Job Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an individual to apply for the new post of Family and Bereavement Support Worker at the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.
You will provide emotional, bereavement and pre-bereavement support to patients and their families affected by Motor Neurone Disease, and will work to enhance collaboration between different teams working within the area (e.g. in local hospices).
Main duties of the job
You will provide emotional, bereavement and pre-bereavement support to patients and their families affected by Motor Neurone Disease, and will work to enhance collaboration between different teams working within the area (e.g. in local hospices).
Work may take place in hospital settings or in the patients home, so the ability to travel between locations is a requirement of this role.
Providing a therapeutic and safe environment for patients and families to discuss their concerns, be it emotional, financial or spiritual is key to providing holistic patient centred care and this role is intended to support and complement the existing support structures in place.
Key relationships will be with the other social workers, family support workers, the care centre co-ordinator, medical staff, dietician, speech and language therapist and MND Association Community Support Coordinator.
The post holder will be responsible for enhancing our service to provide a tailored whole family support service to people with Motor Neurone disease and their families. Research and audit will be key in developing and providing this service.
You will undertake assessments of people and families independently to establish their emotional, social and spiritual needs. To develop and implement person specific support plans.
Person Specification
Skills & behaviours
Essential
- Forward thinking
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure
- Flexible, adaptable and capable of lateral thinking
- Able to maintain judgement under pressure
- Able to work collaboratively within the MDT
- Ability to provide and receive sensitive and complex information
- Able to work under supervision and independently
- Committed to personal and team development
- Motivated and enthusiastic
- Confident and able to take responsibility
- Caring and compassionate
- Professional and patient focused
- Reliable
- Ability to think and plan tactically and creatively and prioritise work in the face of competing demands
- Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Social Sciences/Social Work/Youth & Community Work/Childhood Studies/ or Education
- Attendance at relevant post graduate courses
- Evidence of CPD
- Clinical Educators Course
Desirable
- Professional registration: Nursing, Psychology, Occupational Healthcare Professionals, Therapy or allied healthcare Council (HCPC)
- MSc in relevant subject
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with children and families
- Evidence of post qualifying clinical experience
- Experience of bereavement and family support work in the context of life limiting conditions
- Knowledge of professional practice standards and legal frameworks including knowledge of safeguarding practices and procedures.
- Knowledge of Motor Neurone Disease
- Understanding how psychological factors impact on physical health and quality of life
- Experience of working at a senior level with MND/ Long Term Neurological Conditions / Palliative Care
- Experience of developing and delivering training to patients, families and allied professionals.
- The ability to evaluate work and practices through research, audit and outcome measures
- Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams
- Experience of facilitating groups and knowledge of group dynamics.
- Ability to create reports and data entry
- The ability to identify support needs and create individualised support plans.
Desirable
- Experience professional development caring for MND patients
- Experience of clinical pathways which span organisational boundaries
- Knowledge of current professional issues and those influencing the NHS
- Understanding the process of change
- Experience in service development, strategic planning and influencing policy development.
Additional Requirements
Essential
- To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation in line with legal and departmental requirements. To communicate these to the appropriate disciplines.
- Self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement and flexibility in approach and attitude
- Group facilitation skills
- Ability to build and maintain raport with adults, children and young people
- Demonstrable inter-personal, communication and listening skills
- Ability to use a range of skills in disseminating evidence of care improvement
- Ability to lead and contribute to meetings involving a wide range of stakeholder groups
- Ability to write policies/reports and delivering presentations to senior stakeholders
- Ability to analyse complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them
- Ability to coordinate a number of complex activities simultaneously, prioritising as appropriate
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with children and families
- Evidence of post qualifying clinical experience
- Experience of bereavement and family support work in the context of life limiting conditions
- Knowledge of professional practice standards and legal frameworks including knowledge of safeguarding practices and procedures.
- Knowledge of Motor Neurone Disease
- Understanding how psychological factors impact on physical health and quality of life
- Experience of working at a senior level with MND/ Long Term Neurological Conditions / Palliative Care
- Experience of developing and delivering training to patients, families and allied professionals.
- The ability to evaluate work and practices through research, audit and outcome measures
- Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams
- Experience of facilitating groups and knowledge of group dynamics.
- Ability to create reports and data entry
- The ability to identify support needs and create individualised support plans.
Desirable
- Experience professional development caring for MND patients
- Experience of clinical pathways which span organisational boundaries
- Knowledge of current professional issues and those influencing the NHS
- Understanding the process of change
- Experience in service development, strategic planning and influencing policy development.
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.
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: 27 February 2026
