Helen & Douglas House

Family and Bereavement Support Worker

The closing date is 10 June 2025

Job summary

Family and Bereavement Support Worker

Please make an application via our website:https://helenanddouglas.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3848483?cid=3373&t=Family-and-Bereavement-Support-Worker

  • Hours:Full time 37.5 hours per week
  • Location: Helen and Douglas House, hybrid working available - a minimum of once a week and as required
  • Salary:£33,636 - £40,483 per annum
  • Closing date:10 June 2025at 12 noon
  • Interview date:26 June 2025

We have an exciting opportunity, due to retirement of the current post holder, to join our Family and Bereavement Support Team.

If youre excited by the opportunity to be part of this unique service where youll be able to give families approaching bereavement, and those who are bereaved the time and focus they need, and where youll see the impact of your work, every day, then please apply now.

Informal conversations welcome in advance of application. For more information, please call Jo Wilson, Team Lead Family & Bereavement Support or Debbie Kelly, Head of Community & Family Support Services (Tuesday Friday 9-5 01865 794749)

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?Apply:https://helenanddouglas.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3848483?cid=3373&t=Family-and-Bereavement-Support-Worker

Applications will be reviewed and invited to interview as received. We reserve the right to close the advert at any time, therefore weencourageapplicants to apply as soon as possible.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

Family and Bereavement Support Workers provide emotional and psychological support to parents of babies and children living with a life-threatening illness, or life limiting condition; and provide emotional and psychological support to parents and grandparents for up to 2 years following the death of a baby or child. Family and Bereavement Support Workers help parents and grandparents with managing their emotions and coping with grief, building their resilience and empowering them. We help clients to access level 3 intervention if they require this in line with the European Model of Bereavement Support.

Applicants will have experience of working therapeutically with individuals experiencing loss and change, youll be compassionate, sensitive, creative and a great communicator. A relevant qualification is essential and this maybe a Diploma in Counselling, Registered Nurse, or Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker with counselling experience or with significant experience of working with grief and loss. Ideally, youll have experience of working with bereaved parents and have experience of running peer-to-peer bereavement support groups. The post holder will work onsite at Helen & Douglas House Childrens Hospice, in hospital settings and in parents own homes. It is therefore vital to be able to drive and to have a car as the hospice covers 6 surrounding counties.

About us

Helen & Douglas House is a registered hospice charity based in Oxford, providing palliative, respite, end-of-life and bereavement care to life-limited children and their families.

We foster a climate where team members feel able to openly question, debate and appropriately challenge their own and the practice of others; as such, we welcome new ideas and strive to constantly improve our delivery of care to our patients.

Please make an application via our website:https://helenanddouglas.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3848483?cid=3373&t=Family-and-Bereavement-Support-Worker

Details

Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£33,636 to £40,483 a year £33,636 - £40,483 per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0269-25-0012

Job locations

14a Magdalen Road

Oxford

Oxfordshire

OX4 1RW


Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

To work as a member of the Community and Family Support Services as a Family and Bereavement Support Worker providing emotional support and facilitating practical support via the wider multi-disciplinary team, where required to families and supporters of children who have been referred for care at Helen & Douglas House. The role will contribute to the delivery of integrated, well-communicated care to families through their childs illness, death and for the first two years of bereavement.

The role will provide bereavement support for families where the child has died at Helen & Douglas House, their own home, local hospital or specialist tertiary hospital. The role supports families whose child has died suddenly. The role will work co-operatively with other bereavement support agencies and charities to meet families individual needs.

This role will include working with individual parents and couples both in the hospice and in their homes, and at Oxford University Hospital and other hospitals in our catchment area as well as providing group bereavement support programmes and taking part in the leadership and organisation of the annual weekend of remembrance.

To view the full job description, please see the supplementary documents.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

To work as a member of the Community and Family Support Services as a Family and Bereavement Support Worker providing emotional support and facilitating practical support via the wider multi-disciplinary team, where required to families and supporters of children who have been referred for care at Helen & Douglas House. The role will contribute to the delivery of integrated, well-communicated care to families through their childs illness, death and for the first two years of bereavement.

The role will provide bereavement support for families where the child has died at Helen & Douglas House, their own home, local hospital or specialist tertiary hospital. The role supports families whose child has died suddenly. The role will work co-operatively with other bereavement support agencies and charities to meet families individual needs.

This role will include working with individual parents and couples both in the hospice and in their homes, and at Oxford University Hospital and other hospitals in our catchment area as well as providing group bereavement support programmes and taking part in the leadership and organisation of the annual weekend of remembrance.

To view the full job description, please see the supplementary documents.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma in Counselling
  • Registered Mental Nurse or other relevant qualification with extensive relevant experience or willingness to complete counselling registration.

Desirable

  • Educated to degree level

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent listening and communication skills
  • Group work skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Good time management
  • Competent Information technology skills.
  • Debrief skills
  • Good organisation skills

Desirable

  • Presentation skills for a variety of audiences

Attributes

Essential

  • Flexible approach to work and working hours as job requires some and weekend work
  • Committed to participating in clinical supervision

Other

Essential

  • Not on ISA Barred list from working with children/adults
  • Hold a current driving licence and be able to travel as a regular part of the role

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with bereaved families
  • Good team player and experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Ability to work independently
  • Therapeutic interventions in grief work

Desirable

  • Knowledge of working in the voluntary sector and statutory services.
  • Experience of working with people with complex needs
  • Up to date with current research on child and adult bereavement
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Diploma in Counselling
  • Registered Mental Nurse or other relevant qualification with extensive relevant experience or willingness to complete counselling registration.

Desirable

  • Educated to degree level

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent listening and communication skills
  • Group work skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Good time management
  • Competent Information technology skills.
  • Debrief skills
  • Good organisation skills

Desirable

  • Presentation skills for a variety of audiences

Attributes

Essential

  • Flexible approach to work and working hours as job requires some and weekend work
  • Committed to participating in clinical supervision

Other

Essential

  • Not on ISA Barred list from working with children/adults
  • Hold a current driving licence and be able to travel as a regular part of the role

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with bereaved families
  • Good team player and experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Ability to work independently
  • Therapeutic interventions in grief work

Desirable

  • Knowledge of working in the voluntary sector and statutory services.
  • Experience of working with people with complex needs
  • Up to date with current research on child and adult bereavement

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

Helen & Douglas House

Address

14a Magdalen Road

Oxford

Oxfordshire

OX4 1RW


Employer's website

https://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Helen & Douglas House

Address

14a Magdalen Road

Oxford

Oxfordshire

OX4 1RW


Employer's website

https://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Details

Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£33,636 to £40,483 a year £33,636 - £40,483 per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0269-25-0012

Job locations

14a Magdalen Road

Oxford

Oxfordshire

OX4 1RW


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Helen & Douglas House's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)