Palliative Care Counsellor

NHS; Scunthorpe; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Part time

Job summary

Lindsey Lodge Hospice is looking for a compassionate Palliative Counsellor to support patients and families affected by life-limiting illnesses. This role involves delivering palliative and bereavement counselling, managing a clinical caseload, and contributing to high standards of care in a multi-disciplinary setting. The position offers the chance to make impactful contributions in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified counsellor with a minimum Level 4 Diploma.
• Experience in bereavement or palliative care is required.
• Registered member of BACP or appropriate professional body.

Responsibilities

• Delivering high-quality palliative and bereavement counselling.
• Managing a clinical caseload of patients and families.
• Supervising volunteer bereavement support workers.

Skills

Counselling

Empathy

Time Management

Teamwork

Communication

Education

Level 4 Diploma in Counselling or equivalent

Level 5 or equivalent recognised adults counselling qualification

Tools

SystmOne

Job description

Lindsey Lodge Hospice and Healthcare is seeking a compassionate andexperienced Palliative Counsellor for a maximum of 22.5 hours a week, to join our supportive and dedicated team.This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful difference to patients andfamilies affected by life-limiting illness and bereavement.

About the Role

You will be part of our Palliative Counselling and Family Support team,providing one-to-one and group support for patients, families, and the bereavedacross all clinical areas of the hospice. Reporting to the PalliativeCounselling Lead, you will contribute to the delivery ofcounselling services and bereavement programmes, holding your own clinicalcaseload and supporting volunteers and students involved in service delivery.

What Were Looking For

We are looking for a qualified counsellor (minimum Level 4 Diploma inCounselling or equivalent) with experience in bereavement or palliative care.You will be a compassionate and reflective practitioner, comfortable workingwith people facing complex emotional challenges. Experience of working in ahospice or healthcare setting and familiarity with SystmOne is desirable.

Main duties of the job

Key responsibilities include

Delivering high-quality palliative and bereavement counselling to patients, families and carers.

Supporting the development and implementation of tailored programmes for bereaved families.

Providing pre and post-bereavement support to those affected by life-limiting illness.

Assisting with supervision and development of volunteer bereavement support workers and student counsellors.

Ensuring accurate and timely documentation on SystmOne and supporting effective communication with patients, families and other healthcare professionals.

About us

Why Join Us?

At Lindsey Lodge, you will be part of a committed and multidisciplinary team focused on delivering person-centred care. We support staff with ongoing development opportunities and a warm, collaborative working environment. This is your chance to play a key role in supporting families through some of lifes most difficult times.

Be part of a values-led organisation that puts people first.

Join a supportive, forward-thinking team committed to continuous improvement.

Help shape an forward thinking and responsive service making a real difference to local families.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To assist in delivery of palliative counselling andbereavement services across the clinical areas of Lindsey Lodge Hospice andHealthcare

To assist with delivery of assigned programmes underthe direction of the Counselling Lead

To deliver the highest standards of bereavement andpalliative counselling care.

To provide palliative counselling, support andinformation to those with a life limiting illness and their relatives.

To provide Pre and post Bereavement support to thefamilies of those that are living with a life limiting illness.

As appropriate and within the skill set of the postholder, to assist with supervision and training for all volunteers working withthe Palliative and bereavement counselling service.

To assist in delivering Palliative counselling and bereavementservices to meet changing needs across the hospice, working under and with the Counsellingand Support Practitioner Lead.

To ensure electronic documentation is up to date andaccurate, and to include timely inputting of client notes on SystmOne.

To produce correspondence and communication withpatients and families and other health professionals in line with agreed policiesand to ensure that the volunteer bereavement support workers have inputtedcaseload updates within SystmOne.

CLINICAL/PROFESSIONALDUTIES

Under the direction of the Counselling Lead,to effectively manage a caseload offering Palliative and bereavement counselling to individualswith a range of needs providing support, bereavement information and relevantresources to patients, families and carers.Under the direction of the Counselling Lead, to develop and deliver programmesto meet the needs of individual clients and evaluate.To attend appropriate meetings as a core member of the multi-disciplinary teamto provide support on bereavement issues and feedback to the Counselling Lead.Under the direction of the Counselling Lead, to assist with initiation,planning and evaluation of bereavement support for relatives and ensure thevolunteer bereavement support workers assist.To follow national and organisational policies applicable to the role and keep upto date with the current legislation and evidence based practice

To work with service users independently withinpolicies and codes of conduct work is managed rather than supervisedto maintain appropriate patient records, which maintain confidentiality andadhere to the Hospice Data Protection policy.Identify and assess risk to vulnerable clients and liaise with GPs and outsideagencies where appropriate.Refer the bereaved on to specialist services both within the Hospice and/orexternal organisations as required.

