Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic, passionate and dynamic Cultural Liaison Officer to work within the hospice and cover all of the Martin House catchment area.
Main duties of the job
The cultural Liaison Officer plays a key role in fostering inclusion, cultural sensitivity and community engagement across the organisation. Their work strengthens the clinical services, staff support, education and income generation by ensuring Martin House reflects and serves its diverse population. The overarching purpose of this role is to help us to break down some of those barriers and to reach as many families as possible with a palliative care offer that is right for them.
We cover a large geographical area which could include the boundaries of Saltburn by the Sea, Keighley, Wakefield and Bridlington and the post holder will be required to attend sites across the entire region on a regular basis in order to build relationships within these communities.
We are looking for someone with experience of working, engaging and developing projects with families in Minority Ethnic communities and will speak at least one other language alongside English. To succeed in the role, experience of working with people who have a disability and/or life limiting conditions is essential.
About us
Martin House provides free specialist palliative care to babies, children and young people with complex and life-shortening conditions. Families from across West, North and East Yorkshire have access to our care 24/7, 365 days a year, including specialist doctors. Every year we care for more than 550 families, at the hospice, in hospital and in families own homes, as well as supporting around 200 bereaved family members.
Details
Date posted
13 April 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£29,151.12 to £34,838.29 a year Starting salaries usually start at the bottom of the scale
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
3 years
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
B0012-26-0001
Job locations
Grove Road
Clifford
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 6TX
Job description
Job responsibilities
The cultural Liaison Officer plays a key role in fostering inclusion, cultural sensitivity and community engagement across the organisation. Their work strengthens the clinical services, staff support, education and income generation by ensuring Martin House reflects and serves its diverse population.
This community-embedded role has been developed as part of Martin Houses vision - offering every child access to holistic palliative care, when and where they need it. Representing Martin House and our values within the role will enhance our childrens palliative care offer to families by growing opportunities to access support; identifying barriers for access and influencing changes we make to our service by increasing the understanding of how to better meet the needs of the people within the community.
Statistics and experience tell us that a number of children with life-limiting conditions are still struggling to access hospice care, despite our existing community services. Recent research showed a disproportionately high prevalence of children with life-limiting conditions in Yorkshire, in comparison to the other areas of England. Based on findings for our region (Yorkshire & the Humber) we know there are multiple barriers to accessing palliative care such as:
Socioeconomic deprivation leading to multiple barriers to access
Lack of awareness of hospice care
Lack of understanding of hospice care
The overarching purpose of this role is to help us to break down some of those barriers and to reach as many families as possible with a palliative care offer that is right for them.
Tasks and duties
To engage with people from the community that Martin House covers to increase understanding of the communitys needs and to enable us to develop our services to ensure access for as many families that meet our criteria as possible.
Actively plan, arrange and seek out new relationships with community members in coordination with the project manager.
Work creatively, and in partnership with others, to find ways of reaching and engaging families from Minority Ethnic communities
Establish trust and maintain good working relationships with the formal and informal leaders of various communities. Exchange information to increase mutual understanding. Be available to attend various community events
Provide their line manager with ongoing information on concerns being expressed by community members
Recording and monitoring all work undertaken and producing regular progress reports to enable effective evaluation of the impact of the work. Support the development of quantitative and qualitative indicators to track progress and impact.
Use System One to record conversations and professional observations following any engagement with a child, young person and their family.
Provide a variety of resources to the community including information and advice about services provided by Martin House and how to access them, including publicity materials which are culturally appropriate.
Supporting face to face and printed communication and marketing activities, with multilingual content and inclusive images.
To lead on building community contacts and establishing relationships with local families in need.
To identify and support the work of eliminating the barriers which prevent individuals from physically accessing the hospice.
Breaking down cultural misconceptions of hospices by working to gain the trust of the community to promote the benefits of our services.
Build connections with parents, advise them on other services available and introduce them to local organisations that could also offer support.
Act as a local resource; helping families build their confidence and navigate through the health and social care system; facilitating their access to appropriate services and support within their community.
Support the development of community volunteer initiatives and opportunities
Aid the Income generation team in identifying and reaching new audiences, culturally aligned funders and innovative fundraising opportunities.
In collaboration with the fundraising team, organise and support diverse and inclusive campaigns and events which support fundraising and community initiatives. Offering relevant advice from a cultural lens.
Seek grant and funding opportunities which focus on diversity and inclusion, inform or introduce the Trusts teams. Where appropriate support and provide insight for applications.
support the Marketing and Communications Team on culturally appropriate messaging, appeal and design.
