Job summary Bereavement Services are looking to appoint a Bereavement Support Officer to work in the Bereavement Office to cover both the office at Central site and the Northern site on a Rota basis and possible weekends. The successful applicant will essentially be a people person - caring, methodical, calm under pressure, IT literate, team player. Good interpersonal and telephone skills are essential as the job involves daily contact with bereaved families, and the ability to work as part of a team is essential. The office is very busy, mentally taxing, and sometimes emotionally demanding. The successful candidate will need to work very closely with the Medical Examiner Officer's, Coroner's office and Registrar's offices to ensure that statutory and mandatory paperwork is completed correctly, ensuring that bereaved families are given a service of compassionate excellence.The duties include using a computerised system to the accurate completion of statutory records. Good literacy, numeracy and keyboarding skills are essential. Applicants need to be well organized, logical, and able to cope with and understand people emotions at one of the most stressful times in a person's life. Main duties of the job Undertake administration functions for the department, such as data input, photocopying, filing, letter writing, etc. Act as first point of contact for both internal and external stakeholders regarding deceased patients. Communicate with distressed or potentially aggressive relatives and family members in a professional, courteous, and sensitive manner, using tact, empathy and diplomacy, seeking to overcome any barriers to understanding where relevant to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Carry out meetings by telephone or in person with the recently bereaved, providing information booklets, advice, support, and guidance about death registration, making funeral arrangements, claiming benefits and any other queries or problems which may arise. To ensure that all deceased patients' property is properly documented and stored appropriately in a timely fashion, in accordance with departmental guidelines and processes. Ability to respond sensitively and empathically to queries and complaints from members of the public, funeral directors, bereaved families, escalating to the manager when required. To ensure that office telephones are answered promptly, and enquiries dealt with in a polite and courteous manner. About us You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives. The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training, and research. The care and support that people receive at the time of their bereavement can affect the whole bereavement process. The Trust has put in place systems, policies and practices to ensure they provide the best possible bereavement service for those whose loved ones have died in hospital. Our Bereavement Support Officers are integral to the delivery of an efficient and effective administration service within the department. They are responsible for co-ordinating all of the paperwork that needs to be completed after death, such as the medical certificate of cause of death and any necessary cremation forms. They will talk with medical and nursing staff, funeral directors, the coroner's office and the register office and various other outside agencies and the deceased patients relatives. Date posted 10 February 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 2 Salary £23,615 a year pa/pro rata for part time staff Contract Permanent Working pattern Part-time Reference number 190-8869-DIR Job locations Northern General Hospital Herries Road Sheffield S5 7AU Job description Job responsibilities Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post. When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria. Job description Job responsibilities Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post. When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria. Person Specification Education and Qualifications Essential GCSE at Grade C in English and Maths (or equivalent qualifications) or equivalent experience NVQ Level II in Business Administration / Customer Service / IT Experience Essential Experience of working within an office environment Experience of working in a public facing role. Desirable Relevant experience within the NHS Further Training Essential Knowledge of / experience of using information and/or customer service systems. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages including Outlook, Excel and Word. Desirable Previous experience Infoflex / 59R Software Previous experience of PAS / Infoflex / SystmOne (area specific software) Skills and Knowledge Essential Understanding of data protection issues and the ability to maintain confidentiality Excellent communication skills, with ability to deal with staff at all levels. Displays use of initiative with effective organisational skill Ability to prioritise and work to strict/conflicting deadlines On-going commitment to personal development Person Specification Education and Qualifications Essential GCSE at Grade C in English and Maths (or equivalent qualifications) or equivalent experience NVQ Level II in Business Administration / Customer Service / IT Experience Essential Experience of working within an office environment Experience of working in a public facing role. Desirable Relevant experience within the NHS Further Training Essential Knowledge of / experience of using information and/or customer service systems. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages including Outlook, Excel and Word. Desirable Previous experience Infoflex / 59R Software Previous experience of PAS / Infoflex / SystmOne (area specific software) Skills and Knowledge Essential Understanding of data protection issues and the ability to maintain confidentiality Excellent communication skills, with ability to deal with staff at all levels. Displays use of initiative with effective organisational skill Ability to prioritise and work to strict/conflicting deadlines On-going commitment to personal development Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Employer details Employer name Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Address Northern General Hospital Herries Road Sheffield S5 7AU Employer's website https://www.sth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)