Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!
We are looking for a Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker
Salary: £27,000- £32,000 pro rata
Location: Advance Headoffice Hammersmith & Women’s centres across London, with co- location at HMP Bronzefield
Hours: 21 hours per week
Contract: Fixed Term – March 2027
This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.
About us
Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.
We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.
Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
About the role:
This is an ideal post for someone with experience and interest in bereavement work, looking to join a forward thinking, new service. This is also a great chance to be working alongside the Healthcare & Education Department within HMP Bronzefield and be part of a prison services team in Advance.
Using a trauma informed approached, the Loss & Bereavement Specialist will conduct a person-centred assessment to understand the extent of the client’s emotional needs and the impact of loss due to imprisonment or contact with the criminal justice system whilst also identifying practical and specialist needs. They will work with women to develop a support plan, ensuring they are equipped with information and knowledge about how to navigate possible changes in circumstances related to her children’s care and offer crisis intervention and support during acute phases of loss/bereavement.
The Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker will liaise with the Prison Healthcare team, OMU, visits team and the Family Support Officer to facilitate interactions between women and their children/family members, particularly considering support is in place after visits and that the women’s emotional needs are met in custody and community via our Women’s centres.
The Specialist Worker will create a link between prison and the community, helping women to navigate support services and to positively re-integrate into their community upon release. The role will combine a casework- based approach, along with a signposting and advice service for the women. They will be based in the community and will provide a drop-in service in HMP Bronzefield to support women who are close to release.
A car may be desirable for this role, though not essential.
About You:
To be successful as the Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker you will need the below experience and skills:
Experience of working with bereaved individuals and providing grief counselling including knowledge of various therapeutic modalities relevant to grief counselling
Comprehensive understanding of the grieving process and experience of working with bereaved and loss as well as knowledge of traumatic and complex grief/loss.
An understanding of violence against women and girls and its links to women in the criminal justice system.
Proven ability and experience as a caseworker delivering trauma responsive interventions which support resettlement and rehabilitation of vulnerable people in the criminal justice system whether in the community or in prisons
Knowledge and understanding of the requirements of managing a caseload including maintaining and updating records, remaining focused on action plan goals, and keeping to deadlines
How to apply:
Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered.
Closing date for applications: 16th March 2026
Interviews are taking place w/c 23rd March 2026
*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate.
What we can offer you - Employee Benefits:
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An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)
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Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
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Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
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Pension scheme
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Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
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Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
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Employee eye-care scheme
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Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
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Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
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Organisation wide away days
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Thorough induction and training
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Career development pathways
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Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.
Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities
We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.
Safeguarding
Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Our vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Join our dedicated Reproduction Team and bring your veterinary expertise to a programme built on ethics, compassion and exceptional welfare standards. This is your chance to play a vital role in ensuring every puppy begins life with the very best foundations.
As our Canine Reproduction Specialist, you’ll work hand‑in‑hand with our Veterinary Surgeon to support successful, welfare‑focused breeding outcomes. Your insight and care will help maximise conception rates and litter sizes, while safeguarding the physical and emotional wellbeing of every breeding dog.
You’ll champion best‑practice reproductive care, influence high‑quality decision‑making, and help ensure that long‑term comfort, health and happiness remain at the heart of every breeding choice we make.
Based at our National Breeding Centre near Leamington Spa, you’ll work 35 hours per week between 8am and 6pm, Monday–Friday. You’ll also participate in a 1 in 4 weekend rota, ensuring continuous, outstanding care for our dogs.
If you’re passionate about canine welfare and want your work to have a lasting, positive impact, we’d love to hear from you!
What You’ll Do
- Carry out key reproductive duties, including cytology, progesterone testing and supervising matings, ensuring the highest standards of welfare and outcomes.
- Support clinical care for breeding dogs, applying your knowledge of canine anatomy, physiology and behaviour.
- Maintain accurate records, analyse reproductive data and contribute to continuous improvement across the breeding programme.
- Develop skills in ultrasound and reproductive techniques, including artificial insemination, under veterinary direction (full training provided).
- Work collaboratively with colleagues, volunteers and external partners, representing the breeding programme professionally.
What You’ll Bring
- Registered Veterinary Nurse with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
- Significant experience working in a veterinary practice.
- At least one year’s experience in a scientific or laboratory setting, with the ability and willingness to learn new techniques.
- Advanced knowledge of canine anatomy and reproduction, gained through academic study and/or practical experience.
- Strong understanding of canine behaviour, temperament and reproductive health.
- Good understanding of laboratory processes and equipment.
- Confident dog‑handling skills.
- Physical dexterity to safely supervise matings.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with colleagues at all levels.
- Competent user of Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
What We Offer
No two people with sight loss are the same — and none of our people are either. That’s why we’re proud to offer a range of person‑centred benefits designed to support each member of staff in the ways that matter most.
Our flexible benefits package includes a generous holiday allowance, a matched contributory pension scheme and access to discounts and cashback, giving you the freedom to choose the options that work best for you. It’s our way of showing how much our people mean to us and helping you feel supported both in and outside of work.
About Us
How to apply
Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page.
If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help.
As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions.
If you want to know more about the teams who work at Guide Dogs, you can find it on our Careers Page
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site.
If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.
Safeguarding
Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment.
At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.
Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.
For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.