Counsellor – Family Support & Bereavement Services
Job title: Counsellor
Job Title: Counsellor
Department: Family & Bereavement Services
Location: KEMP Hospice, 41 Mason Road, Kidderminster, DY11 6AG
Contract type: Permanent
Working hours: Part time | 22.5 hours per week | over 3 or 4 days per week | Within hours of 08:30 – 17:00
Salary: £17,388.00 per annum (FTE £28,980.00 per annum)
Closing Date: 31/01/2025
Why KEMP?
Based in the heart of the Wyre Forest, KEMP Hospice has been providing compassionate care and support to people affected by life-limiting illness and bereavement for over 50 years. We offer end-of-life care, counselling, and emotional support—completely free of charge—to adults, their families, and carers for as long as they need it. We stand by their side in our day hospice, in their homes, or virtually, during some of life’s most challenging moments.
At KEMP, we pride ourselves on being a great place to work and volunteer. We prioritise the well-being of our staff and volunteers, fostering an environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance. With opportunities for flexible working and a range of employee benefits shaped by the needs of our team, you’ll be joining a passionate, caring, and inclusive organisation that puts people at the heart of everything we do.
If you are someone who is compassionate, dedicated, and genuinely committed to making a difference in the lives of those facing bereavement and life-limiting illness, then this is an exciting opportunity for you. At KEMP Hospice, you’ll be part of a caring team where your skills in counselling and emotional support can have a profound impact on individuals and families during some of their most challenging moments.
What We Offer:
- Welcoming, empowering team
- Supportive management – keen to develop you
- 30 days annual leave + bank holidays (increasing with long service)
- Discount schemes including Blue Light Card
- Increased employer pension contribution
- Discount in retail shops
- Company sick pay
- Bereavement leave
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): confidential financial, legal, mental health and wellbeing support
- Free eye tests
- Death in service benefit
- Opportunities for flexible working from day one
- Family friendly policies
- Free Will writing service.
- Staff events
Purpose of the Post
To provide specialist counselling to adults with a palliative diagnosis, and to clients affected by the palliative diagnosis of someone known to them.
To offer counselling to adults who have experienced a bereavement by a range of causes including illness, suicide, sudden death, road traffic accidents, murder and manslaughter, or who have a relative with a life-limiting illness.
Main duties and responsibilities
To deliver the above by:
- Providing emotional support and counselling to adults who meet KEMP referral criteria and have experienced the death of somebody close to them – expected or unexpected.
- Working adeptly within a palliative care and bereavement setting with a range of mild to moderate mental health problems and variations of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, stress and adjustment to life events.
- Providing emotional support and counselling to adults who have a loved one with a life limiting condition.
- Facilitating therapeutic support groups for certain age groups and types of death (this may involve working some evenings and weekends).
- Assessing clients to measure therapeutic readiness.
- Maintaining high standards of accurate clinical record keeping.
- Working as part of a team.
- Taking on additional responsibilities as agreed with Line Manager.
- Keeping up to date with current practice and guidelines and to undertake training relevant to the role.
- Participating in and contributing to team meetings, internal and external meetings relevant to the role as required.
- Regularly attending clinical supervision and maintaining confidentiality in accordance with Hospice policy.
- Complying with all statutory safety regulations and KEMP policies and procedures, including KEMP safeguarding procedures in terms of harm / suicidal ideation.
- Undertaking and provide evidence of professional development.
- Contracting and regularly reviewing with clients the frequency and evolving goals for the counselling sessions.
- Working towards planned and negotiated endings.
- Working in accordance with established professional guidelines and codes of practice.
- Taking appropriate steps to ensure own safety by adhering to lone-worker policy.
- Actively ‘risk assessing’ any concerns about health and safety, confidentiality, safeguarding, mental capacity and share those concerns with the line management and external professionals with statutory authority where appropriate.
- Working within the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice Counselling and Psychotherapy.
- Working in accordance with any established professional guidelines and codes of practice.
- Working flexibly to needs of the service.
- Work collaboratively with KEMP teams and services, external health and social care and voluntary organisations.
All KEMP Hospice employees are expected to:
- Demonstrate a commitment to their own development, to take advantage of education and training opportunities and develop their own competence.
- Support and encourage harmonious internal and external working relationships.
- Make a positive contribution to fundraising and raising the profile of the Hospice.
- Provide support and advice to colleagues within KEMP within your area of expertise by working closely with the Multi-disciplinary Team within KEMP
- Always behave in a professional manner, reflecting and maintaining KEMP values as set out in the KEMP way.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Hold a minimum Level 4 (or equivalent) recognised adults counselling qualification.
- Be a registered member of the BACP or similar recognised body.
- Enhanced DBS disclosure (can be applied for on appointment).
Desirable
- Level 4 (or equivalent) Children and young person’s recognised counselling qualification or be willing to
undertake this. - Level 5 (or equivalent) recognised adults counselling qualification.
- Be an accredited (or working towards) member of the BACP or similar recognised body.
Experience
Essential
- Extensive professional experience of working with adults, preferably in a therapeutic or support setting.
- Demonstrable experience of providing significant levels of bereavement-specific support.
- Working with distressed individuals.
- Understanding of mental health problems in adults.
- Experience of providing bereavement support following an unexpected death.
Desirable
- Experience and qualifications in training.
- Experience of counselling children and young people aged 5 to 17.
- Experience of assessing children, young people and families.
- Experience of working with families and groups.
- Working in a multi-disciplinary team.
- Experience of working with volunteers.
- Insight into palliative care and knowledge of the Hospice movement.
Skills, knowledge, and personal attributes
Essential
- Formulating strategies and support plans using creative and integrative approaches.
- Supportive, empathic nature with the ability to relate to adults with varied personal circumstance.
- A good working understanding of the importance of GDPR.
- Ability to organise self, prioritise varied workloads, plan effectively and work to deadlines.
- Evidence of commitment to professional training.
- Effective team player.
- Self-awareness; respectful of individual differences.
- Respect for KEMP’s underlying ethos and Values.
- Ability to work unsupervised and work to own initiative.
- Effective computer literacy skills including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
Desirable
- Ability to compile reports and collate service figures.
- Knowledge of child safeguarding and Gillick competence.
- Knowledge of child and adolescent development.
- Experience of working within a Hospice or charity setting
- Be able to work evenings if required.
How to Apply
Please describe your motivations for applying for the Counsellor role at KEMP Hospice, specifically working with adults who have been affected by life-limiting illnesses or bereavement. Additionally, how do your skills, experience, and personal qualities make you particularly suited to this role, especially within a palliative care and hospice environment?
Please also consider how you align with KEMP Hospice’s ethos of providing compassionate, person-centred care, and the importance of working within a team to support the emotional well-being of our clients.
Your supporting statement should be no more than 500 words.
Please email your supporting statement with your CV to peopleteam@kemphospice.org.uk
Disclosure & Barring
This role is subject to an Enhanced (children and adults) check with the Disclosure and Barring Service.