Bereavement Practitioner

Six Degrees Social Enterprise; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community interest company is seeking a qualified individual to provide emotional and practical support to those affected by bereavement. The ideal candidate will have clinical experience, excellent communication skills, and a strong understanding of mental health issues. Responsibilities include facilitating referrals, providing information on support services, and holding space for individuals to express their stories. The role requires flexibility and resilience, with opportunities for personal development.

Qualifications

• Understanding of grief, loss, anxiety, and depression.
• Knowledge of mental health legislation and pathways.
• Ability to manage risk and safeguard scenarios.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to bereaved individuals via various modalities.
• Demonstrate understanding of the impact of bereavement.
• Engage with local services and provide relevant information.

Skills

Clinical experience in supporting bereavement

Excellent communication skills

Emotional intelligence and resilience

Organizing online sessions

Job description

Six Degreesprovides the Greater Manchester Bereavement Service (GMBS) on behalf of theGreater Manchester ICB. The service aims to offer a preventative, educationaland supportive approach to bereavement; including suicide bereavement.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will provide clinical experience and practical and emotional support topeople who have been bereaved themselves or seeking advice on behalf of someonethey know. This is expected to be delivered through a range of modalities suchas telephone, email, face to face, group.

GMBS does notprovide bereavement counsellingbut aims to find people the right helpand support they need. You would be expected to offer information and guidanceabout local services available in Greater Manchester (both statutory andnon-statutory), share low level information on grief, mental health andemotional support, signpost to materials on how to manage difficult feelings orsymptoms, facilitate referrals where necessary, provide practical informationon issues relating to loss and bereavement and importantly offer a space inwhich the person calling feels able to express their story and be heard.

You will have strongclinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and be able todemonstrate an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death,including suicide. It is desirable that you have knowledge of counsellingskills and experience of supporting people dealing with traumatic events. Itsimportant that you are able to, with support, manage risk and/or safeguardingscenarios and liaise with other professionals or agencies.

About us

SixDegrees Social Enterprise is a Salford based Community Interest Company,established in 2011. Our social mission is to build resilient communities inwhich people with common mental health problems are accepted, supported, andequipped with skills to deal with the challenges they face. Six Degrees is avalues-driven organisation. Please visit our website for more information http://six-degrees.org.uk/

Job responsibilities

You will have strongclinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and be able todemonstrate an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death,including suicide. It is desirable that you have knowledge of counsellingskills and experience of supporting people dealing with traumatic events. Itsimportant that you are able to, with support, manage risk and/or safeguardingscenarios and liaise with other professionals or agencies.

Theoreticalknowledge of attachment, adjustment, loss, and grief, anxiety, and depressionis essential along with knowledge and understanding of relevant legislationassociated with the sector, support services and mental health pathways and theability to signpost service users appropriately.

Excellentcommunication skills to support a comprehensive assessment and the developmentof a therapeutic relationship is required in addition to being able to demonstratean understanding and commitment to a person-centred approach.

There is anexpectation that the post holder will become involved and contribute towardswider service developments, participate in community events to promote, andexpand the reach of the service and engage with like-minded services acrossGreater Manchester to raise awareness and improve accessibility. You must demonstratestrong communication skills and be able to maintain positive relationships withcolleagues, service users and relevant partners.

The postholder will work effectively within a team, keen to share knowledge and ideaswith colleagues, aiming to achieve the best outcomes for the service. Resilienceis fundamental, in which you will have an understanding of the importance ofself-monitoring due to the nature of the role. A requirement of the role is to workflexibly and be available to travel across the boroughs of Greater Manchesterwith ease if necessary to meet the demands of the service.

An excellenttelephone manner is required with the ability to remain calm and have aconsidered approach whilst remaining compassionate, empathic at the same timeas providing the relevant support and, or information. Discretion andconfidentiality will be extremely important to you, and you will demonstratethis in the way you manage, record and store data/information.

You will becommitted to personal professional development and will take advantage ofopportunities offered to them, whilst using their own initiative to keepupdated with changes within the sector.

You willwork collaboratively and openly with colleagues and external providers,continually representing the Six Degrees Values in all that you do. You willparticularly strive to embed these Values, and engage and connect with thewider organisation.

Person Specification

Experience

• Clinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death, including suicide.
• Theoretical knowledge of attachment, adjustment, loss, and grief, anxiety, and depression.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation associated with the sector, support services and mental health pathways.
• Experience and skills in time management and caseload management, and an ability to communicate and seeks support when required.
• Skills and knowledge in managing risk and/or safeguarding scenarios, and experience of liaising with and sharing information with other professionals or agencies.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills to support a comprehensive assessment and the development of a therapeutic relationship.
• A high degree of emotional intelligence and resilience.
• An enthusiasm for wider service developments and actively seek and evaluate service user feedback to monitor performance.
• An interest in organising and delivering an online bereavement session to service users and other communities and/or groups.
• Skills and knowledge in managing risk and/or safeguarding scenarios, and experience of liaising with and sharing information with other professionals or agencies.
• A willingness to attend community events to promote and raise awareness of the service.
• A strong team ethic, recognising how an open and honest culture can positively impact the team and service.
• A commitment to discretion and confidentiality.

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.