MANAGEMENT

Under the direction of the Counselling Lead, to actas a resource for palliative care staff across the organisation.

To manage an ongoing caseload of service users

To be a committed team member and provide support to members of themultidisciplinary team and to other caseworkers involved in the care of clientsas appropriateTo assist with monitoring and prioritising the caseload of volunteers workingin Counselling and bereavement support, to ensure effective service delivery.

To assist with supervision and retention ofBereavement support workers.

To ensure and monitor Bereavement support workersattendance at supervision meetings and support meetings.

To contribute to the development of clinicalstandards, policies and clinical audit working within the quality framework ofthe Hospice and attend working parties as requestedTo contribute to the effective use of resources.To keep records which facilitate communication within the hospice in accordancewith hospice policy.

EDUCATION AND PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

To participate inregular and ongoing clinical supervisionParticipate in Hospice in-house educationalprogrammes of other professionals and volunteers to promote knowledge ofbereavement issues.Participate in the induction of all new staff and volunteers as required.

Assist with design and implementation ofbereavement and counselling courses and training days.

Take responsibility for own professional andpersonal development, which will be monitored in supervision sessions and inthe yearly appraisal.

Participate in research, audit and evaluation.

Ensure relevant NICE Guidelines and National Associationof Bereavement Standards are met andadhered to, including policies for safeguarding vulnerable people.

Assist with monitoring and evaluation of allaspects of the Palliative counselling and Bereavement Service ensuring deliveryof a quality service.

Maintain an awareness of research and relevantfindings and in conjunction with practitioners and volunteers work towardsthese being applied to practice.

GENERAL

The post-holder will have access to confidentialdata on staff, patients and services within Lindsey Lodge. Failure to maintainconfidentiality will lead to disciplinary action, which could ultimately leadto dismissal.

The post holder may be required to participate inthe assessment of risk and thereby contribute towards clinical and corporategovernance agenda as appropriate.

The post will be subject to regular annual staffdevelopment review.

The post holder will be expected to produce work ofa high standard and to promote quality at all times.

Lindsey Lodge is committed to Equal Opportunitiesfor all present and potential members of staff and patients. Therefore LindseyLodge expects all employees and volunteers to understand, support, and applythis policy through their working practices which requires all individuals tobe treated with respect, dignity, courtesy, fairness and consideration.

The post holder will be expected to keep themselvesupdated on all matters relating to Hospice procedure and policy.

Where you are a member of a professional body youare required to conform to the professional standards set by that body. You arerequired to ensure your registration is current and practice continuousprofessional development.

The ethos of the Hospice is based on aninterdisciplinary approach and employees and volunteers are required toparticipate in this concept.

Person Specification

Personal Attributes

• To have dealt appropriately with own experience of loss and grief
• Caring and compassionate attitude
• Person centred approach
• Able to work on own initiative or part of a team
• Ability to manage and prioritise own time and workload
• Confidence to participate in inter-disciplinary team meetings
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to appreciate, understand and value diversity in a non-judgemental manner
• Ability to maintain confidential and ethical boundaries
• Ability to understand and work with conflict
• Ability to work creatively, independently and with flexibility
• Sense of humour

Qualifications

• Be a registered member of the BACP or other appropriate recognised body
• Knowledge to level 5 or comparable should hold a minimum of a Level 4 Diploma or equivalent plus ongoing supervision and relevant experience
• Level 5 or equivalent recognised adults counselling qualification.
• Having achieved or working towards B.A.C.P. or other professional body accreditation

Experience

• Previous experience of Hospice and/or palliative care setting
• One years experience of working with loss and bereavement
• Experience of supporting training programmes
• Experience of working closely with volunteers
• Experience of working in a multi professional team
• Experience of working in a health care environment
• Experience of working across client groups
• Experience and ability to work with, contain and process high levels of distress
• Experience of supporting groups
• Knowledge of SystmOne

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

• Good planning and time management attention to detail.
• Knowledge of bereavement models and theories of grief
• Knowledge of complicated grief reactions
• Understanding and awareness of a range of therapeutic interventions and techniques
• Knowledge of a range of psycho-social issues that may affect the bereaved
• The ability to work with the bereaved in a supportive and/or therapeutic way
• Knowledge and understanding of Vulnerable Adults and Vulnerable Children Policies
• High level of attending and listening skills
• Ability to work independently within agreed policy framework and code of conduct
• The ability to work effectively as a member of an inter-disciplinary team
• Ability to maintain accurate records and statistics
• Ability to work within professional and ethical guidelines
• Knowledge of hospice philosophies
• Knowledge of appropriate support services and agencies in the community
• Ability to assist with training courses on all aspects of bereavement
• Knowledge and understanding of NICE Guidelines and relevant National Standards

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.