Job Description
1) Job Identification
Job title: Children and Young Persons Bereavement Worker
Responsible to: Family Support Services Manager
Department: Clinical
No of Job Holders: 1
Hours of work 15 hours (over 2 days)
Salary Band 6 £26,041 pro – rata
Last Updated: 10 th April 2015
2) Job Purpose
As part of the multi disciplinary team the post holder will provide a pre and post bereavement service to children and young people referred to the Children and Young Peoples Service providing psychological and emotional care and advice.
3) Role dimensions
 To work as part of a multidisciplinary team providing psychological and emotional care and advice to children and young people.
 To work clinically with children.
 To participate in the development of the family support service and policy within the hospice.
 To act as a resource for staff and pupils in local schools across Renfrewshire seeking specialist advice or information.
4) Organisational Position
Director
Of
Care
Family Support
Manager
Social Worker
Student
Social Worker
Senior Family
Support
Counsellor
Spiritual Care
Co-ordinator
Children and
Young Persons
Bereavement
Worker
Bereavement
Support
Volunteers
Student
Counsellors
Students in
Spiritual Care
Administrator
Students
& Volunteers
Volunteer

5) Role of Department
 To work as part of the multidisciplinary team providing specialist palliative care.
 To provide high quality psychological and emotional care to patients with complex palliative care needs (and their families), including pre and post bereavement care and support, liaising with external agencies as necessary.
 To provide a resource for staff, students and other professionals seeking specialist bereavement and counselling advice and teaching.
 To develop the bereavement service changes in collaboration with the Family Support
Manager.
 To contribute to the development, implementation and management of the Clinical Governance strategy within the Hospice.
 To provide an educational resource in conjunction with local universities and colleges, offering placements in palliative care to counselling students.
6) Key Results
Therapeutic Care
1.
To ensure that children and young people receive a comprehensive assessment using advanced reasoning skills.
2.
To work with children and young people in a person-centred way to agree and deliver an effective emotional support package from a therapeutic perspective.
3.
To support the individual in decision-making and problem-solving to develop strategies to manage their grief.
4.
To record relevant written information and communicate appropriately with other members of the multi-professional care team following client contact.
5.
To attend multi-disciplinary meetings, sharing relevant patient/family care information.
6.
To participate as a member of the multi-disciplinary team in the delivery of specialist palliative care, contributing an understanding and assessment of the psychosocial and emotional problems of children and young people.
7.
To supervise children to ensure safe use of equipment and facility without endangering themselves or others.
8.
To undertake first line child protection measures reporting areas of concern to the Family
Support Services Manager.
9.
To provide a service sensitive to the needs of children, young people and their families with regard to gender, sexuality and ethnicity.
10.
To provide therapeutic emotional support to children and young people, both pre and post bereavement, including individual sessions and group work.
11.
To have direct contact with families who have been bereaved through illness.
12.
To provide support and guidance on interventions to empower parents and caregivers to support their grieving child.
13.
To make assessments of children and young people’s needs and analyse a range of interventions with the family to support the child, where necessary making referrals to other agencies in collaboration with the Family Support Services Manager.
14.
To promote communication between family members about death, dying and bereavement issues.
15.
To work with parents and carers promoting activities which enable a child to grieve.

