The Grenfell Tower Fire: Impact of Significant Life Events and Support

This report delves into the impact of significant life events, using the Grenfell Tower fire as a central case study. It examines the effects on individuals and groups, exploring the effectiveness of organizational policies and procedures, social networks, and external support systems. The analysis considers the 'stay put' policy failures, the subsequent trauma, and the support provided through charities and counseling services. It covers coping strategies, group responses, and the widespread impact on involved people, including first responders and healthcare professionals. The report also evaluates the role of policies and procedures, the importance of external support from family, friends, and professionals, and the various organizational responses to the needs of affected individuals, including training, counseling, and aromatherapy. Recommendations are offered to improve support within health and social care organizations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive and empathetic approaches to address the complex challenges arising from such tragedies.

SUPPORTING SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS

This discussion concerns significant life events and how they impact on individuals and
groups. The main focus of this text concerns Grenfell Tower fire which occurred on 14
June 2017 and resulted in 72 deaths. Furthermore, it looks at the effectiveness of
organisational policies and procedures, social networks, and external sources of
support. It includes the writer’s own reflection in support of an individual experiencing a
major life event. Moreover, recommendations are offered in terms of improving the
support available in a health and social care organisation.
Later, due to unawareness and adoption of 'fire put off policy', few residents got trapped
ad lost lives. While few escaped and came out of the building via staircases. Fire
brigades came to the rescue but maximum casualties took place and resulted in loss of
many lives. This accident required much support both in terms of monetary ad
psychological support. However, many organisations came together for raising charities
and donations and supported in maintaining the accommodation and food services.
1.1
Significant life event is defined as the critical event or occurrence of unexpected incident
which has negative impact on the patients' life (Klatzkin, Baldassaro and Rashid, 2019).
This has led to the socio-physical and psychological changes in the life stages of
individuals. For e.g. Outbreak of Fire on Grenfell Tower, which was an uncertain event
and caused death of seventy-two people due to the failure of ‘stay put policy’? It also
includes relationships, economic crisis or onset of cultural issues at societal levels.
Holmes and Rahe (1967) Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) rates the number
of life events experienced and predicts whether or not stress occurs. However, it does
not give a specific time-frame in which a person has stress. Other researchers have
claimed that daily hassles have a greater impact on individuals than do major life events
(Kanner et al. 1991). Brown and Harris (1978) argued that effective coping strategies
and/or social support can act as a buffer against stress.
It is evident that in many cases stress result from traumas in a person’s life. Selye's
GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome) Model is also beneficial in predicting the
physiological changes in terms of alarm (1), resistance (2) and exhaustion (3). This aids
in understanding the stressors and triggering points through the three stage response in
the body. Such models support in demonstrating wider understanding of structural
changes that might have occurred in Grenfell incident due to significant life events.
People experiencing major life events often are stressed. Signs of stress which include:
physiological (headaches), behavioural (drinking and smoking more), cognitive (memory
problems) and emotional (lacking in self-esteem) factors. These are inter-connected
and have an adverse influence which put restrictions from the coping resources and
releases direct physical responses due to unsteady homoeostasis in the body. It is
clear that many of the survivors of Grenfell Tower fire are experiencing some of the
aforementioned problems. Many have attempted suicide as a result of ‘survivor guilt”.
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The Life change model is the transferable model that is used for making changes and is
based on four stages namely pre-contemplation stage, contemplation stage, preparation
stage and action stage (Walsh and et.al. 2019). These are useful in bringing changes to
affected bereaved families of Grenfell Tower tragedy. This is possible through a natural
recovery which concentrate on person centred approaches and motivating them in
overcoming any bereavement or untoward conditions.
1.2
Group responses are the reactions to the significant life event to gain the insights on
managing and deploying the risk management and provide coping strategies to
overcome it. Grenfell Tower disaster led to many queries especially about the 'stay put'
fire policy. The residents were in utter shock as they did whatever was being asked
them to do and few disregarded it and reached the downstairs safely. It was already late
when this advice was abandoned and took many lives. Herein, the social networks took
on a debate whether this policy must be discarded or not and the community led
organizations with government funds responded aptly (Richardson and Jost, 2019).
They together generated funds to provide assistance regarding lodging and food
services. For instance, London Emergencies Trust, Rugby Portobello Trust and the
Charity Commission together took an initiative and received funding from other sources
for the Grenfell Tower affected residents to stand tall in this time of adversity. Also,
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Illustration 1:
Stages of Life Change Model
(Source: Hartney, 2018)

Citizens Advice in Kensington and Chelsea established guidance services for helping
the bereaved families through charities and donations. Furthermore, coping strategies
must be in accordance with the Kubler Ross Model which shed light on the five stages
such as DABDA (Denial-Anger-Bargaining-Depression-Acceptance).
This would impact the affected families of this tower tragedy to grieve in a systematic
manner and help in coping with the losses (Cerit, 2019). This model assisted the
bereaved families of the Grefell Towers accident to cope up with simplified modes to
bring reliability and accessibility for the professionals involved.
