Grief Support Counsellor

Anglicare Australia Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work options

Salary packaging benefits

Professional development & training

Exclusive staff discounts

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Anglicare Sydney is seeking a Grief Support Counsellor to provide specialist grief and bereavement support to residents, families and staff. You will develop personalised care plans and work with multidisciplinary teams to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care.

You will also train and support Residential Aged Care employees, promoting self-care and resilience while ensuring privacy and compassionate handling of sensitive situations.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Work or Counselling.
• Membership of PACFA registered organisation, AASW, APS or similar professional body.
• Training and clinical experience in grief and bereavement counselling.
• Previous demonstrated experience in assessment and counselling.
• Awareness of the needs and challenges of people living with dementia and their families.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Current NSW Driver’s Licence.
• Ability to meet Anglicare’s probity requirements, including a Police Check and Working with Children Check.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist grief and bereavement counselling and support to residents and their families.
• Advocate for residents and families while acknowledging and facilitating their individual grieving process.
• Develop individual case plans with residents and families, establishing clear and achievable outcomes.
• Provide education and support to Residential Aged Care employees around grief, vulnerability and self-care.
• Identify complex grief and establish strong external referral pathways to ensure people can access specialist support when required.
• Develop resources that promote awareness and accessibility of grief and bereavement support across Residential Aged Care Homes.
• Maintain accurate client documentation and statistical information using appropriate evidence-based tools.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the service through professional development, policies, procedures and work practices.

Skills

Counselling

Written & verbal communication

Empathy & compassion

Assessing & counselling

Dementia awareness

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Work or Counselling

Job description

Do you want a career that means more? At Anglicare Sydney, we bring the strength, the support and the strategy to make it happen.

We're a well-respected not-for-profit that's been serving people in need for over 170 years. Each year, we support individuals and families through some of life's most significant moments with compassion, dignity and care.

As one of our Grief Support Counsellors, you'll provide specialist grief and bereavement support to residents, families and employees in times of grief & loss, helping them understand and navigate the grieving process while strengthening resilience and connecting them with appropriate support.

Be welcomed into a compassionate, respectful and purpose-driven community where we don't just talk about values - we live them.

Do you want a career that means more? At Anglicare Sydney, we bring the strength, the support and the strategy to make it happen.

We're a well-respected not-for-profit that’s been serving people in need for over 170 years. Each year, we support individuals and families through some of life’s most significant moments with compassion, dignity and care.

As one of our Grief Support Counsellors, you’ll provide specialist grief and bereavement support to residents, families and employees in times of grief & loss, helping them understand and navigate the grieving process while strengthening resilience and connecting them with appropriate support.

Be welcomed into a compassionate, respectful and purpose-driven community where we don't just talk about values - we live them.

Your opportunity

Working alongside our Residential Aged Care clinical teams and Chaplains and Pastoral Carers, you’ll provide professional counselling and support to residents and families experiencing grief and bereavement.

You’ll work collaboratively with residents and families to understand their individual needs, develop achievable support plans and facilitate the grieving process with empathy and sensitivity.

Your impact will extend beyond individual counselling. You’ll also support Residential Aged Care employees to understand their own vulnerability when working with grief and loss, promoting practical self-care strategies and strengthening the capability of our teams to respond compassionately to bereavement.

With integrity and compassion, you will

• Provide specialist grief and bereavement counselling and support to residents and their families.
• Advocate for residents and families while acknowledging and facilitating their individual grieving process.
• Develop individual case plans with residents and families, establishing clear and achievable outcomes.
• Provide education and support to Residential Aged Care employees around grief, vulnerability and self-care.
• Identify complex grief and establish strong external referral pathways to ensure people can access specialist support when required.
• Develop resources that promote awareness and accessibility of grief and bereavement support across Residential Aged Care Homes.
• Maintain accurate client documentation and statistical information using appropriate evidence-based tools.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the service through professional development, policies, procedures and work practices.

What you’ll brin g

You’re a compassionate and emotionally grounded counsellor who understands that grief is deeply personal and that there is no single way to experience loss.

You will bring the clinical capability to support people through grief and bereavement, alongside the empathy and sensitivity required to build trust during vulnerable moments.

You can remain calm when supporting people experiencing distress, establish rapport with residents and families and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.

Importantly, you’ll understand the particular needs of older people and families navigating challenges in ageing, including living with dementia, and those who care for them.

What’s requir ed:

• Tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Social Work or Counselling.
• Membership of PACFA registered organisation, AASW, APS or similar professional body.
• Training and clinical experience in grief and bereavement counselling.
• Previous demonstrated experience in assessment and counselling.
• Awareness of the needs and challenges of people living with dementia and their families.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Current NSW Driver’s Licence.
• Ability to meet Anglicare’s probity requirements, including a Police Check and Working with Children Check.

Why Anglicare?

We provide meaningful opportunities and choice, both for the individuals and communities we support and the dedicated people here who make it happen.

At Anglicare, you’ll get the security, stability and opportunities that come with a strong, well-established organisation that’s ready for the future. You’ll belong to a community of kind, humble and respectful people of all faiths and backgrounds.

You’ll also have the opportunity to work alongside experienced Residential Aged Care Clinical Staff & Management, Chaplaincy and Counselling professionals, bringing together clinical, pastoral and practical support for residents and their families.

Here are just some of the tangible benefits you will enjoy in a career with us:

• Flexible work options to get the most out of work and life.
• Pay less tax on your income and increase your take-home pay. With salary packaging, up to $15,900 of your income is tax free.
• Spend up to $2,650 on accommodation, meals and entertainment also tax free with salary packaging.
• Ongoing professional development and training to advance your career.
• Exclusive discounts to over 400 retailers.
• Employee Assistance Program and Fitness Passport with discounts to over 800 gyms for you and your family.
• We’re many services, with one purpose, to meet people where they are and walk with them. At Anglicare, we believe everyone is Made for Connection - with God, with each other and with the places we call home.

As a Grief Support Counsellor, you’ll have the privilege of walking alongside residents and families at a deeply significant time - providing a compassionate presence, professional support and space for people to grieve in their own way.

Are you ready for a career that means more?

Application Close Date: October 31, 2026