Bereavement Support Worker

Contract: 12 months (Fixed Term)

Hours: 20.5 hours per week (over a minimum of 3 days, Monday - Thursday, but must be flexible and be able to be available until 8.00 pm to suit the needs of the service, this may include weekends)

Location: Working across Telford and Wrekin (to also provide cover in Shropshire)

Salary: £15.00 per hour

Disclosure: This position is subject to a three-month probationary period, satisfactory references, Mind's policies on Safeguarding of Children and Young People and Vulnerable Adults and an enhanced DBS check and subsequent re-checks.

Summary: To provide a practical and empathetic support service to individuals bereaved by suicide, including family members, close friends or partners, colleagues etc. Providing appropriate support, information and signposting. Facilitating access to organisations able to meet the needs of people bereaved by suicide. Empathy and communication will be at the heart of the service. You will develop a strong and coherent knowledge of the local statutory, voluntary and community sector, thus ensuring that individuals are referred appropriately with your support. Additionally, you will build links with statutory and voluntary sector organisations, community groups, health and social care partners engaging and acting as an advocate for the service, building relationships for the future referral of patients.

Main Duties Delivery:

• Responsible for managing a varied and potentially complex caseload of people bereaved through suicide and being the primary point of liaison with the bereaved individuals to ensure meaningful and compassionate engagement is delivered and ensured throughout the process.
• Establish eligibility for access to the service. If the individual is from a border postcode, you will liaise with neighbouring Suicide Postvention/Bereavement (or similar) services to agree onward referral. Alternatively, signposting to national support should be made.
• Ensure the bereaved are contacted in a timely manner, followed by a face to face meeting in order to:

• Carry out an initial assessment of individual need.
• Assess for risk and monitoring ongoing risks.
• Ongoing support through regular contact, through face to face visits (including support by telephone or email).
• Advocate on behalf of the bereaved where necessary and liaise with relevant agencies.

• Emotional support including support to develop effective coping strategies.
• Support to regain or maintain relationships with friends and family.
• Support to engage with appropriate specialist support or advice services.

Engagement:

• Liaise regularly with local third sector organisations as well as national agencies, e.g. The National Bereavement Alliance, the Support After Suicide Partnership, The National Suicide Prevention Alliance etc. in order to be well informed and up to date on developments in research and practice in suicide prevention and postvention.
• Be an active member of the Suicide Prevention Steering Group to contribute towards the development of the service. This membership will include participation in Steering Group meeting and attendance at ongoing events.
• Be an active member of the local Multi-Agency Suicide Prevention Action Group to present monthly/quarterly progress reports.
• Share ideas of best practice and develop ways to gather and share information on local activity between Telford and Shropshire.
• Identify intelligence about gaps in services and support available to people and feed this into line management processes.

Development:

• Contribute and take an active role in the evaluation, review and development of the service.
• Liaise with local third sector agencies to develop suicide bereavement groups, or develop plans to facilitate a support group in line with the national Guidelines for Delivering Bereavement Support Groups.
• Raise awareness and understanding of the Bereavement Support Officer role within, but not limited to, the LA, ICB/ICS Networks, GPs and VCS sector.
• Organise and promote events, in collaboration with other agencies, to publicise and raise awareness of suicide postvention.
• Engage with processes to capture, understand and learn from the feedback provided by people using the service.

Other Responsibilities:

• Work within the values, beliefs and policies of Telford Mind and promote these to service users, families and other stakeholders.
• Take part in line management supervision, clinical supervision and appraisal.
• Ensure any information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act and Telford Mind's Confidentiality Policy.
• Have a duty and responsibility for personal health and safety and the health and safety of colleagues, service users and visitors.
• Attend training and events as required.
• To undertake other tasks commensurate with the position as required.

Qualifications Essential:

• Relevant work-related experience with a qualification in one or more of the following:

• Mental Health First Aid (will be required to complete if not held) and/or
• Level 3 Health & Social Care Qualification or equivalent AND
• Adult Safeguarding and Child Safeguarding.
• Confidentiality Training.

Desirable:

• Bereavement skills training.

Skills and Experience Essential:

• Knowledge and understanding of complicated grief and the potential impact of the traumatic response that may be experienced by suicide bereavement.
• Assessing suitability for services and working with people in person-centred and strength-based ways.
• Able to use different approaches to assess individual needs and make appropriate decisions collaboratively with people about their goals and their support needs.
• Previous experience and training in risk assessment.
• Proven ability to work within a team, which may include a wider team, working collaboratively with relevant agencies, e.g. Public Health, NHS services and third sector agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain boundaries within a professional environment.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communications skills to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex or sensitive information to people, their families, carers and other professionals.
• Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with people using services.
• Excellent relationship building and influencing skills.
• Experience of using outcome measurement tools with individuals.
• Willingness to attend, whenever possible, inquests which may reach an outcome of suicide as an 'observer' in order to learn about the process to be able to provide knowledge-based advice to the bereaved and/or staff working in the field.
• Ability to manage own caseload and varied workload and prioritise effectively.
• Experience of lone working; Understanding issues relating to personal safety for self and others.
• Computer literacy and experience with accurate record keeping.
• A clean driving license and use of own transport for work purposes.

Desirable:

• Trauma informed training.
• Engaging and working with hard to reach individuals with complex health and social issues.
• Clinical risk assessment and risk management skills.
• Recent up-to-date training in suicide prevention e.g. ASIST or similar.
• Developing and designing new systems and processes.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision, use own initiative and make appropriate decisions.
• Experience with service evaluation and meeting targets set by service commissioners.

Knowledge Essential:

• Knowledge and understanding of suicide/ bereavement and requirements of bereaved relatives and dependents.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Equality Act in order to deliver a service without discrimination.
• Knowledge of geographic area and services and support available in Telford and Shropshire.

Desirable:

• Aware of cultural and Faith issues which may be relevant specifically to the demographics of the service delivery area.
• Structures and systems within primary care and secondary health care settings.

Other Requirements Essential:

• Demonstrated ability to maintain boundaries within a professional environment.
• Willingness to work in a flexible way to meet the needs of the service.
• Willingness to undergo any training, either internally or externally, relevant to the role.

Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract

Contract length: 12 months

Pay: £15.00 per hour

Expected hours: 20.5 per week

Application question(s): Do you have access to your own vehicle? Please tell us what difference you think you could make and why you would like to work for Telford Mind. Please tell us about your experience of working with people within the mental health field and bereavement. Please tell us about your experience in providing 1-2-1 support.

Experience: Health & Social Care: 1 year (preferred) Mental Health: 1 year (preferred) Voluntary Sector: 1 year (preferred)

Licence/Certification: Health & Social Qualification (preferred) Driving Licence (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 28/11/2025