Bereavement Support Worker: Sponsorship Available

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job Summary

Are you a compassionate and empathetic individual? The Maternity Bereavement Support Worker plays a vital role in supporting the bereavement midwife and the wider multidisciplinary team to deliver a safe, sensitive, and holistic approach to family-centred bereavement care.

This specialist role supports all aspects of bereavement care for families who have experienced miscarriage, medical termination of pregnancy, stillbirth, or neonatal death.

Under appropriate guidance, the post holder will provide compassionate and sensitive care tailored to each family’s individual needs, ensuring dignity and respect at all times.

Following the necessary training and support, the post holder will be required to undertake a defined set of competencies, working alongside the wider midwifery team to deliver clinical care and emotional support to bereaved families.

Applicants must have completed the Care Certificate and possess the full range of skills and competencies expected of a Band 2 Maternity Care Assistant and Band 3 Maternity Support Worker.

Main duties of the job

Professional Responsibilities

  • Work as an effective member of the team, recognising the importance of collaborative working in delivering high-quality bereavement care.
  • Demonstrate excellent skills in compassionate communication with women and their families, and maintain clear, professional liaison with the wider multidisciplinary team.
  • Ensure that due regard is given to the customs, values, and spiritual beliefs of families. Maintain awareness of discriminatory attitudes and challenge such behaviour to promote equality.
  • Applicants must have completed the Care Certificate and possess the full range of skills and competencies required for a Band 2 Maternity Care Assistant and Band 3 Maternity Support Worker.

Clinical Responsibilities

  • Understand the importance of holistic, patient-focused care, ensuring women are involved in decisions regarding all aspects of their own and their baby’s care and wellbeing.
  • Support the management of women’s care by performing clinical baseline observations in accordance with the care plan, promptly escalating any changes in condition to the coordinating midwife.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of Human Tissue Authority (HTA) guidance relating to tissue storage and handling, as well as relevant maternity department policies.
  • Consistently display sensitivity and compassion when supporting families, ensuring the delivery of high-quality bereavement care at all times.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Successful completion of Trust’s Band 3 competencies or ability to demonstrate equivalent level of competence
  • Good standard of general education in English Language and Maths GCSE A-C, Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent
  • Care Certificate
  • NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience as a Maternity Support Worker within a healthcare environment or equivalent setting
  • Experience of working with members of the public
  • Experience of using a hospital patient record system
  • Experience of providing high quality care

Desirable

  • Working with bereaved families

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of maternity care
  • Knowledge of bereavement care provided in maternity

Personal Skills

Essential

  • Able to identify when to escalate concerns
  • Approachable manner with excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Demonstrates an ability to place women and family at the centre of care
  • Ability to make decisions, organise and prioritise workload
  • Ability to work without direct supervision
  • Demonstrate excellent team working
  • Ability to travel between sites

Desirable

  • Experience of working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 25 May 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.