As a trained professional you will be working alongside a wider family support team to provide crucial support to both patients and family members coping with one of life's most difficult moments.
This is an opportunity to be part of something special. Using your empathy, understanding and skills to provide the highest standard of pre and post bereavement support to children, young people and their families. Working with the Joint Heads of Family Support you will be integral in planning, implementing and maintaining our bereavement programme.
As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will identify the needs of those we support, act as a safeguarding lead, undertake assessments and consultations to ensure we provide the right support, at the time they need it most. Managing, recruiting and supporting a team of experienced volunteers is an integral part of this role.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Provide individual and group support for children, families, and young people dealing with serious illness or bereavement.
Develop and coordinate age-specific group work for children and young people.
Act as a Safeguarding Lead for children.
Collaborate with the fundraising team on bids and reports for Trust funders.
Initiate collaborative projects with young people, schools, colleges, and local organizations.
Develop and manage a varied support program for children, young people, and families, including some weekend and evening work.
Conduct needs-led assessments and match children to appropriate support workers.
Manage a small caseload of complex cases.
Assess risk and identify vulnerable children.
Advise on issues related to children, young people, and families, such as child protection and mental health.
Work with Heads of Service on strategic objectives.
Stay updated on pre- and post-bereavement research and child protection issues.
Understand cultural, religious, and ethnic influences on families.
Attend clinical supervision and multidisciplinary team meetings.
Liaise with Social Services, GPs, Voluntary Sector, and other community services.
Maintain accurate records and produce reports for monitoring and auditing.
Develop procedures for quantitative data analysis and collect service user feedback.
Select, train, coordinate, and lead volunteers.
Update service guidelines, volunteer role descriptions, policies, booklets, and leaflets.
Ensure compliance with data protection and information governance requirements.
Stay updated on policy, legislation, and governance changes relevant to the role and the Charity.
Act as a role model promoting the Charity’s values.
Essential:
Counselling Diploma or recognised Social Work qualification (Dip SW, Degree in Social Work, Masters in Social Work)
Member of a relevant professional body ( eg BACP/Social Work England)
Experience of working therapeutically with bereavement and loss and the impact on children, young people and their families
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
Experience of delivering training and/ or willingness to assist with delivering the bereavement education programme, encouraging learning in our volunteers and wider community
Experience of, or willingness to develop skills in group facilitation
Experience of and willingness to undertake service audit and evaluation
Computer literate in use of Microsoft word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Advanced understanding of safeguarding, confidentiality, consent, general protection and data protection regulations
Desirable:
Minimum of 2 years’ experience post qualification
Proven experience of working in diverse communities, understanding and overcoming the impact of discrimination
Previous experience of working with volunteers.
Experience of working therapeutically with bereavement and loss
Experience or relevant knowledge of working in a palliative care setting
Experience of short term, focused therapeutic work
Please note the successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced level DBS check.
Contact: For an informal discussion please contact Claire Hewitt, Joint Head of Family Support 01442 869550.
If you don't hear from us within two weeks of the closing date please assume you have not been successful.