Bereavement and Family Support Specialist

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for a detailed job description of the role.

Open only to applicants from Hampshire & Isle of Wight NHS system, which is limited to Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, Southern Health FT, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trust, University Hospital Southampton FT, Solent NHS Trust, South Central Ambulance Service or Hampshire Hospitals FT.

Main duties of the job

Are you passionate about delivering high quality bereavement and family support to patients and their loved ones? Do you have experience in working with bereaved people? We are looking for someone like you to join our amazing Bereavement and Family Support team, working collaborative to make a real difference to the experience of our patients through anticipatory grief support and those that are bereaved in the next steps following death and coping with their grief.

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to.

Specific to this role we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what’s possible for the role and service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• We are looking for someone flexible who can adapt to the needs of the service
• The successful applicant will need to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, challenge healthcare professionals and advocate for families where needed
• We are ideally looking for someone with knowledge of death related topics e.g. post mortem consent/organ retention, death registration, funerals, who can support families with these challenging subjects
• A successful applicant needs to be kind and compassionate and have the ability to maintain professional boundaries and nurture positive working relationships
  
  

Person specification

Qualifications / Training Required

Essential criteria

• Degree or equivalent relevant experience
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Level 4 or above BACP counselling qualification
  
  

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential criteria

• Experience working with bereaved people
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, challenge healthcare professionals and advocate for families where needed
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Self-motivated and reliable
• Basic computer skills
• Effective time management
• Ability to manage stressful situations
• Ability to escort and support relatives when viewing a body
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience in the NHS
• Experience working with bereaved people Knowledge of death related topics e.g. post mortem consent/organ retention, death registration, funerals
  
  

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together