination
It is last stage where new changes are adopted and these changes are worthy and making
profitability. Like in Grenfell tower, after 2-3 years, appropriate changes were made and again
back with new changes.
1.2 Group responses to significant life events
Group responses refer to reaction of family members, friends, office colleagues, social
and community people after the death of loved one. This death is happened due to a sudden event
or happening due to which people goes into an unconscious state where they are not able to
accept the changes.
Dr. Kublar Ross provides a model of stages of grief which is described below:
2

1. Denial: In this, no response is given to the incident happened. It refers to denying of
acceptance of news. It moves people into unconscious state. Like in Grenfell tower, those
people who are waiting outside the building for their loved ones who are captured by fire
in flat. This refers to a hope in their mind.
2. Anger: in this, people are in anger and showing their emotions as a pain. Like in Grenfell
tower disaster case, people blame themselves for their loved one who are stuck in lighted
flats for getting a chance to save them (Bell and et.al., 2015).
3. Bargaining: In this, people feel both helpless and vulnerable. Like in Grenfell tower
case, people are in such an emotion that they are blaming the situation for calling them
before so that they can survive life.
4. Depression: In this, people go in depression state where they are in deep thought
procedure. Like in Grenfell tower disaster, people who lost their loved one are in
depression state of mind of thinking how life will be gone without them.
5. Acceptance: in this, people are in about accepting state, where they accept the changes
due to an incident. Like in Grenfell tower, aster full investigation, they accept that their
loved one is dad and it’s time to remember good memories with them.
3
Illustration 1: stages of grief
Source: (THE "STAGES" OF GRIEF 2015)

There will be group response for including family members, social network, community,
work colleagues and friends who are all directly connected with one person. They are the one
who will be mostly effected by any of the significant life events like due to death of their loved
ones. So there can be some time when people loss their control over their emotions due to sad
demise of their loved ones. There are many organisations who are working for overcoming
depression or stress caused due to significant life events Age UK is one of them. This is a UK
based registered charity founded on 25th February 2009 that is the largest charity for older people
in country. Any individual who is facing the problem will be receiving different type of support
or response from their family, friends or colleagues as well. The family will be the one who are
giving them most needed moral support especially at the time when there is death of person.
1.3 Impact for others in health and social care
When a significant life event occurs in life, it impacts the life too much and can lead to a
depression state where they are not in a condition to accept anything. This can make a life full of
sad moments and it just like a dead mind, live body. Many health services are given to people
who are in depression state because of losing their loved ones. It cost too much and also there are
no 1005 chances of getting relived from stress. It can take many years to overcome from
depression state (Thomas, 2018).
Disenfranchise Grief refers to a society which do not acknowledge the grief. It is due to
lose a loved one because of death or missing. Events those are often happened through social
stigma also involves in Disenfranchise grief. For dealing with the grief, Kubler-ross model is
used where it explains the stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
Grief refers to a reaction to loss. Death of a loves one is particularly a grief. Support is
needed to overcome from depression state of mind because of grief. This support is through
counselling, education, family support. Its aim to guide and assist people about the grieving
services that can made from counsellor. It helps to grief issues that are made and prevent from
mental and physical problems (Popay, 2018).
It can be added that other those who are involved within the case will be counsellors,
nurses, fire brigade team who helped the people to get out of the building in above case and care
home workers as well. These are those people who are supporting them to overcome this
challenging life event but taking care of them.
4

