Bereavement support worker jobs
Job Title: Family Support Worker (12 months FTC)
Salary: £30,944 - £31,004 per annum
Team: Family Support Team
Hours: 37.5 hours per annum
Location: Christopher’s
About Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
We have an exciting opportunity for a family support to join our Family Support Team at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.
Shooting Star Children’s Hospices provides specialist care and support to families who have a baby, child or young person with a life-limiting condition, or whose child has died. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, we support families across Surrey, north-west London and south-west London from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care.
About the role
Family Support Workers (FSW) are the frontline of our psychosocial care. Each FSW holds a caseload of end-of-life and bereaved families. They get to know their families, and check-in regularly with phone calls and home visits and can provide enhanced emotional support where required through more regular contact and interventions. Our FSWs inform families about the different psychosocial care and many services they can access at Shooting Star, assess their needs and make recommendations to our specialist psychosocial MDT. They work hard to support families of different ethnicities and families living in poverty, so that our service is as equitable as possible.
Our FSWs work closely with our Therapists, Counsellors, Social Workers, Transition Team and our Care Events Team. Weekly specialist psychosocial MDT meetings bring the team together to think of ways to help families in crisis. The work is varied and creative, taking place at the hospices, in family homes and hospitals, allowing the support to be where the families need it. Our Family Support Workers are hugely appreciated by the families we support.
The ambition of our strategy is to ensure every family affected by a life-limiting condition, or the sudden death of a child, has access to the specialist care that they need. Day to day duties are:
- Being part of the duty rota over both sites monitoring 3 email inboxes and answering the Family Support Line.
- Supporting the events team with admin tasks and attending various events
- Providing on the spot emotional support, sometimes in a crisis where a calm and empathic response is required.
- Support the in-house team with families staying at Christopher’s for assessed nights and end of life care.
- Attend various sites over the course of a week, hospice, hospital, family homes. Planning your own diary effectively.
- Building connections with families from different backgrounds, delivering culturally competent care.
- Acting as an ambassador for Shooting Star’s Specialist Bereavement Service, supporting other care team members with their learning and delivery of the bereavement pathway, and continually seeking ways to improve quality.
About you
This role requires experience of working with children and families who have experienced hardship, presenting with complex needs. You should have a calm positive manner, be consistent in your approach, and convey empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
Please see the attached job description for more information about this opportunity at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.
What we offer
In return you will receive a competitive salary along with a range of benefits, which include:
Pension scheme
- NHS Pension Scheme (for eligible employees) or our stakeholder pension scheme, with up to 7% employer contributions
Annual leave
- 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising with length of service
- 2 weeks paid sabbatical leave after 5, 10 and 15 years’ service
Contractual benefits
- Generous sick pay scheme
- Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay
- Flexible working arrangements
- Death in service benefits
- Reimbursed professional membership fees
- Eye care
- Employee referral scheme
- Blue Light discount card
Health and wellbeing
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Occupational Health
- Mindfulness sessions
- Cycle to work scheme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Nutritionally balanced meals at Christopher’s (free for employees) and free fruit at our Hampton site
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff to share this commitment. Also, we are committed to equal opportunities and consider all applicants to be in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and an ehanced DBS check.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Shooting Star Children’s Hospice is committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that getting things right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.
We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. Our vision is for Shooting Star Children’s Hospice to be a place where people of all backgrounds, groups and communities feel welcomed to work and volunteer.
Closing Date: 15/05/2025
Interview Date: TBC
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Our family support workers really focus on what we do at a grass roots level. Providing support to families on a daily basis as well as supporting and coordinating volunteers. Prior work with children and families is advantageous as is some knowledge of bereavement. However, full training and support will be given to the successful candidate.
Bereavement support is a challenging area of work, but also extremely fulfilling whether as a long-term career, or to develop experience and knowledge that can be transfered into other roles within the education, health and social care sectors. Attitude and aptitude are as important as prior skills and experience.
The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh would also be an advantage to this position or the willingness to learn.
This post is to support existing staff. As such it could be based anywhere within South Wales.
