Bereavement Support Officers

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Bereavement Support Officer to deliver professional, compassionate support to relatives and friends of the deceased. The role involves guiding legal processes, arranging hospital funerals, and assisting with viewing arrangements.

The post requires empathy, excellent communication, and experience with bereavement support in a healthcare setting. 37.5 hours/week, based at North Tees, with potential cross-site duties.

Qualifications

• GCSE English Language grade 4+ required.
• GCSE Mathematics grade 4+ required.
• NVQ Level 2 or equivalent in a related subject.
• Bereavement Support training (CRUSE or SANDS) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical bereavement support and guidance on legal processes following a death.
• Assist in arranging hospital funerals as required.
• Support relatives and friends during viewing of the deceased.
• Engage with healthcare professionals, Coroners' staff, Medical Examiner staff and registration services in a courteous, clear and supportive manner.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Bereavement experience

Empathy

Education

GCSE English (4+)

GCSE Maths (4+)

NVQ Level 2 or equivalent

Bereavement Support training (CRUSE/SANDS)

Job description

The post is 37.5 hours per week. At present these hours are worked in office hours Monday to Friday , although this may be subject to change as the service develops., This post is pivotal in ensuring a professional, compassionate, and high-quality service for relatives of the deceased is delivered in accordance with national legislation and Trust policy. Bereavement Support Officers offer practical advice after death to relatives/friends of the deceased. They support bereaved relatives and guide them with the legal processes following a death, arrange hospital funerals as required and support friends/relatives during viewing of the deceased. As a direct point of contact for relatives, healthcare professionals, Coroners' staff, Medical Examiner staff and registration services, the post holder will be expected to have the ability to engage tactfully but clearly in a supportive and caring manner. Although based at North Tees, the role may require working across both hospital sites to meet service demand.

We are looking for an enthusiastic person with good interpersonal and communication skills. Previous experience in dealing with bereaved people or working in situations where there has been a high empathy factor is required.

• GCSE at grade 4 or above in English Language, or Key Skills at level 2 in Literacy (or equivalent)
• GCSE at grade 4 or above in Mathematics, or Key Skills at level 2 in numeracy (or equivalent)
• oNVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) in a related subject, oFull UK manual driving licence
• oBereavement Support training (CRUSE or SANDS), Experience in Practical Bereavement Support
• Experience of dealing with members of the public, Experience of practical issues relating to bereavement support within the NHS settingSouth Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust now form University Hospitals Tees and as such you may be required to work at any site across both Trusts.

At North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, we want our organisation to be the best place to work with the right staff, in the right roles, at the right time, to ensure we deliver exceptional patient care and experience. We will support staff through providing an inclusive and supportive workplace with health and well-being initiatives, staff benefits and opportunities for personal and professional development.

We recruit for values and "Together we are North Tees & Hartlepool"