Conduct cultural education sessions and produce materials to support learning for Martin House staff and volunteers.
In collaboration with the people team develop a cultural awareness toolkit, including inclusive recruitment and outreach opportunities.
Review appropriate policies through a cultural lens to ensure they reflect inclusive language and are responsive to cultural needs.
Advise on reasonable adjustments for religious practices, dietary needs and bereavement customs. Enhance the Education centre offer by co developing and delivering internal and external education programs, embedding inclusivity, broadening reach and contributing culturally informed content,
Health & Safety
To be aware of the safety needs of the children, young people, siblings, parents and colleagues and adopt a preventative safety approach to all times.
To report all accidents and incidents on the incident reporting platform and inform your line manager.
To be aware of your health and safety responsibilities as an employee and adhere to these.
Personal development
To adopt a positive and reflective approach to personal and professional development.
To participate constructively in a yearly annual appraisal.
To undertake core competencies for clinical skills and specific training and to remain updated.
To work in conjunction with the education co-ordinators to develop your practice and care for the children.
To work contracted hours including unsocial hours as required weekends and evenings.
To engage and actively participate in professional supervision to support professional development and practice.
This job description reflects the present requirements of the post and will form the basis of performance appraisal. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and necessary changes made with consultation.
Employees will be required work in the community and therefore will need to drive a Martin House pool car and have access to their own vehicle for business purpose to allow them to fulfil the remit of their role.
Martin House has a multi-professional, multi-skilled team seeking to reach out to each family in a way that most helps them. Because of this team members may be expected to accept a different or unusual task or role.
Equality statement
Martin House is committed to providing care and improving services irrespective of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion or belief, age, marital status, or sexual orientation
Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
Martin House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Recruitment checks are undertaken in accordance with safer recruitment standards and successful applicants may be required to undertake a DBS check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
All Martin House employees are expected to
Uphold the values of Martin House and behave in a professional manner at all times.
Value equality and diversity and comply with relevant equality legislation.
Attend 1:1s with line manager, team meetings and annual appraisals.
Take part in all relevant mandatory training and any other education and training considered necessary to carry out the role.
To engage and actively participate in professional supervision to support professional development and practice.
Take responsibility for ones own personal development.
Cooperate with colleagues, encourage and support positive working relationships (both internally and externally) and foster a culture of respect and consideration at work.
Establish and maintain effective communication with relevant individuals and groups, both internally and externally.
Take responsibility for ones own health and safety and the health and safety of others whilst at work and comply with Health and Safety legislation.
Comply with information governance requirements and maintain confidentiality at all times, as required.
Work within all Martin House policies and procedures.
Communicate a positive image of Martin House and protect its reputation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The cultural Liaison Officer plays a key role in fostering inclusion, cultural sensitivity and community engagement across the organisation. Their work strengthens the clinical services, staff support, education and income generation by ensuring Martin House reflects and serves its diverse population.
This community-embedded role has been developed as part of Martin Houses vision - offering every child access to holistic palliative care, when and where they need it. Representing Martin House and our values within the role will enhance our childrens palliative care offer to families by growing opportunities to access support; identifying barriers for access and influencing changes we make to our service by increasing the understanding of how to better meet the needs of the people within the community.
Statistics and experience tell us that a number of children with life-limiting conditions are still struggling to access hospice care, despite our existing community services. Recent research showed a disproportionately high prevalence of children with life-limiting conditions in Yorkshire, in comparison to the other areas of England. Based on findings for our region (Yorkshire & the Humber) we know there are multiple barriers to accessing palliative care such as:
Socioeconomic deprivation leading to multiple barriers to access
Lack of awareness of hospice care
Lack of understanding of hospice care
The overarching purpose of this role is to help us to break down some of those barriers and to reach as many families as possible with a palliative care offer that is right for them.
Tasks and duties
To engage with people from the community that Martin House covers to increase understanding of the communitys needs and to enable us to develop our services to ensure access for as many families that meet our criteria as possible.
Actively plan, arrange and seek out new relationships with community members in coordination with the project manager.
Work creatively, and in partnership with others, to find ways of reaching and engaging families from Minority Ethnic communities
Establish trust and maintain good working relationships with the formal and informal leaders of various communities. Exchange information to increase mutual understanding. Be available to attend various community events
Provide their line manager with ongoing information on concerns being expressed by community members
Recording and monitoring all work undertaken and producing regular progress reports to enable effective evaluation of the impact of the work. Support the development of quantitative and qualitative indicators to track progress and impact.