This post is offered on a full or part-time basis (Minimum three days per week)
Please apply with a CV and supporting statement which highlights relevant experience and skills for the role. If you would like an informal discussion about the charity or the role before applying then please do get in touch where we can arrange a time for a call.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
Sandy Bear exist to support children, young people and families in the lead up to or following a bereavement across Wales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Our Area Leads are new roles that will add capacity and strength to our team of Bereavement Practitioner’s, Family support workers and volunteers across a defined geographic area. The roles will work with the Head of Service delivery and lead Sandy Bear activity across their designated area, develop strong links across a variety of networks and forums to ensure our beneficiaries access the right support, at the right time.
These roles are great for those passionate about having the opportunity to support our families directly, whilst also being involved in broader development work to enable strong collaborations and partnerships which empower people to achieve better outcomes.
We can't do it alone, so you will spend time working with other organisations and services in collaboration to ensure we don't duplicate provision, instead focussing on gaps in services supporting bereavement for Children, young people and families.
Posts are offered on a full-time basis, though flexible working patterns and some reduced hours may be considered.
Applications welcome in both Welsh and English, though interviews will be conducted in English. Further information about Sandy Bear and our work are available on our website, as will details of whom to contact if you wish to arrange an informal discussion about the role.
Applications are with a CV and supporting statement detailing relevant experiences, skills and personal qualities that you feel you would bring to the role.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
Sandy Bear exist to support children, young people and families in the lead up to or following a bereavement across Wales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Our Area Leads are new roles that will add capacity and strength to our team of Bereavement Practitioner’s, Family support workers and volunteers across a defined geographic area. The roles will work with the Head of Service delivery and lead Sandy Bear activity across their designated area, develop strong links across a variety of networks and forums to ensure our beneficiaries access the right support, at the right time.
These roles are great for those passionate about having the opportunity to support our families directly, whilst also being involved in broader development work to enable strong collaborations and partnerships which empower people to achieve better outcomes.
We can't do it alone, so you will spend time working with other organisations and services in collaboration to ensure we don't duplicate provision, instead focussing on gaps in services supporting bereavement for Children, young people and families.
Posts are offered on a full-time basis, though flexible working patterns and some reduced hours may be considered.
Welsh Speakers are particularly welcome for this position or a willingness to learn.
Application is by CV and supporting statement. If you would like an informal discussion about the role before applying then please do take a look at the contact details for this role on our Sandy Bear website.
Registered Charity
11 - 20
Sandy Bear exist to support children, young people and families in the lead up to or following a bereavement across Wales.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Family Support Worker
£23,000 pa + benefits (including 25 days annual leave, company car and pension)
Liverpool and the surrounding areas
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.
About the role:
We are is looking to appoint a Family Support Worker to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our Liverpool Team.
Reporting to the Family Support Manager and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.
Having worked in a stressful and emotional environment you will have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and helping people; and having provided bereavement support to families, you understand processes of grief, loss, and change - and how best to help others deal with its impact.
Location:
This role covers Liverpool and surrounding areas.
What we’re looking for:
· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care.
· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly.
· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines.
· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)
· A persuasive and open communicator, you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates
· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people, and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.
What we offer:
We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, this includes.
· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
· 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)
· Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand
· Company car for front line care posts
· Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts
· Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes, as well as a recommend a friend recruitment bonus
· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
· The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping
· Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth
We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees. If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, please visit our website.
We also have a fantastic learning and development programme - the Anne Harris skills development programme - in which we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be the best they can be, and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.
Our Family Support Workers are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, counselling skills, and Introduction to Play.
The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs, with all family support workers having a foundation level of skills within their first year.
About us:
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of their time together, providing expert practical and emotional support where they need, it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.
How to apply:
To apply please visit our website via the link and apply online.
Interviews will take place via Teams or in person with a date to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful.
There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate the team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment.
Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Kentown Family Support Worker
£23,000 annual salary plus Company Car (additional benefit of approx. £5K), 5% employers pension contribution and 25 days annual leave.
South Cumbria, Lancaster and Morecombe
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.
About the role:
We are looking to appoint a Kentown Family Support Worker to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of the pilot Kentown Children’s Palliative Care Programme, in collaboration with Kentown Wizard and Together for Short Lives.
Reporting to the Kentown Project Lead out of our Lancaster team base and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.
What we’re looking for:
· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care.
· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly.
· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines.
· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)
· A persuasive and open communicator, you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates
· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people, and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.
What we offer:
We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, this includes.
· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
· 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)
· Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand
· Company car for front line care posts
· Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts
· Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes, as well as a recommend a friend recruitment bonus
· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
· The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping
· Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth
We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees. If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, please visit our website.
