Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker - Criminal Justice

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!

Salary: £27,000 - £32,000 pro rata

Location: Advance Head Office 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 a satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Prison Vetting level EL2.

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 at Advance.

Using a trauma‑informed approach, 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 while 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, which could relate to her children’s care, loss of identity or loss of a pet.

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 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 following 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: 9th May 2026.

What we can offer you – Employee Benefits

• 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!)
• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
• 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
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee eye‑care scheme
• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
• Refer a Friend Scheme – £250 for each referral who passes probation
• Organisation wide away days
• Thorough induction and training
• Career development pathways

Equality, Diversity and Safeguarding

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 we will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

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.

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 to promote wellbeing.