Without INQUEST we would never find any answers about the degrading deaths of our children. – Family member
Dealing with a sudden death, and the investigation and inquest, their aftermath and all the meetings, reports and possible support work, lobbying or campaigning means you will spend a lot of time listening to, and reading information and facts.
This is partly because you are involved in what can be complicated legal and medical issues and also because you will be dealing with meetings and written information.
Getting the facts right is important if you want to talk about your case with other people, (lawyers, doctors or employers for example) give evidence to inquiries, or speak to the media, campaign groups or to your MP or other policy makers.
It is important you check with a caseworker or lawyer about what you can and cannot discuss with others, as any legal process will have rules about what information can be made public and when.
Sometimes information that affects you or your relative can be kept confidential. If you don’t know why information is being kept from you, ask why and if you are still not clear ask your caseworker or lawyer. There may be some situations where you can challenge the decision to not disclose information to you.
Tips for dealing with important information and facts
- Do not be afraid to ask for further explanation if you do not understand something. You may well come across jargon or technical details. Nobody is expected to be an expert at everything, so keep on asking until you feel you have what you need. Your caseworker, lawyer or friends and family may be able to help you.
- When you have been at meetings or listening to others speak it can feel overwhelming, this is natural, especially if you are not used to meetings. Keep a note of what was said, and any facts you might find useful or important. If it makes it easier you can always ask a friend to make a note for you.
- It is useful to read over anything you have written down at a later date. It can help you clarify things, and if you are not sure about something, you can always ask for more detail.
- Check what facts can be made public.
- Always check facts or crucial information. Others will want to question you or argue a different version of events, if you get the facts wrong they will use it to undermine your argument.
- Always check your facts and information if you are giving evidence, doing any public speaking or addressing meetings.