Use System One to record conversations and professional observations following any engagement with a child, young person and their family.
Provide a variety of resources to the community including information and advice about services provided by Martin House and how to access them, including publicity materials which are culturally appropriate.
Supporting face to face and printed communication and marketing activities, with multilingual content and inclusive images.
To lead on building community contacts and establishing relationships with local families in need.
To identify and support the work of eliminating the barriers which prevent individuals from physically accessing the hospice.
Breaking down cultural misconceptions of hospices by working to gain the trust of the community to promote the benefits of our services.
Build connections with parents, advise them on other services available and introduce them to local organisations that could also offer support.
Act as a local resource; helping families build their confidence and navigate through the health and social care system; facilitating their access to appropriate services and support within their community.
Support the development of community volunteer initiatives and opportunities
Aid the Income generation team in identifying and reaching new audiences, culturally aligned funders and innovative fundraising opportunities.
In collaboration with the fundraising team, organise and support diverse and inclusive campaigns and events which support fundraising and community initiatives. Offering relevant advice from a cultural lens.
Seek grant and funding opportunities which focus on diversity and inclusion, inform or introduce the Trusts teams. Where appropriate support and provide insight for applications.
support the Marketing and Communications Team on culturally appropriate messaging, appeal and design.
Conduct cultural education sessions and produce materials to support learning for Martin House staff and volunteers.
In collaboration with the people team develop a cultural awareness toolkit, including inclusive recruitment and outreach opportunities.
Review appropriate policies through a cultural lens to ensure they reflect inclusive language and are responsive to cultural needs.
Advise on reasonable adjustments for religious practices, dietary needs and bereavement customs. Enhance the Education centre offer by co developing and delivering internal and external education programs, embedding inclusivity, broadening reach and contributing culturally informed content,
Health & Safety
To be aware of the safety needs of the children, young people, siblings, parents and colleagues and adopt a preventative safety approach to all times.
To report all accidents and incidents on the incident reporting platform and inform your line manager.
To be aware of your health and safety responsibilities as an employee and adhere to these.
Personal development
To adopt a positive and reflective approach to personal and professional development.
To participate constructively in a yearly annual appraisal.
To undertake core competencies for clinical skills and specific training and to remain updated.
To work in conjunction with the education co-ordinators to develop your practice and care for the children.
To work contracted hours including unsocial hours as required weekends and evenings.
To engage and actively participate in professional supervision to support professional development and practice.
This job description reflects the present requirements of the post and will form the basis of performance appraisal. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and necessary changes made with consultation.
Employees will be required work in the community and therefore will need to drive a Martin House pool car and have access to their own vehicle for business purpose to allow them to fulfil the remit of their role.
Martin House has a multi-professional, multi-skilled team seeking to reach out to each family in a way that most helps them. Because of this team members may be expected to accept a different or unusual task or role.
Equality statement
Martin House is committed to providing care and improving services irrespective of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion or belief, age, marital status, or sexual orientation
Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
Martin House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Recruitment checks are undertaken in accordance with safer recruitment standards and successful applicants may be required to undertake a DBS check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
All Martin House employees are expected to
Uphold the values of Martin House and behave in a professional manner at all times.
Value equality and diversity and comply with relevant equality legislation.
Attend 1:1s with line manager, team meetings and annual appraisals.
Take part in all relevant mandatory training and any other education and training considered necessary to carry out the role.
To engage and actively participate in professional supervision to support professional development and practice.
Take responsibility for ones own personal development.
Cooperate with colleagues, encourage and support positive working relationships (both internally and externally) and foster a culture of respect and consideration at work.
Establish and maintain effective communication with relevant individuals and groups, both internally and externally.
Take responsibility for ones own health and safety and the health and safety of others whilst at work and comply with Health and Safety legislation.
Comply with information governance requirements and maintain confidentiality at all times, as required.
Work within all Martin House policies and procedures.
Communicate a positive image of Martin House and protect its reputation.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- 1.Have a strong awareness of issues affecting families from Minority Ethnic communities in relation to caring
- 2.Speak at least one other language alongside English.
- 3.Excellent verbal communication skills - Ability to communicate sensitively with children and parents in line with Martin Houses values and expectations. Ability to communicate well in varied formats and to be able to demonstrate active listening
- 4.Excellent organisational skills
- 5.Knowledge of IT systems including MS word
- 6.Knowledge of current legislation relating to children and young people including best practice in safeguarding children.
- 7.Strong organisational skills to manage multiple priorities effectively while maintaining attention to detail.