LO2
2.1 effectiveness of organisational policies and procedures
Every organisation made policies and procedures for a sudden significant change. For
example, Grenfell tower made a “stay put” fire policy for preventing from fire hazards. This
policy is about non-evacuation of neighbouring flats' when a nearby flat gets lighted up with fire.
It is based on fire resistant construction. It can happen that fire can expand to particular block but
not wholly. In this policy, a person who gets to know about fire in flat should have the
responsibility of leaving the block and inform management team. Due to more time of captured
fire by flats, it spread all over the building (Watt, 2017). Stay put policy has a limit of approx.
30-40 minutes. This policy is good for the first stage of fire. It is the only policy which works
regularly against a high-rise building. This policy is about fire contained in individual flats and
stairs are free from heat and smoke but doors should be closed at fire time. Opening of doors
refers to be like effect from chimney to spread fire. But due to a single staircase in Grenfell
tower, cladding happens due to which people escaped from bottom floors to top floors. But after
a sudden time, top floors are under fire and about 100 people are escaped from bottom floor, in
which 24 people are found dead. This incident affects the life of individual and affects the social
network for the future purpose.
This is very clear that there is effectiveness of organisational policies and procedures that
are constructed by official group who are leaving much impact on the people who are suffering
from significant life event. These type of associations those help such individuals voluntarily
moves ahead through Identification of a pioneer officially to provide the guarantee that these
association will give the proper care to the people acts as bereavement. Supportive associations
give the directions as mentioned below and consider them as regional methodologies.
2.2 support to individuals experiencing significant life events
When a significant life event happens suddenly, it affects the people too much that they
lost their presence of mind and do not in condition to accept changes. At that time, they need a
support from their colleagues or social network to bring them in present sate and able to adopt
changes. Like in Grenfell tower case, 72 people are dead and their belonging ones are in
bereavement condition such that they gone under depression. Some health services are given to
them due to which they get rid of depression and accept the loss of life of their loved one's
(Tombs, 2019).
5

People need mind counselling so that they get rid of this disaster and can have a thought
procedure towards positive impact not negative one. Family provide support to them by
remembering lost one good memories. While spending time on social media, it distracts mind
form significant disaster and takes individual to other state of mind where they feel relief and
relax. Working environment in office also support individual for getting rid of this disaster and to
change their mind from disaster to work. Colleagues collaborate help them and supports them.
Communities in society provide religious support to individual where they found peace and
prosperity. Health and social care support them and organise some activities and events that
distracts their mind from disaster made. It is just like a counselling from counsellor. While self-
motivating also plays its role important in supporting. It is much beneficial and effective to get
out of depression.
2.3 support through external sources
After a significant life event, people need support. Family and friends provide love and
their esteem support to individual; but sometimes it also does not work because they are not in
state of listening their family and friends. This time needs an external source which makes them
understand about the changes of life? Events are the part of life which should be in acceptable
mode.
External sources are like counselling, aromatherapy, agencies, and cultural faith
communities, trust (for providing financial services).
Counselling: this refers to a guidance which is provided by a counsellor to an individual who
needs support from coming out of depression state of mind. A counsellor makes them too able to
understand the positive and negative impacts of life. It helps and supports the condition of
Grenfell tower and results to move on in life with adopting changes.
Aromatherapy: This therapy is to improve psychological and physical wellbeing of people by
using plant aromatic plant oils or aroma compounds. This therapy also helps injured people for
coming out of depression mind through evidence-based treatments. It does not cure diseases, it
manages the pain and behaviour.
Cultural faith communities: This is related to religious communities present in society which
provides support based on religions. It makes them powerful for being trust in their religious God
for those people who have extreme faith in God. This is good for such types of people and makes
them cure in less time (Boyraz, Horne. and Waits, 2015).
6

LO3
3.1 Analysis of organisational responses for support
Grenfell tower was facing financial crisis after fire disaster in building. This disaster
makes death of 72 peoples and more than 100 people are injured. To cure injured people, it is the
responsibility of Grenfell tower to provide treatment to them and provide financial services to
death people family. And Grenfell tower is in state of own financial crisis. So its need to take
donations from charitable trust. To cover the different ranges of cost like travel, food and
beverages, renovations in infrastructure, dealing with injured and dead family, London
Emergencies trust and Rugby Portobello Trust donates money to Grenfell tower to meet the cost
which is in debt.
Policies that are made in an organisation are helpful to adopt and implement changes
effectively. Immediate responses are taken under policies like in data protection policy, after
such a big disaster in Grenfell tower, data is not lost and it is limited in privacy due to which it
will gain a future advantage.
National health services also took part in the treatment process of injured people in
Grenfell tower disaster. This increases the trust of people towards Grenfell tower and provides
free health service to injured people. This takes less time to cure them and in efficient manner.
Equipment that is needed in treating injured people are efficient availed by national health
service. Personal care is given to each injured one so that they are satisfied with the services and
also they get free from financial amount of money to be spent in treatment.
3.2 Reflection
At a time of Grenfell tower fire disaster, I am a leader of a team in management team. I
have team of 11 members which take care the services demanded by customers. On that day, first
on fourth floor out of twenty-three floor, fire broke out in kitchen. Then a noise comes out from
that flat at approx. 1 A.M. on June 2017. My two team members run fast and see the incident that
happened, then they quickly respond a fire alarm in building due to which people are escape to
about leave the building. Some people are in success of leaving building but are some gets
stacked in fire. Fire brigadier came within 30 minutes and within this time, all upper floors are
captured under fire. Due to this some people escaped to top floor for being safe but due to
spreading of fire, top floor also covered by fire in which 24 people are found to be dead. My
team members are fighting to save people from lighted flats by taking the help of fire fighters.
7

