Job Details

Family and Bereavement Counsellor and Support Workers provide emotional and psychological support to parents of babies and children living with a life-threatening illness, or life limiting condition; and provide grief education, emotional and psychological support to parents and grandparents for up to 2 years following the death of a baby or child.

Family and Bereavement Counsellor and Support Workers help parents and grandparents with managing their emotions and coping with grief, building their resilience and empowering them at level 1-2 of the Bereavement Network Europe Model. We help clients to access level 3 intervention if they require this

Clinical supervision is provided in line with British Association of Psychology and Counselling standards which will also complement your resilience and self-care skills. The hours in client facing work count as counselling hours.

If you’re excited by the opportunity to be part of this unique service where you’ll be able to give parents approaching bereavement, and those who are bereaved the time and focus they need, and where you’ll see the impact of your work, every day, then please apply now.

Informal conversations welcome in advance of application.  For more information, please call Jo Wilson, Team Lead Family and Bereavement Support or Debbie Kelly, Head of Community and Family Support Services (Tuesday – Friday 9-5 01865 794749)

Ready to bring your skills to a role that matters?

Applications will be reviewed and invited to interview as received. We reserve the right to close the advert at any time, therefore we encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible. 

Please note that everyone working for Helen and Douglas House are required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Helen and Douglas House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities employer and value the benefits of a diverse workforce. We positively encourage applications from all areas of the community.

The Company

Helen and Douglas House is a registered hospice charity based in Oxford, providing palliative, respite, end-of-life and bereavement care to life-limited children and their families.

We foster a climate where team members feel able to openly question, debate and appropriately challenge their own and the practice of others; as such, we welcome new ideas and strive to constantly improve our delivery of care to our patients.

Applicants will have experience of working therapeutically with individuals experiencing loss and change, you’ll be compassionate, sensitive, creative and a great communicator. A relevant qualification is essential and this maybe a Diploma in Counselling, Registered Nurse, or Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker with counselling experience or with significant experience of working with grief and loss.  Ideally, you’ll have experience of working with bereaved parents and have experience of running peer-to-peer bereavement support groups. The post holder will work onsite at Helen & Douglas House Children’s Hospice, in hospital settings and in parent’s own homes. It is therefore vital to be able to drive and to have a car as the hospice covers 6 surrounding counties.