The coping duration differs from individual to individual and one must give time for
promoting natural healing process. For the same, coping strategies must consist of
interactive sessions with professionals or any relative/friend to exchange emotions and
let them to not hide it. The affected individuals must continue with their daily routine or
engage in physical activity to get distracted and sometimes finding creative ways is also
proved beneficial and allowing to grief properly.
1.3
The impact on involved people is widespread in terms of coping or withstanding with
drastic changes due to the attached fluctuations on continuous basis. The firefighters
did their best to put off the fire and rescued around 65 people, however these men were
under pressure to put off fire and minimise the causalities to an extent. They are always
in constant struggle to save lives and are serving people on similar lines of health and
social care services like doctors, practitioners, nurses and volunteers working for non-
profit institutions.
These professionals, especially the nurses, counsellors and psychologists are under
tremendous responsibility to bring the bereaved individuals in the expected timeline for
better recovery and coping with proper strategic planning in terms of grief support. It
further assists in using medication and effective treatment plans to improve their
existing emotional outbursts and led a pathway for recuperation under an integrated
framework.
Whereas these professionals do get affected from such grief and negativity as it has
become an integral part of their lives but understand their roles in bringing the people
affected from such life events as in the case of this tragic towers fire incident and thus,
follow methodical techniques like yoga, breathing exercises, counselling sessions for
any emergency case like Grenfell tower incident to fulfil their duties ethically and
effectually. In addition, there is also release of erratic behavioural responses to such an
extent that it might affects the physical attributes of the affected patients and also leads
to depression poor any emotional stress.
This incident impacted a detachment from the worldly affairs and let the families grieved
in dysfunctional manner (Kennedy, 2019). It added about high levels of emotional stress
and loss of functional units at the societal scales. Moreover, disenfranchised grief is
termed as an unhidden grief and in this tragic case, the professionals and involved
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organizations did not understand the intensity of the losses, however, they provided
assistance and support with full compassion to cope with the grief and losses.
2.1
Policies and procedures are essential in formulating the delivery and quality of services
on daily basis. It streamlines effectiveness in terms of managing the internal processes
of organisations working for maintaining the significant life events. Herein National
Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) which is a public executive body and is non
departmental which provides clinical guidelines for taking care of bereaved and affected
patients. For instance, the Grenfell tower incident affected families needed proper care
to overcome their recovery process and a structured approach would help in addressing
the pertinent issues. These issues involve bereavement, confidentiality and other
services which is important for effective support. Nevertheless, the palliative care is also
imperative in understanding the needs and requirements for making the affected
patients. Such practices enhance the productivity and effectiveness of the total support
care and focus on relieving the stress, or providing comfort to improve the monitoring ad
overall supervision
Sets of policies, procedures and methods are useful in laying the foundation of evidence
based recommendations in preventing the conditions and other broader interventions
which occurs after any significant life event (Milic and et.al. 2019). The focus is to
maintain the dignity and respect and foster cooperation to provide the assistance to
specialist services required for bringing the bereaved families after the Grenfell tower
incident. Although counselling is important in bridging the communication gaps and
push the people to express ad vent out their anger or sadness for better channelizing
their emotions. These counselling has been proved beneficial for both the professional
and the affected people and their families as well. Their confidentiality remains intact
and encourages them to deliver supportive specialist sessions to maintain dignity and
integrity at all the levels. It is important for maintaining the quality ad standardised
procedures that are to be used for upliftment of people who have experience any
significant life event.
2.2
Others are crucial in bringing stability to the affected families and individuals who are in
the grieving process due to loss of death of a near one as mentioned in the Grenfell
tower fire accident. These others come under the significant life events include family,
relatives, colleagues, friends, professionals from health and social care sector or self-
help/support groups.
The foremost support received is from the family and friends. They act as biggest
supporters during their healing process. Moreover, the coping strategies such as
interactive sessions, joining creative activity or engaging into physical activity reflected
upon the surroundings and these people act as catalysts in bringing back to the normal
state.
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Moreover, professionals like counsellors or practitioners help them in recuperation and
aid in understanding the stages of grieving process. For instance, many lives were lost
due to the tragic incident occurred at Grenfell Towers and the people who were saved
or rescued got marked for their entire lives due to the bereavement process.
Such professionals working in the healthcare sector encourage them to stay
normal by listening to their sorrows and promote them in joining support groups for
fostering the self-help concept (Holland, 2019). Nonetheless, colleagues and friends
also assist in providing the required help through consistent support and guidance in
coping up with the surroundings and the absence of an important member of family due
to this major accident. Henceforth, these social networks are important in nature to cope
up with the pertinent issues and existing challenges and make a platform on the basis of
reliability and transparency. Additionally, their contribution helps the professionals in
giving proper guidelines to maintaining their work life and removes any negative
emotions or outbursts which mostly happen after the occurrence of significant life event.