They are successful in saving so many people and I proud on my tea. But at 2:06, London fire
brigade declared this disaster as a major incident. About my management team saves 144 people
from this fire disaster. My policy of stay put limits the fire for some minutes due to which some
people get the chance top run away. I as a leader provide treatment facilities to injured one and
get access to National Health Service for immediate treatment response. I am also keeping a list
of dead one so that their families are known about their belonging ones. I advise my team
members to rescue people as much as they can. After this, I managed to have a meeting with
directors for meeting financial crisis by taking donations from the London Emergencies Trust
and the Rugby Portobello Trust. These charitable trust donate money to meet the range of
investment cost in renovations, daily food cost and all. In this way I support my organisation and
individuals.
3.3 Recommendations
Significant life events affects the life of people too much that they are in such a condition
that they do not accept the truth and make changes in their life and some people need immediate
treatment. This need an improvement in method to provide health and social services to needed
ones.
 Immediate coming of health service provider in emergency incident and take instant
actions to cure them.
 For an emergency incident in fire cases, fire fighters need to be trained effectively to
rescue people from fire areas.
 Management team of Grenfell tower should trained their employees for each and every
incident. It can be of fire, earthquakes or etc.
CONCLUSION
This report summarised about a significant life event that made in Grenfell tower because
of fire. Impacts of sudden event on life of people are discussed in this assessment. Kubler-ross
grief models are discussed to explain the stages of grief. Denial, bargaining, anger, depression
and acceptance were the stages of grief in which people from unconscious state to acceptance
state are outlined. Organisational policies and procedures are evaluated to measure the
effectiveness. External sources are founded to support the individual for overcoming out from
significant event in life. Recommendations are made to improve health and social services in an
emergency case like a significant life event.
8

9

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bell, H. and et.al., 2015. The role of religious coping and resilience in individuals with
dissociative identity disorder. Counseling and Values. 60(2). pp.151-163.
Berger, R. and et.al., 2015. Impact of exposure to potentially traumatic events on individuals
with intellectual disability. American journal on intellectual and developmental
disabilities. 120(2). pp.176-188.
Boyraz, G., Horne, S.G. and Waits, J.B., 2015. Accepting death as part of life: meaning in life as
a means for dealing with loss among bereaved individuals. Death studies. 39(1).pp.1-
11.
Campos, R.C. and et.al., 2016. Self-report depressive symptoms do not directly predict
suicidality in nonclinical individuals: Contributions toward a more psychosocial
approach to suicide risk. Death studies. 40(6). pp.335-349.
del Palacio Gonzalez, A., Watson, L.A. and Berntsen, D., 2015. Memories of Recent Life
Events: Differences in Emotional Reactivity and Regulation of Individuals with High
and Low Levels of Depressive Symptoms. In Annual Conference of the European
Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies.
Johnson, S., Robertson, I. and Cooper, C.L., 2018. For Individuals. In WELL-BEING (pp. 3-13).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Moffat, P., 2017. The Grenfell Tower fire: a devastated community demands answers. Journal of
Health Visiting. 5(10).pp.486-488.
Nagpal, N. and et.al., 2015. Religiosity and quality of life: a dyadic perspective of individuals
with dementia and their caregivers. Aging & mental health. 19(6). pp.500-506.
Popay, J., 2018. What will it take to get the evidential value of lay knowledge recognised?.
Thomas, D., 2018. Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Next Steps.
Tombs, S., 2019. Grenfell: the unfolding dimensions of social harm. Justice, Power and
Resistance. 3(1). pp.In-Press.
Watt, R.G., 2017. Grenfell Tower fire–a tragic case study in health inequalities. British dental
journal. 223(7). p.478.
Online
THE "STAGES" OF GRIEF 2015. [Online]. Available through.
<http://www.irisparr.com/2015/07/the-stages-of-grief.html>.
10