Bereavement Support Worker

Grief Encounter was set up in December 2003 to ensure that bereaved children and their families receive the best possible support following the death of a parent, sibling and someone close. We deliver both local and national bereavement services. JOB TITLE : Bereavement Support Worker SALARY: £30,000 per annum (FTE) LOCATION: Mill Hill, London NW7 4ST CONTRACTED HOURS: 40 hours with a 1 hour paid rest break per day including evening and occasional weekends RESPONSIBLE TO: Team Leader Our Vision: A world where no child grieves alone. Our Mission: To help bereaved children, young people and their families find hope and healing. Our Values: are very important to us and as a member of the Grief Encounter team, you will be expected to hold these in your day to day work: Compassion We lead with empathy and kindness, putting people first Excellence We deliver the highest quality and make a meaningful difference Integrity We act honestly, ethically, and witj courage and dignity PURPOSE To ensure bereaved clients receive appropriate, timely support. Tasks include reviewing referral forms, completing administrative tasks and acting as the first point of contact for referrals and enquires from both bereaved families and third-party referrers. Supporting family programmes and volunteers. The role will also require managing a small caseload requiring bereavement support work. ____________________________________________________________________ JOB SUMMARY • Providing written copies and helping to update and maintain literature relevant to Grief Encounter. • Development and maintenance of a list of reputable signposting agencies/services for use by staff and Volunteers. • Supporting the senior management, and other Grief Encounter teams with the development and success of key projects designed to increase the reach of and access to the service(s). • Leading and supporting resources distribution. • Any other duties commensurate with this post. _____________________________________________________________________ MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES • Calling bereaved families and 3rd party referrers to discuss support and to assess eligibility for Grief Encounter services. • Attending and supporting events with children, young people and families taking place evenings and occasional weekends. • Supporting volunteers. • Updating client records and ensuring required documentation/forms are completed correctly. • Holding a caseload of families, including delivering short term support programmes. • Signposting client to appropriate (external) services. • General administrative support – including responding to calls, emails, letters, and online. • Managing submissions from bereaved families wishing to obtain and/or more information about the organisations and service provision(s). • Ensuring the collection, collation, interpretation, and distribution of accurate data (via online CRM systems) so that activities can be analysed and interpreted for the purposes of funding validation, reporting and service improvement. • Promoting and representing Grief Encounter at relevant events and meetings as agreed with the Senior Management Team. • Providing guidance to external professionals to answer queries with an emphasis on providing effective, timely support. • Working with Grief Encounter’s management and supervision policies. • Working within all policies and procedures, including the Charity’s Safeguarding Policies; Equality and Diversity Policy; Data Protection Policy and Health & Safety Policy. _____________________________________________________________________ CANDIDATE PROFILE Essential Skills & Experience • Relevant experience of working with children, young people and families; • Knowledge and experience of working with a diverse client base; • A good knowledge and understanding of the impact of bereavement on families: or demonstrable transferable skills in a relevant field; • Experience of meeting targets and key performance indicators; • Experience of carrying out risk assessments, in relation to the safeguarding of children and adults; • Good listening support, and advise skills with the ability to assess the needs of callers; • Good IT skills, including confidence and experience of using data-based systems; • Experience in setting and maintain professional boundaries; • The ability to deal with work pressures, exercise sound judgement, manage time effectively, meet deadlines, to organise and set priorities for your own work; • Flexible to work agreed evenings and occasional weekends as required; Desirable • Experience of working in child bereavement field; • Counselling Skills, social work qualification or other relevant qualifications or experience. Personal Attributes • Proactive and solution-oriented, with a positive attitude; • Empathetic and respectful when dealing with sensitive topics; • A collaborative team player who is also comfortable working independently; • Willing to travel across London and occasionally atte