3.1
There is wide range of organisational responses to the needs of individuals who
encountered the significant life event. It includes specialists to impart proper training
and education for maintaining the psychological and physical support to the affected
people (Goldin, Moodie and Gross, 2019). Moreover, this includes a peripheral
viewpoint to manage the challenges and issues that might occur due to incidents like
Grenfell Towers accident through employing empathy and accessibility for completion of
treatment plans. The focus is on using agencies and involved professionals to generate
awareness about support therapies and counselling to preach authentic details and
maintain the recovery process. However, these counselling also interlink with the
aromatherapy and promote the religious beliefs' system. The aromatherapy is the new
inter disciplinary treatment which concentrates on giving treatment on the basis of using
natural extracts from plants to safeguard and prevent the onset of any triggering points.
Such points get mitigated using this holistic treatment procedure. The access to
information and advice is contributing by reflecting upon the necessary requirements for
bringing effective approaches for recovery of people, who has experienced a significant
life event.
Agencies or organisations such as NHS, PHE encourage the formation of help groups
or support groups to help the bereaved individuals and families. The efficacy must be
measured on profound levels by highlighting the overall effect these has on generating
support for physical and psychological wellbeing. The cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT) assists the practitioners to give training for proper execution for therapeutic
approaches and is made compulsory for minimising the adverse impact on the
wellbeing of involved people. All these methodologies has contributed immensely by
taking the advice in terms of understanding rituals and adaptations and using the
information to satisfy the needs and to address the queries as well (Barnard, 2010).
Thus, Grenfell Tower accident led the path to affected individuals to use the choices on
line initiated by organisations like NHS.
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3.2
This professional account is based on the Grenfell Towers incident which took place
due to unawareness of people in context to disaster management of uncertain fire and
failure of 'put off fire policy'. As a professional nurse practitioner, I supported the
individuals who experienced the significant life events and alongside, I assisted my
general practitioners to overcome the issues related with the medical treatment plans.
Moreover, I analysed the entire incident and understood the response times of each
patient who lost something or somebody during this major fire accident. There was
chaos in the entire building during the outbreak of fire and few residents who used their
common sense were successful in escaping. However, many adopted the practised
policy of 'put off policy' and got entangled in their homes and left getting hurt and few
were dead. Thus, this shed light on the need of imparting education and knowledge to
such people to safeguard themselves in such situations in near future.
I learnt many aspects which assisted me to grow in my professional career and gave
me an opportunity to understand the needs of people who lost somebody due to an
uncertain incident and had no control. I also gained insights that led me to use my
technical skills in more profound manner to maintain the work life balance. Now I have
adopted the person centric approaches to bring transparency in the communication
channels which has also supported me to provide my expertise in minimising the scars
and attached stigmas by properly addressing to their queries regarding the medication
or counselling. Along with this, self-awareness is another key feature that supported me
to provide my professional guidance to the patients who need it to overcome their
emotional responses that might impact adversely.
3.3 Recommendations
There is need of implementing few suggestions recommendations to NHS (National
Health Services) in order to enhance the available support for individuals and their
social networks when affected by significant life events. NHS must establish small units
for people who are recovering from bereavement. It might include the palliative care at
professional levels to be established for showing support to the affected people from
any significant life event. Herein, this organisation must adopt the democratic
management style to understand all the aspects that facilitate speedy recovery and
authentic framework for imparting assistance and support. In addition to this, policies
and set of guidelines must be made clear to the entire taskforce including nurses,
practitioners, counsellors etc. through implementing proper training sessions (Ntontis
and et.al. 2019). This would further help NHS in maintaining the work ethics and
standards of working practices by focusing on the qualitative delivery of services to the
bereaved individuals and their involved families. There is also the need of optimising the
available resources through effective auditing on regular intervals to provide a podium
to the NHS professionals for better implementation of provided facilities in terms of
equipment and medicines.
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Subsequently, NHS must incorporate educating people about proper fire safety and
training guidelines to protect themselves from any adversity and not dependent o the
staff of this organization. Thus, public must be given training and proper teachings to
overcome any accident and face it with more confidence. A disaster management plan
by the NHS management comes in handy to analyse the needs, requirements and the
necessary tools in near future. This is going to be proved more economical and feasible
options and would help the NHS to maintain the resources and their manpower
effectually. This is beneficial for NHS to understand the parameters and help in cost
effective without becoming any supplementary burden on their pockets. Lastly, the
professionals working at NHS along with contribution from governmental bodies and
institutions must together work in cooperation and support to bring awareness among
the public.
In regard to the above, NHS concentrated on demonstrating the impact of any untoward
accident or natural calamity to their patients by implementing the interactive sessions.
Such sessions would help the professionals to work in team and bring improved
productivity in terms of monetary gains and overall enhanced levels of satisfaction
There is also an inclusion of help provided from the health and social care sector to
bring awareness on personal levels of people to prevent themselves from such
adversities. It is clearly demonstrated that institutions like NHS assisted in giving help in
the form of installing equipment’s, giving medicines or therapies like aromatherapy,
religious support etc. Furthermore, it highlighted the external sources of support such as
counsellors, family relatives, friends, self-help groups and more. There is also an
explanation on the efficacy of social networks in overcoming the grief or pan occurred
due to occurrence of any significant life events such as the Grenfell Towers tragedy.
Lastly, there are few recommendations to bring more concrete changes at the societal
levels to ease off the works of the professional practitioners.
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