16.
To work sensitively with the distress caused by the death of a loved one.
17.
To provide information and support face to face and over the telephone.
18.
To assist in the development and implementation of Hospice policies to provide high quality care.
19.
To ensure effective communication channels within the hospice team through attendance at team meetings.
Quality Development
1.
To contribute to the maintenance of robust systems for monitoring the uptake and quality of child bereavement services.
2.
To contribute to the development and implementation of service in line with current evidence based practice, best practice guidance and the Hospice strategy.
3.
To contribute to the implementation of the Hospice strategy.
4.
To participate in audit and research.
5.
To participate in the delivery of effective communication strategies both verbal and written with all members of the multi disciplinary team.
6.
To work flexibly to meet the demands of the service.
Educational
1.
To be proactive in identifying and addressing own personal education and development needs.
2.
To participate in the educational programmes offered by the hospice, internally and externally, taking an active role in the delivery of education in the specialist field of palliative care.
3.
To participate in teaching as required.
Professional
1.
To work within the ethical framework of the relevant registered body e.g. BACP, SSSC or
UKCP.
2.
To maintain active registration with a professional regulatory body.
3.
To maintain CPD log as required by the relevant regulatory body.
4.
To retain membership of appropriate specialist interest groups.
5.
To participate in the hospice professional development and review process to promote personal and service developments.
6.
To attend education courses and study days to be aware of developments in own professional field and in the wider bereavement discipline.
7.
To identify and implement audit in own professional discipline.
8.
To participate in clinical supervision.
7a) Equipment and Machinery
IT equipment - Personal Computer
7b) Systems
 Maintain a diary
 Use IT systems including PowerPoint presentations, excel spreadsheets
 Electronic patient record system
 Maintain data collection/ monthly stats
 Maintain client records including appropriate outcome and evaluation documentation
 Maintain CPD log and record of training undertaken

Counselling Appointment System

8) Assignment and Review of Work
 Works collaboratively within the multi-professional team providing child bereavement care.
 Manages own workload, generated by the specific service needs, referring to manager when necessary
 Anticipates and responds appropriately to problems/needs of service delivery and takes steps to resolve them involving appropriate colleagues.
 Meets with other team members / attends departmental development meetings.
 Works independently providing therapeutic services to children and young people.
 Is responsible to the Family Support Manager for guidance, professional management, review of work and formal appraisal of performance.
9) Decisions and Judgments
 Professionally expected to make therapeutic decisions on a daily basis taking into account guidance from the relevant regulatory body, specialist guidelines, protocols, Hospice policies and procedures
 Uses flexible and innovative approach to problem solving and decision making in order to prioritise own workload
10) Most Challenging / Difficult parts of the job
 Working independently and making professional decisions when a lone worker and without direct support of other team members
 Undertaking an emotionally and mentally demanding job, whilst at the same time taking care to safeguard own health and safety and that of colleagues, patients and carers
 Imparting unwelcome news to clients and staff
 Working with bereaved and soon to be bereaved children
11) Communication and Relationships
Service Users
 Works with the multidisciplinary team in supporting children and young people through difficult and emotional experiences
 Provides opportunities for children and young people to explore their feelings and needs relating to individual circumstances. This requires highly developed interpersonal, motivational and persuasion skills
 Work sensitively with distressed children within a developmental framework utilising age appropriate interventions
 Provides and receives information regarding complex and sensitive issues
 Deals with verbal complaints
 Maintaining appropriate client/ professional boundaries
Multi disciplinary Team
 Collaborate with wider MDT regarding client and service needs
 Advises on care management strategies to optimise emotional and psychological support
 Reports (both verbally and in writing) patient/ family assessment findings, progress and suggests other professional input requirements

12 ) Physical, Mental, Emotional and Environmental Demands of the Job
Physical
 Regular travel to schools and clients homes.
 Occasional use of VDU’s and other IT equipment.
 Occasional requirement for moderate physical effort when assisting very young children.
 Requirement to carry materials and resources when visiting children and young people.
Mental
 Concentration required when communicating with children and young people.
 Analytical demands when working with complex issues.
Emotional
 Frequently working with highly distressed individuals (both adults and children) and difficult situations.
 Frequently responding to issues of an ethically and/or existentially challenging nature.
Environmental
 Occasional exposure to verbal aggression
 Adaptable to work in a variety of environments e.g. Home, School and Hospice
SUMMARY: Knowledge, Training and Experience required to do the Job
 Degree / Diploma in counselling and/or other therapeutic disciplines with equivalent experience.
 Individual professional accreditation or eligibility for this.
 Minimum of 2 years post qualifying experience in supporting children and young people.
 In-depth knowledge of at least one counselling approach with underpinning theoretical knowledge and understanding of loss, grief and bereavement.
 Advanced communication skills
 Ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team