Help and Support
The Coroners’ Court Support Service (CCSS) is a registered Charity whose volunteers give emotional and practical support to families and other witnesses attending an Inquest.
The CCSS will be at the Inquest to give practical and emotional support whilst attending an Inquest. Where possible, a volunteer will show you in to the court room before proceedings start and explain how an Inquest is conducted and the layout of the court. The Inquest and all proceedings before the Coroner are held in an open court, so you should not be surprised to find members of the public and press in and around the court as they cannot be excluded. Sometimes you may find students and trainees from various professions watching the proceedings; these might include police, journalists or medical staff. The press may ask families for a statement after the Inquest has finished. There is no necessity to give this unless you wish to do so.
For more information, please visit Directgov’s pages about coping with major incidents.