Supportive Care Therapist

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

• Deliver safe and effective therapeutic support to patients and families, including children and young people.
• Provide evidenced based, therapeutic support to families, children and young people who have been, or are about to be bereaved of someone significant to them.
• Work within evidence-based principles to assess the needs and provide support to bereaved relatives and carers.
• Maintain a high level of expertise and credibility within the multidisciplinary team (MDT), including the management of own caseload.
• To work closely with all members of the Hospice team to ensure compliance with legislation and expected quality standards.
• To establish and maintain relationships with relevant external organisations to promote the continued delivery of therapeutic care for Hospice patients and their families / friends in all settings.
• To provide support to other areas within the Supportive Care Services team as needed, including family patient support and bereavement.

Responsibilities

Clinical Practice

• To provide a high standard of holistic counselling to patients and families / carers using hospice services by:
• Work within therapeutic boundaries, as a counsellor/therapist managing a caseload of patients, children, families or bereaved relatives with needs in relation to a life limiting illness or bereavement.
• Support the triage role for psychological therapies, balancing best fit approach to psychological care and best use of limited resources.
• Recognise at risk or vulnerable clients and signpost appropriately to other agencies in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
• Support the development and delivery of therapeutic practices within the team.
• Encourage contact from external agencies to access specialist advice in situations where psychological and emotional difficulties occur within a palliative care context.

• Provide a timely assessment and triage for potential service users with appropriate signposting to relevant interventions/ services.
• Support the principle and practice of collaborative multi professional working.
• Liaise with the community and inpatient Multidisciplinary Teams to identify and support appropriate referrals.
• Provide a timely and responsive pre and post bereavement service for families, individuals, children and young people.
• Support families, children and young people to engage in a healthy and open communication about their loss.
• Liaise with relevant external agencies regarding potential family support needs of clients.
• Assess the needs of bereaved relatives and provide bereavement support as required.
• Make appropriate referrals to other professionals and work collaboratively with a wide range of local, regional and national services including Cruse Bereavement Care, CAMHS and social care services.
• With line manager, actively identify and support residential and non-residential group work for children and young persons in collaboration with other voluntary sector groups, if appropriate.
• Support to facilitate group work for adults pre and post bereavement as required.
• Maintain own professional standards and attend regular clinical supervision and professional CPD.
• Maintain professional membership of a governing body such as BACP, NCS, UKCP or other
• Demonstrate personal effective time management and appropriate, responsive prioritisation to meet ever-changing service demands.

Communication and people skills

• The post holder will have the necessary skills required to:
• Record contemporaneous and accurate data on the electronic record system in accordance with St Margarets guidance and within data protection policies.
• Responsible for ensuring high quality data collection and record keeping for psychological therapies.
• Promote and practice excellent and effective communication skills with patients, families and members of the wider MDT.
• Vary the style and level of communication with all people, respecting their differing levels of understanding.
• Use the most appropriate and agreed means of communication, to provide individual, family and group support or counselling, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained.
• Work with other senior colleagues to ensure effective communication channels and relationships exist within the team and communicate appropriately with internal colleagues and external agencies about service developments.
• Demonstrate appropriate conflict management skills which are effective and highly sensitive in managing individuals and situations.
• Express ideas clearly through oral or written communication.
• Establish and maintain effective collaboration with other providers and relevant external organisations.

Quality, Research, Audit and Development

• Participate and contribute to audit and research as agreed.
• Participate in the planning and undertaking of patient and carer feedback.
• Foster an environment where research and audit is welcomed.
• Contribute to the service delivery plan for Therapies and Supportive Care Services.
• Keep abreast of national and local changes to practice and legislation to ensure that the service reflects best practice.

Education and Training

• Support the planning and provision of education and training to staff in the hospice in relation to psychological care and signpost staff to appropriate agencies.
• As part of the supportive care team, provide the wider MDT with an understanding of the psychological and spiritual impact of terminal illness, loss and bereavement on people, including those from diverse and disadvantaged communities.
• Identify own learning needs, liaising with line manager and Education Department, attending training courses and study days as appropriate.
• Participate in the development and delivery of internal and external educational programs.
• Help to create a positive learning environment and in partnership with the team provide and deliver learning opportunities for other health and social care workers.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified to practice as a counsellor/therapist, systemic practitioner or equivalent.
• Current relevant professional registration / accreditation.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• Computer literacy with knowledge of Windows based applications

Desirable

• Post Qualifying Diploma or equivalent in counselling children and young people.

Self Awareness

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills to effectively manage workload

Working with others

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Understanding of loss and grief and its impact on individuals and families and their social networks

Desirable

• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team.
• Experience of working with volunteers.

Outcome and Results

Essential

• Ability to make decisions, organise, prioritise and meet deadlines

Desirable

• Maintenance of statistical data

Leading in your area

Essential

• Experience of working with bereavement.
• Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities

Desirable

• Experience of participation in audit or research
• Experience of having worked in a Specialist Palliative Care setting
• Experience of working therapeutically with families and children in complex situations and the delivery of evidenced based interventions

Other Requirements

Essential

• Must have ability to travel by car across the whole County including rural communities.
• Ability to work varied hours including weekends, bank holidays and some evenings

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).