We also have a fantastic learning and development programme - the Anne Harris skills development programme - in which we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be the best they can be, and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.
Our Family Support Workers are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, counselling skills, and Introduction to Play.
The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs, with all family support workers having a foundation level of skills within their first year.
About us:
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of their time together, providing expert practical and emotional support where they need, it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.
How to apply:
To apply please visit our website via the link and apply online.
Interviews will take place via Teams or in person with a date to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful.
There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate the team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment.
Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation.
Thank you!
About UP
Unlocking Potential deliver high performing therapeutic programmes and education provision for children and young people with SEMH needs. We work in collaboration with families, communities, and other partners to ensure that children and young people access the interventions they need to thrive.
Mission
We work collaboratively with communities to enable children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs to unlock their full potential
Values
Trust
We build trust by being honest, transparent, and accountable in the way we work with children and young people, staff, and partners and by providing services and programmes whose outcomes are measurable and evidenced based.
Collaborative
Relationships are at the heart of our work. We prioritise communication and collaboration with partners, families, and communities, believing that by working together we create more effective and holistic outcomes for children and young people.
Empowering
We co-create opportunities for our children, young people, parents/carers and staff to actively participate in decision-making that influences change. We promote the voices of children and young people in our organisation and the wider community.
Nurturing
We provide a nurturing approach based on safety and space for creativity, exploration, and growth. We support and care for our children, young people, and staff to realise their potential.
Impact
We are committed to measuring our impact through a data driven method to develop our programmes and make a greater difference to the lives of children, young people, and their parents and carers.
Overview
We will be launching our new programme from September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this.
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Family Support Manager to play a pivotal role in establishing our new Family Support programme. Your initial focus will be leading on the development of the service, implementing policies and procedures, building referral pathways, and recruiting a team of skilled Family Support Workers.
Once the service is established, you will manage a high-quality programme providing support and guidance to families facing complex challenges. Your role will involve overseeing a team of Family Support Workers, case management, fostering effective collaboration with internal and external multidisciplinary teams, and leading the service under a shared vision to ensure the well-being of children and their families.
Using a restorative approach, you will develop strong relationships to support families and empower them to take an active role in their own support plans and interventions, helping them build resilience and make informed decisions. A commitment to safeguarding excellence will be at the heart of everything you do.
This role would be an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker or an experienced professional with a background in setting up and developing family support services. It offers a genuine opportunity to shape a new service and build an impactful team to make a real difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Family Support Coordinator
£22,000 pa + benefits (including company car, 25 days annual leave, and pension)
London & the South East
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.
About the role:
We are looking to appoint a Family Support Coordinator to support our care teams in delivering a high-quality family support service in the region, working with families and professionals to ensure the families we support have access to the services they need.
Reporting to the Family Support Manager and working in partnership with health, education, and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for sourcing practical goods and services in the region, applying for grants and benefits, as well as working with other charities or community providers to obtain goods, equipment or funds for families that Rainbow Trust do not provide directly.
Having worked in a stressful or emotionally-demanding environment with an understanding of the complexities of working with children and families, you will have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and strong networks with other organisation to provide meaningful assistance to the families we support.
What we’re looking for:
· Professional experience of working in an administrative or coordinator role - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have provided services in a health, social care, youth or education setting within a charity environment.
· A friendly and socially-focused approach – you have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and develop effective relationships with a wide range of people, you enjoy helping others.
· Well-organised, with a high level of attention to detail – you work well within established systems, produce high quality work and can manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident MSOffice user.
· A persuasive and open communicator, you are inclusive in decision-making and are able to build and maintain strong working relationships with external organisations and networks.
· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people, and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.
What we offer:
We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, this includes.
• Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
• 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)
• Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand
• Company car for front line care posts
• Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts
• Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes, as well as a recommend a friend recruitment bonus
• Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
• Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
• The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping
• Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth
We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees. If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, please visit our website.
We also have a fantastic learning and development programme - the Anne Harris skills development programme - in which we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be the best they can be, and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.
Our Family Support Workers are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, counselling skills, and Introduction to Play.
The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs, with all family support workers having a foundation level of skills within their first year.
About us:
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of their time together, providing expert practical and emotional support where they need, it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.
How to apply:
To apply please visit our website via the link and apply online.
Interviews will take place via Teams or in person with a date to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful.
There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate the team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment.
Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation.