Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Bereavement Practitioner

The closing date is 28 September 2025

Job summary

Six Degrees provides the Greater Manchester Bereavement Service (GMBS) on behalf of the Greater Manchester ICB. The service aims to offer a preventative, educational and supportive approach to bereavement; including suicide bereavement.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide clinical experience and practical and emotional support to people who have been bereaved themselves or seeking advice on behalf of someone they know. This is expected to be delivered through a range of modalities such as telephone, email, face to face, group.

GMBS does not provide bereavement counselling but aims to find people the right help and support they need. You would be expected to offer information and guidance about local services available in Greater Manchester (both statutory and non-statutory), share low level information on grief, mental health and emotional support, signpost to materials on how to manage difficult feelings or symptoms, facilitate referrals where necessary, provide practical information on issues relating to loss and bereavement and importantly offer a space in which the person calling feels able to express their story and be heard.

You will have strong clinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and be able to demonstrate an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death, including suicide. It is desirable that you have knowledge of counselling skills and experience of supporting people dealing with traumatic events. Its important that you are able to, with support, manage risk and/or safeguarding scenarios and liaise with other professionals or agencies.

About us

Six Degrees Social Enterprise is a Salford based Community Interest Company, established in 2011. Our social mission is to build resilient communities in which people with common mental health problems are accepted, supported, and equipped with skills to deal with the challenges they face. Six Degrees is a values-driven organisation. Please visit our website for more information http://six-degrees.org.uk/

Details

Date posted

16 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 a year pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

B0248-25-0002

Job locations

Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Albert Street

Eccles

Manchester

M30 0BL


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will have strong clinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and be able to demonstrate an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death, including suicide. It is desirable that you have knowledge of counselling skills and experience of supporting people dealing with traumatic events. Its important that you are able to, with support, manage risk and/or safeguarding scenarios and liaise with other professionals or agencies.

Theoretical knowledge of attachment, adjustment, loss, and grief, anxiety, and depression is essential along with knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation associated with the sector, support services and mental health pathways and the ability to signpost service users appropriately.

Excellent communication skills to support a comprehensive assessment and the development of a therapeutic relationship is required in addition to being able to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to a person-centred approach.

There is an expectation that the post holder will become involved and contribute towards wider service developments, participate in community events to promote, and expand the reach of the service and engage with like-minded services across Greater Manchester to raise awareness and improve accessibility. You must demonstrate strong communication skills and be able to maintain positive relationships with colleagues, service users and relevant partners.

The post holder will work effectively within a team, keen to share knowledge and ideas with colleagues, aiming to achieve the best outcomes for the service. Resilience is fundamental, in which you will have an understanding of the importance of self-monitoring due to the nature of the role. A requirement of the role is to work flexibly and be available to travel across the boroughs of Greater Manchester with ease if necessary to meet the demands of the service.

An excellent telephone manner is required with the ability to remain calm and have a considered approach whilst remaining compassionate, empathic at the same time as providing the relevant support and, or information. Discretion and confidentiality will be extremely important to you, and you will demonstrate this in the way you manage, record and store data/information.

You will be committed to personal professional development and will take advantage of opportunities offered to them, whilst using their own initiative to keep updated with changes within the sector.

You will work collaboratively and openly with colleagues and external providers, continually representing the Six Degrees Values in all that you do. You will particularly strive to embed these Values, and engage and connect with the wider organisation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will have strong clinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and be able to demonstrate an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death, including suicide. It is desirable that you have knowledge of counselling skills and experience of supporting people dealing with traumatic events. Its important that you are able to, with support, manage risk and/or safeguarding scenarios and liaise with other professionals or agencies.

Theoretical knowledge of attachment, adjustment, loss, and grief, anxiety, and depression is essential along with knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation associated with the sector, support services and mental health pathways and the ability to signpost service users appropriately.

