Job summary
At Mountbatten, we believe that every life that is limited or coming to an end should be prepared for, celebrated and treated with the utmost dignity.
To do this takes the energy, passion and dedication of a team of experts who make a difference every day, and the backing of a charity with 45 years of history and strong ambitions for the future. This is work with purpose, work with community at the heart and work where enjoyment and fulfilment go hand in hand with care and kindness.
For the position of Mountbatten Counsellor, you will hold a clinical caseload in palliative care and bereavement and work with children, young people and adults, and be responsible for developing the service in line with best practice and research on the care of bereaved people.
This post is based at Mountbatten Isle of Wight.
18.75 hours per week, to be worked flexibly in accordance with the service.
Essential qualifications:
- Recognised professional academic qualification
- Registered with BACP or equivalent
Main duties of the job
Overview of Role:
To hold a clinical caseload
in palliative care and bereavement; including working with children, young
people and adults.
To maintain expert and up to date knowledge and
skills in the field of palliative and bereavement care to inform the service
developments in line with professional best practice and research.
To
co-ordinate an efficient and effective bereavement service dedicated to the
provisions of high-quality support to bereaved families and carers.
About us
At Mountbatten making our employees feel valued is as important to us as making sure that our patients are safe. We are looking for people that live our values to help us make a difference to the thousands of patients and their families who come to us for help and support every year.
Our vision at Mountbatten is of a world where all dying people and those close to them, have access to expert care of the highest quality, provided by compassionate and professional teams.
Our Values
We care about what we do. We appreciate that people are different and we are kind and compassionate to our patients and families, to our local community and to each other
We are experts in our field. We are professional at all times, aspiring to be the best that we can be in everything that we do
We are innovative and bold. We respond quickly and creatively to the changing needs of our society within the scope of our human and financial resources
We respect our community. We exist for our local population, now and into the future, and we believe that we can achieve more together by working in partnership with others
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY TASKS
To hold and effectively
manage a clinical caseload to demonstrate best practice in line with BACP
guidelines and research.
Ensure that patient records
on SystmOne of are maintained to a high standard.
Ensure that a range of
bereavement support strategies are available to meet the needs of bereaved
people including information, 1-1 support and counselling, group work and
family work.
In line with NICE guidelines,
ensure that the needs of individuals are assessed and managed appropriately.
In line with NICE guidelines,
ensure that up to date, relevant information is provided to facilitate access
to support. This includes written
(leaflets) and on line information about local and national sources of bereavement
support.
As a member of
multi-professional and psychosocial teams, attend MDTs and other meetings to
ensure that the needs of family members and carers are considered.
Provide support and guidance
to staff to promote understanding of families/carers/individuals coping with psychological
impact of living with a palliative diagnosis, as well as, pre-bereavement and
bereavement.
Participate in regular
professional supervision for counselling work and working within BACP
guidelines.
To effectively manage
the referrals and assessment processes
in a timely manner.
Conduct assessments of individuals
for suitability of other services provided including; befriending/visiting
service or groups, or referral on to another appropriate service, eg psychiatry
or social service.
Research, develop,
implement groups for bereaved people to
meet identified need including social support and for therapeutic purposes.
Professional
Responsibilities
To maintain knowledge of
current best practice and research in palliative care psychology and
bereavement care and evaluate how this can be effectively implemented at Mountbatten.
Constructively contribute to
current thinking and service evaluation
on best practice in bereavement care at Mountbatten.
Collaborate with external researchers
and develop research activities in
consultation with the Director of Psychosocial Care and the Head of Education
and Research .
Disseminate knowledge of best
practice and research within the psychology and bereavement service and more
widely by participating in and providing consultancy, education and training.
To monitor and gain regular
feedback from service users to ensure the service develops to meet patients
needs.
Ensure high quality psychological
and bereavement care is offered in line with the national care Service
Standards, benchmarking with other services, identifying gaps in service
provision and developing strategies to develop the service.
Develop and maintain an
understanding of Mountbatten and local bereavement care provision, assessing
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to inform service developments
.
Develop and maintain a
critical analysis of the national
picture of bereavement care and the different models of service provision.
Develop and maintain links at
a national level with other organisations involved in providing bereavement
services such as Association of Bereavement Service Coordinators in Hospice
and Palliative Care and the National Bereavement Alliance.
Develop and maintain an
understanding of the national picture of pre-bereavement care and consider how Mountbatten's
bereavement service should address this need.
***PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSONAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE FULL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ROLE***
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY TASKS
To hold and effectively
manage a clinical caseload to demonstrate best practice in line with BACP
guidelines and research.
Ensure that patient records
on SystmOne of are maintained to a high standard.
Ensure that a range of
bereavement support strategies are available to meet the needs of bereaved
people including information, 1-1 support and counselling, group work and
family work.