- 8.Proficiency in using electronic health record systems for documentation purpose
- 9.To be able to collaborate with existing and new community services to identify and work effectively towards delivering a shared purpose.
- 10.Ability to document clear and concise details of care routines and practice
- 11.Excellent interpersonal skills
- 12.An understanding of care practice within a palliative care service
- 13.Demonstrable commitment to maintaining own professional development
- 14.To have an awareness of the wider context of your work and the overall vision of Martin House.
- 15.To be able to reflect and review the quality of the service, taking accountability; recommending developments and improvements that will enable the project to achieve its outcomes.
- Attributes
- 16.To be willing and able to work in different environments, including being office based and spending a large amount of time on the ground within communities
- 17.Ability to demonstrate respect for children, young people, their families and colleagues
- 18.To be able to facilitate and lead creative and engaging community-based workshops and activities.
- 19.To be able to build and manage positive working relationships and networks with children, young people and their families.
- 20.To be able to seize opportunities and think and work creatively.
- 21.To be able to exercise judgement and initiative; to be accountable for your practice.
- 22.To be hard-working, reliable and professional, able to manage a varied and challenging workload and work well both as part of a team and alone
Qualifications
Essential
- Have a GCSE (Grade 4 or higher) or equivalent in English and Mathematics.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working, engaging and developing projects with families from Minority Ethnic communities.
- Experience of working with people who have disabilities and/or life limiting conditions.
Desirable
- Experience of delivering services for families and the community, for example, wellbeing support, financial signposting and introductions to local services for children and young people to gain social interaction, education or care/respite.
- Experience of organising creative and successful events which engage and involve people from a range of different backgrounds.
- Experience of working in a palliative care setting
- Experience of using electronic health care records such as SystmOne, EMIS, etc.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- 1.Have a strong awareness of issues affecting families from Minority Ethnic communities in relation to caring
- 2.Speak at least one other language alongside English.
- 3.Excellent verbal communication skills - Ability to communicate sensitively with children and parents in line with Martin Houses values and expectations. Ability to communicate well in varied formats and to be able to demonstrate active listening
- 4.Excellent organisational skills
- 5.Knowledge of IT systems including MS word
- 6.Knowledge of current legislation relating to children and young people including best practice in safeguarding children.
- 7.Strong organisational skills to manage multiple priorities effectively while maintaining attention to detail.
- 8.Proficiency in using electronic health record systems for documentation purpose
- 9.To be able to collaborate with existing and new community services to identify and work effectively towards delivering a shared purpose.
- 10.Ability to document clear and concise details of care routines and practice
- 11.Excellent interpersonal skills
- 12.An understanding of care practice within a palliative care service
- 13.Demonstrable commitment to maintaining own professional development
- 14.To have an awareness of the wider context of your work and the overall vision of Martin House.
- 15.To be able to reflect and review the quality of the service, taking accountability; recommending developments and improvements that will enable the project to achieve its outcomes.
- Attributes
- 16.To be willing and able to work in different environments, including being office based and spending a large amount of time on the ground within communities
- 17.Ability to demonstrate respect for children, young people, their families and colleagues
- 18.To be able to facilitate and lead creative and engaging community-based workshops and activities.
- 19.To be able to build and manage positive working relationships and networks with children, young people and their families.
- 20.To be able to seize opportunities and think and work creatively.
- 21.To be able to exercise judgement and initiative; to be accountable for your practice.
- 22.To be hard-working, reliable and professional, able to manage a varied and challenging workload and work well both as part of a team and alone
Qualifications
Essential
- Have a GCSE (Grade 4 or higher) or equivalent in English and Mathematics.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working, engaging and developing projects with families from Minority Ethnic communities.
- Experience of working with people who have disabilities and/or life limiting conditions.
Desirable
- Experience of delivering services for families and the community, for example, wellbeing support, financial signposting and introductions to local services for children and young people to gain social interaction, education or care/respite.
- Experience of organising creative and successful events which engage and involve people from a range of different backgrounds.
- Experience of working in a palliative care setting
- Experience of using electronic health care records such as SystmOne, EMIS, etc.
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.
Employer details
Employer name
Martin House Children’s Hospice
Address
Grove Road
Clifford
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 6TX
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
Martin House Children’s Hospice
Address
Grove Road
Clifford
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 6TX
Employer's website
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Details
Date posted
13 April 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£29,151.12 to £34,838.29 a year Starting salaries usually start at the bottom of the scale
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
3 years
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
B0012-26-0001
Job locations
Grove Road
Clifford
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 6TX
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