Bereavement Administrator and Support Worker

Employer information

Flexible working

Flexible working arrangements may be considered and discussions with the recruiting manager regarding this are encouraged.

Job overview

The post holder will be responsible for providing sensitive and specialist support to families who have experienced the death of their baby or child. This post will be based at BCH but will also support the extended team of bereavement nurses and midwives at BWC. You will be part of the palliative and bereavement team providing continuity of care and excellence across BWC which will include caring for the child and their families in the bereavement suit and in the mortuary

The role is to provide and coordinate the bereavement care service, working within the bereavement and palliative care team. You will be sensitive to the needs of families whose baby or child has died and who need support in the bereavement process and their immediate bereavement care needs. This will include supporting families who wish to visit their child in the bereavement suite immediately after their baby or child has died, alongside the lead clinical team where the death has occurred. You will be responsible for coordinating bereavement viewings and ensuring the completion of mandatory documentation and reporting.

Main duties of the job

The Bereavement administrator and Support Worker will work under direct supervision of registered practitioners, to provide compassionate care and support for our bereaved families, and those within the palliative care service at BWCH.

The post is based at Birmingham Children's Hospital, as part of the Trust's Bereavement Team and will involve working in Magnolia house and the Rainbow suite which are dedicated space's within the hospital, specifically designed to support bereaved families in a compassionate and respectful environment

Working for our organisation

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centered care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Undergraduate diploma, equivalent appropriate qualification or equivalent experience in bereavement/palliative care
• Administrative experience

Desirable criteria

• Counselling/communication qualification or equivalent
• Courses relating to bereavement/palliative care

Knowledge/experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge, understanding and experience of bereavement processes
• Previous experience working within a healthcare setting
• Knowledge and understanding around grief

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience working with bereaved families

Analytical and judgement skills

Essential criteria

• Be able to escalate and report concerns
• Ability to recognise own limitations and scope of practice
• Ability to carry out instructions with diligence and accuracy

Professional/managerial/specialist knowledge

Essential criteria

• Ability to use IT systems (Word, Excel, powerpoint, publisher, outlook) with confidence
• Experience of using BWC/NHS IT and EPR systems

Personal skills and attributes

Essential criteria

• Ability to work in a fast paced environment
• Compassionate and approachable
• Work with a flexible approach as part of a small team
• Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of equality, inclusion and health inequalities

Additional employer information

Sponsorship

Please note, visa sponsorship is only available for certain roles in line with current UKVI regulations. Please ensure the role you are interested in meets the criteria for sponsorship before submitting your application. If you would like more information, please visit: UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role. Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

Reasonable Adjustments

BWC is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive environment for those with a disability, long term health or mental health condition. The Disability Confident scheme means we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, long term health or mental health conditions, and we want to ensure our recruitment practices are inclusive and accessible to all. Our aim is to get the best out of every individual and if successful for interview, you will be asked if you require any reasonable adjustments (special requirements). We will strive to support and accommodate these requests where possible.

Safeguarding

As a Trust employee you are required to comply with all legislation and guidance relating to safeguarding children and adults with care and support needs, and promoting their health and welfare. You are required to inform the Head of Safeguarding of any safeguarding concerns about your own children or children you live with. This information will be treated in a confidential manner.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

• JD/Person specification (PDF, 456.6KB)