In line with NICE guidelines,
ensure that the needs of individuals are assessed and managed appropriately.
In line with NICE guidelines,
ensure that up to date, relevant information is provided to facilitate access
to support. This includes written
(leaflets) and on line information about local and national sources of bereavement
support.
As a member of
multi-professional and psychosocial teams, attend MDTs and other meetings to
ensure that the needs of family members and carers are considered.
Provide support and guidance
to staff to promote understanding of families/carers/individuals coping with psychological
impact of living with a palliative diagnosis, as well as, pre-bereavement and
bereavement.
Participate in regular
professional supervision for counselling work and working within BACP
guidelines.
To effectively manage
the referrals and assessment processes
in a timely manner.
Conduct assessments of individuals
for suitability of other services provided including; befriending/visiting
service or groups, or referral on to another appropriate service, eg psychiatry
or social service.
Research, develop,
implement groups for bereaved people to
meet identified need including social support and for therapeutic purposes.
Professional
Responsibilities
To maintain knowledge of
current best practice and research in palliative care psychology and
bereavement care and evaluate how this can be effectively implemented at Mountbatten.
Constructively contribute to
current thinking and service evaluation
on best practice in bereavement care at Mountbatten.
Collaborate with external researchers
and develop research activities in
consultation with the Director of Psychosocial Care and the Head of Education
and Research .
Disseminate knowledge of best
practice and research within the psychology and bereavement service and more
widely by participating in and providing consultancy, education and training.
To monitor and gain regular
feedback from service users to ensure the service develops to meet patients
needs.
Ensure high quality psychological
and bereavement care is offered in line with the national care Service
Standards, benchmarking with other services, identifying gaps in service
provision and developing strategies to develop the service.
Develop and maintain an
understanding of Mountbatten and local bereavement care provision, assessing
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to inform service developments
.
Develop and maintain a
critical analysis of the national
picture of bereavement care and the different models of service provision.
Develop and maintain links at
a national level with other organisations involved in providing bereavement
services such as Association of Bereavement Service Coordinators in Hospice
and Palliative Care and the National Bereavement Alliance.
Develop and maintain an
understanding of the national picture of pre-bereavement care and consider how Mountbatten's
bereavement service should address this need.
***PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSONAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE FULL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ROLE***
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of supporting patients/clients who are dealing with loss
- Experience of providing bereavement care services
- Experience in Child Bereavement
- Experience of working within either Hospice/Hospital or Charity environments
- Experience of clinical supervision and reflective practice
- Experience of teaching and mentoring others
Desirable
- Experience of working and supporting volunteers
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work in an emotionally demanding environment
- Ability to work as a part of a multi professional team and on own initiative
- Ability to engage with teams to encourage them to challenge ways of working to improve patient care
- Ability to work under pressure and prioritise constantly changing, high volume workloads experience and ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to form professional relationships with patients, families, carers and other professionals
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised professional academic qualification
- Registered with BACP or equivalent
- Evidence of professional development and commitment to own supervision arrangements
- Good standard of education
Skills
Essential
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively at all levels
- Excellent organisational/time management skills and able to prioritise own workloads
- Adaptable, flexible and able to manage uncertainty
- Awareness of current issues in End-of-Life Care
- Awareness of safeguarding adults and children
Other
Essential
- Clean Driving Licence and Use of a Vehicle with insurance for work related activities
- Adoption of the Mountbatten Groups Values in all aspects of working life, acting as role model
- Willingness and ability to contribute and support organisational fundraising activities
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of supporting patients/clients who are dealing with loss
- Experience of providing bereavement care services
- Experience in Child Bereavement
- Experience of working within either Hospice/Hospital or Charity environments
- Experience of clinical supervision and reflective practice
- Experience of teaching and mentoring others
Desirable
- Experience of working and supporting volunteers
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work in an emotionally demanding environment
- Ability to work as a part of a multi professional team and on own initiative
- Ability to engage with teams to encourage them to challenge ways of working to improve patient care
- Ability to work under pressure and prioritise constantly changing, high volume workloads experience and ability to work to deadlines
- Ability to form professional relationships with patients, families, carers and other professionals
Qualifications
Essential
- Recognised professional academic qualification
- Registered with BACP or equivalent
- Evidence of professional development and commitment to own supervision arrangements
- Good standard of education
Skills
Essential
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively at all levels
- Excellent organisational/time management skills and able to prioritise own workloads
- Adaptable, flexible and able to manage uncertainty
- Awareness of current issues in End-of-Life Care
- Awareness of safeguarding adults and children
Other
Essential
- Clean Driving Licence and Use of a Vehicle with insurance for work related activities
- Adoption of the Mountbatten Groups Values in all aspects of working life, acting as role model
- Willingness and ability to contribute and support organisational fundraising activities
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).
