Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a Family Practitioner to join our Family Services Team in Walsall.
About the Role
As a Family Practitioner, youll provide
ongoing psychosocial and pre and post bereavement support to families going
through the grief and pain of losing a child. Youll provide holistic
care and support to families in the home, hospice, or other appropriate
environment. This ranges from carrying out initial holistic needs
assessments and providing a range of face-to-face therapeutic work (including
group work) to co-ordinating additional support for parents, siblings, and
relatives as they face the grieving process.
The role is as wide reaching as it is rewarding. Youll liaise extensively with external providers and experts across Acorns, supporting families from diverse cultural and social settings across the region. Some, youll get to know over several years. Others could be suddenly admitted for an all-too-brief stay with us. Irrespectively, meeting their needs will be professionally invaluable and personally unforgettable.
Championing the needs of children with life-limiting conditions and their families is challenging and intense work. This role isnt for everyone, but, if youre looking for an engaging setting for the professional skills youve gained in the community, there is no better place than Acorns to work.
Main duties of the job
This is an ideal role for someone in family-centred social care or nursing in the community. You may have experience of working as a Social worker, Bereavement Counsellor, Psychologist, Nurse or Family Support Worker. Professionally registered with a degree (or equivalent experience), youre keen to build on your experience of working holistically with vulnerable groups.
Alongside experience of managing caseloads in a complex multi-agency environment you'll bring up-to-date child protection knowledge, good assessment skills and the emotional resilience to support families going through loss and bereavement, although previous experience of psychosocial palliative care is not essential.
Were driven by childrens needs, so you should be happy to travel, flexible about hours and ready to join an on-call rota.
About us
Established in 1988, we are a registered charity, based in the West Midlands. We care for babies, children and young people up to 18 years and support their families. Our teams provide care services for the life limited or life threatened children across our region who meet our referral criteria. A majority of the children and young people that we help are not expected to reach adulthood and require specialist care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What We Offer
- Salary of40,050.27 per annum (FTE)
- 37.5 hours per week
- Based in our Walsall Hospice (WS5 4NL)
- Employee discounts from leading retailers
- Employee gym discount scheme
- Bike-to-Work scheme
- Generous contribution to group personal pension plan or continuation of current NHS pension scheme
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Provide holistic psychosocial, bereavement and end-of-life support to the family
in the home, hospice and appropriate environments.
- Ensure that all new families allocated to them receive a timely, comprehensive
person centred, needs led assessment that identifies clear outcomes and the
services required to meet them.
- Ensure that familys needs are reviewed on an annual basis.
- To work collaboratively with the Acorns Young Person Worker and other
involved professionals to ensure an integrated approach which will support
families transitioning into adult services.
- Work together with Acorns teams and other professionals when completing
assessments and reviews as appropriate.
- Work with the diverse community groups across the West Midlands and
Gloucestershire.
- Safeguard children. Monitor observe and report to appropriate management any
safeguarding concern and liaise proactively with other professionals.
- Maintain own professional development to meet the requirements of the role, this
includes undertaking training appropriate for the role.
- Maintain professional registration. (where appropriate)
- Ensure that families are signposted to professionals/agencies that can supply
welfare advice.
- Act as an Acorns allocated worker where identified as appropriate.
- Work together with other Acorns services as part of the Integrated Care Model.
- Maintain accurate records and documentation in the method adopted by the
organisation and participate in audits as required.
- Facilitate, deliver and evaluate therapeutic based and social/activity-based
support groups.
- Work effectively with volunteers to work with families and undertake support
group work.
- Assist in providing training programmes when required.
- Participate in research and development as required by the Senior Management
Team.
- Be part of the on-call rota to support the out of hours emergency support service
to families for your base hospice.
- Work flexible hours as required to fulfil primary tasks.
- Actively participate in regular supervision.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Provide holistic psychosocial, bereavement and end-of-life support to the family
in the home, hospice and appropriate environments.
- Ensure that all new families allocated to them receive a timely, comprehensive
person centred, needs led assessment that identifies clear outcomes and the
services required to meet them.
- Ensure that familys needs are reviewed on an annual basis.
- To work collaboratively with the Acorns Young Person Worker and other
involved professionals to ensure an integrated approach which will support
families transitioning into adult services.
- Work together with Acorns teams and other professionals when completing
assessments and reviews as appropriate.
- Work with the diverse community groups across the West Midlands and
Gloucestershire.
- Safeguard children. Monitor observe and report to appropriate management any
safeguarding concern and liaise proactively with other professionals.
- Maintain own professional development to meet the requirements of the role, this
includes undertaking training appropriate for the role.
- Maintain professional registration. (where appropriate)
- Ensure that families are signposted to professionals/agencies that can supply
welfare advice.
- Act as an Acorns allocated worker where identified as appropriate.
- Work together with other Acorns services as part of the Integrated Care Model.
- Maintain accurate records and documentation in the method adopted by the
organisation and participate in audits as required.
- Facilitate, deliver and evaluate therapeutic based and social/activity-based
support groups.
- Work effectively with volunteers to work with families and undertake support
group work.
- Assist in providing training programmes when required.
- Participate in research and development as required by the Senior Management
Team.
- Be part of the on-call rota to support the out of hours emergency support service
to families for your base hospice.
- Work flexible hours as required to fulfil primary tasks.
- Actively participate in regular supervision.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered professional in Social Work, Nursing or equivalent relevant to the role
- Other relevant degree which demonstrates knowledge and experience of supporting children, young people and adults.
Desirable
- Psychosocial Palliative Care.
- Bereavement & Loss Counselling.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing psychosocial support to children, young people and/or families
- Experience of managing a caseload.
- A broad, varied background or work in a community setting (voluntary or statutory) e.g. Childcare, family work.
- Family centred work.
- Up-to-date knowledge of child protection.
- Liaison with multi-agencies.
Desirable
- Experience of work for a voluntary agency.
- Work with children with special needs or disability.
- Experience of supporting families who have experienced loss or bereavement.
- Previous experience of being in a
- multi-disciplinary team.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered professional in Social Work, Nursing or equivalent relevant to the role
- Other relevant degree which demonstrates knowledge and experience of supporting children, young people and adults.
Desirable
- Psychosocial Palliative Care.
- Bereavement & Loss Counselling.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing psychosocial support to children, young people and/or families
- Experience of managing a caseload.
- A broad, varied background or work in a community setting (voluntary or statutory) e.g. Childcare, family work.
- Family centred work.
- Up-to-date knowledge of child protection.
- Liaison with multi-agencies.
Desirable
- Experience of work for a voluntary agency.
- Work with children with special needs or disability.
- Experience of supporting families who have experienced loss or bereavement.
- Previous experience of being in a
- multi-disciplinary team.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