Excellent communication skills to support a comprehensive assessment and the development of a therapeutic relationship is required in addition to being able to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to a person-centred approach.

There is an expectation that the post holder will become involved and contribute towards wider service developments, participate in community events to promote, and expand the reach of the service and engage with like-minded services across Greater Manchester to raise awareness and improve accessibility. You must demonstrate strong communication skills and be able to maintain positive relationships with colleagues, service users and relevant partners.

The post holder will work effectively within a team, keen to share knowledge and ideas with colleagues, aiming to achieve the best outcomes for the service. Resilience is fundamental, in which you will have an understanding of the importance of self-monitoring due to the nature of the role. A requirement of the role is to work flexibly and be available to travel across the boroughs of Greater Manchester with ease if necessary to meet the demands of the service.

An excellent telephone manner is required with the ability to remain calm and have a considered approach whilst remaining compassionate, empathic at the same time as providing the relevant support and, or information. Discretion and confidentiality will be extremely important to you, and you will demonstrate this in the way you manage, record and store data/information.

You will be committed to personal professional development and will take advantage of opportunities offered to them, whilst using their own initiative to keep updated with changes within the sector.

You will work collaboratively and openly with colleagues and external providers, continually representing the Six Degrees Values in all that you do. You will particularly strive to embed these Values, and engage and connect with the wider organisation.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Clinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death, including suicide.
  • Theoretical knowledge of attachment, adjustment, loss, and grief, anxiety, and depression.
  • Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation associated with the sector, support services and mental health pathways.
  • Experience and skills in time management and caseload management, and an ability to communicate and seeks support when required.
  • Skills and knowledge in managing risk and/or safeguarding scenarios, and experience of liaising with and sharing information with other professionals or agencies.

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills to support a comprehensive assessment and the development of a therapeutic relationship.
  • A high degree of emotional intelligence and resilience.
  • An enthusiasm for wider service developments and actively seek and evaluate service user feedback to monitor performance.
  • An interest in organising and delivering an online bereavement session to service users and other communities and/or groups.
  • Skills and knowledge in managing risk and/or safeguarding scenarios, and experience of liaising with and sharing information with other professionals or agencies.
  • A willingness to attend community events to promote and raise awareness of the service.
  • A strong team ethic, recognising how an open and honest culture can positively impact the team and service.
  • A commitment to discretion and confidentiality.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Clinical experience of supporting people with bereavement issues and an understanding of the impact of being bereaved or affected by a death, including suicide.
  • Theoretical knowledge of attachment, adjustment, loss, and grief, anxiety, and depression.
  • Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation associated with the sector, support services and mental health pathways.
  • Experience and skills in time management and caseload management, and an ability to communicate and seeks support when required.
  • Skills and knowledge in managing risk and/or safeguarding scenarios, and experience of liaising with and sharing information with other professionals or agencies.

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills to support a comprehensive assessment and the development of a therapeutic relationship.
  • A high degree of emotional intelligence and resilience.
  • An enthusiasm for wider service developments and actively seek and evaluate service user feedback to monitor performance.
  • An interest in organising and delivering an online bereavement session to service users and other communities and/or groups.
  • Skills and knowledge in managing risk and/or safeguarding scenarios, and experience of liaising with and sharing information with other professionals or agencies.
  • A willingness to attend community events to promote and raise awareness of the service.
  • A strong team ethic, recognising how an open and honest culture can positively impact the team and service.
  • A commitment to discretion and confidentiality.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Address

Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Albert Street

Eccles

Manchester

M30 0BL


Employer's website

http://six-degrees.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Address

Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Albert Street

Eccles

Manchester

M30 0BL


Employer's website

http://six-degrees.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Senior Bereavement Practitioner

Kelly Warner

gmicb-sal.gm.bs@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

16 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 a year pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

B0248-25-0002

Job locations

Six Degrees Social Enterprise

Albert Street

Eccles

Manchester

M30 0BL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Six Degrees Social Enterprise's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)