Job summary
Are you passionate about making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families facing life-limiting conditions? We are looking for a compassionate, motivated Child & Wellbeing Practitioner to join our dedicated Children's Community Palliative Care Team.
As a Child & Wellbeing Practitioner, you will play a vital role in supporting babies, children, and young people with complex and life-limiting conditions, as well as their families, within their homes and community settings.
- Provide holistic emotional and practical support tailored to each child and family.
- Promote wellbeing, resilience, and quality of life.
- Work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team including nurses, therapists, social care, and education professionals.
- Support advance care planning and memory-making activities.
- Deliver compassionate care aligned with family wishes and cultural values
This is a citywide role
Main duties of the job
To guide and assist the nurses & short break facilitators in assessing the emotional needs of the child and immediate family.Developing an individualised plan of care.
Enabling the short break facilitators to provide distraction techniques utilising therapeutic, sensory and developmental play activities.
To attend and contribute to team meetings, case load updates and meetingsrelevant to the child.
To participate in the development of projects which lead to service improvements.
To liaise and create links with the mortuary, funeral directors, and other agencies as part of end-of-life care for child and immediate family.
To provide support in a variety of different settings appropriate to the child and siblings e.g. hospice, home, schools.
To collate data in relation to deaths of children under the care of the palliative care team.
To participate in any audits within the team and to obtain feedback from families on the service they received.
Provide a resource for staff and professionals seeking advice on pre and post bereavement.
To have an awareness and understanding of local and national agencies, policies and guidelines relating to Palliative Care, End of Life Care, Counselling and Bereavement.
Work in accordance with Organisational policies, procedures and guidelines and assist in their formulation and/or general review.
To lead by example and act as a positive role model for all staff.
Maintain clear reports and records in appropriate files/documentation.
About us
Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward-thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement.
Whether you're beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.
You'll be part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives.
At MFT, you'll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions.
Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it's an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We'll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.
Explore Inside MFT Your Candidate Place
To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT Your Candidate Place. This welcoming onestop hub gives you a real sense of who we are what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. Youll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.
To access Inside MFT Your Candidate Place, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the Supporting Documents section and once opened, you can where either scan QR code or click on the link provided.
Closing vacancy listings early
We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.
Diversity MattersMFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, were proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOUfor our patients, our communities, and each other.As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your applicationespecially personal statements and responses to role-specific questionsis written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.
Explore Inside MFT Your Candidate Place
To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT Your Candidate Place. This welcoming onestop hub gives you a real sense of who we are what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. Youll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.
To access Inside MFT Your Candidate Place, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the Supporting Documents section and once opened, you can where either scan QR code or click on the link provided.
Closing vacancy listings early
We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.
Diversity MattersMFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, were proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOUfor our patients, our communities, and each other.As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your applicationespecially personal statements and responses to role-specific questionsis written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Undergraduate degree relevant to childhood studies
- Advanced communication skills
Desirable
- Bereavement training
- Child development/social work qualification
- Counselling skills training
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Working knowledge of safeguarding procedures
- Knowledge of bereavement and grief
- Understanding of spiritual, cultural and religious needs
- Understanding of Equality and Diversity
- Proficient IT skills word, power point, excel, EPR
Desirable
- Awareness of voluntary agencies
- Awareness of literature and government legislation regarding children and young people
- Knowledge of practical support following a child death
- Knowledge of childhood illness and disability
Training and Experience
Essential
- Minimum two years experience in a child care setting
- Evidence in working with child and family facing difficult circumstances including bereavement
- Experience of supporting child and family with social, economic, psychological events
- Experience of facilitating play/therapeutic group work with child and siblings
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable
- Experience working with children and young people in groups or individually
- Experience working in a healthcare, hospice, palliative care environment and community
- Experience of working with children with palliative care needs and or children with complex healthcare needs
Attributes
Essential
- Highly motivated individual
- Team player
- Good role model
- Keen and quick to learn
- Awareness of self/resilient
- Punctual
- Honest, reliable and trustworthy
- Good communication skills
- Flexible and adaptable
Other
Essential
- Access to car and holds full UK driving license
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Undergraduate degree relevant to childhood studies
- Advanced communication skills
Desirable
- Bereavement training
- Child development/social work qualification
- Counselling skills training
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Working knowledge of safeguarding procedures
- Knowledge of bereavement and grief
- Understanding of spiritual, cultural and religious needs
- Understanding of Equality and Diversity
- Proficient IT skills word, power point, excel, EPR
Desirable
- Awareness of voluntary agencies
- Awareness of literature and government legislation regarding children and young people
- Knowledge of practical support following a child death
- Knowledge of childhood illness and disability
Training and Experience
Essential
- Minimum two years experience in a child care setting
- Evidence in working with child and family facing difficult circumstances including bereavement
- Experience of supporting child and family with social, economic, psychological events
- Experience of facilitating play/therapeutic group work with child and siblings
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
Desirable
- Experience working with children and young people in groups or individually
- Experience working in a healthcare, hospice, palliative care environment and community
- Experience of working with children with palliative care needs and or children with complex healthcare needs
Attributes
Essential
- Highly motivated individual
- Team player
- Good role model
- Keen and quick to learn
- Awareness of self/resilient
- Punctual
- Honest, reliable and trustworthy
- Good communication skills
- Flexible and adaptable
Other
Essential
- Access to car and holds full UK driving license
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.
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.
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).
