We’re currently recruiting for a Family Support & Bereavement Services Team Leader
Family Support & Bereavement Services Team Leader
Job title: Family Support & Bereavement Services Team Leader
Job Title: Family Support & Bereavement Services Team Leader
Department: Family Support & Bereavement Services
Reports to: Head of Family Support & Bereavement Services
Location: KEMP Hospice, 41 Mason Road, Kidderminster, DY11 6AG
Contract type: Permanent
Working hours: Full time | 37.5 hours per week over 5 days | Mon-Fri | Within hours of 08:30 – 17:00
Salary: £36,245.70
Closing Date: Tuesday 20th May 2025 (with interviews expected to be held w/c 27/05/25)
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.
As Family Support & Bereavement Services Team Leader, you’ll not only deliver therapeutic support to those facing grief, loss, and life-limiting illness—you’ll also provide day-to-day leadership to a small team of counsellors, students, and volunteers, helping to shape and maintain a safe, effective, and compassionate service. Working closely with the Head of Family Support & Bereavement Services, you’ll contribute to the strategic direction of the department and act as a key member of the Safeguarding Team, serving as Deputy Safeguarding Lead for the organisation. This is a meaningful leadership role where your clinical experience and people skills will make a lasting difference to our community.
What We Offer:
- Fantastic team where everyone is welcomed and empowered to give their best
- Supportive management – keen to develop you
- 30 days annual leave + bank holidays, increasing with long service
- Opportunity to buy and sell holiday twice per year
- Discount schemes including Blue Light Card
- Increased employer pension contribution
- Discount in retail shops
- Company sick pay
- Bereavement leave
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- EAP: confidential financial, legal, wellbeing & mental health 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 support the Head of Family Support & Bereavement Services by providing leadership to the Family Support & Bereavement Counselling team. The role ensures the provision of high-quality counselling and emotional support services for:
- Adults who have experienced bereavement through various causes, including illness, suicide, sudden death, road traffic accidents, murder, and manslaughter.
- Adults with a palliative diagnosis and those affected by the palliative diagnosis of someone close to them.
- Children and young people aged 5 – 17 years who have experienced bereavement or have a loved one with a palliative diagnosis.
This includes working with individuals facing complex psychosocial challenges, including suicidal ideation, self-harm, and safeguarding concerns.
The post holder will also support the Head of Family Support & Bereavement Services in achieving KEMP’s strategic aims and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred services and embody KEMP’s core values:
- We Care: Demonstrating compassion and empathy in all interactions.
- We are Collaborative: Working as one team, internally and with external partners.
- We are Innovative: Seeking new ways to improve and develop our services.
- We are Inclusive: Respecting and valuing everyone’s differences.
- We have Integrity: Acting with honesty and accountability.
- We are Sustainable: Ensuring long-term resilience and resourcefulness.
Main duties and responsibilities
Service Provision & Quality Assurance
- Ensure effective and safe operating processes, administrative systems, and referral management.
- Oversee data collection and reporting mechanisms to monitor service outcomes.
- Ensure accurate client records are maintained on personal electronic notes and EMIS, conducting regular audits and reviews.
- Monitor service quality and implement action plans where necessary, presenting updates at Quality and Governance meetings.
Leadership & Team Management
- Act as a role model, promoting the highest professional standards.
- Support the Head of Family Support and Bereavement Services in managing day-to-day service operations.
- Oversee triage and assessment of referrals, ensuring timely allocation to appropriate support staff and volunteers.
- Line manage employed counsellors, student placements, and volunteers, providing regular 1:1s, inductions, and performance management.
- Support staff recruitment, including student placements and volunteers.
- Ensure Clinical Supervision arrangements and CPD requirements are met within budget constraints.
- Ensure staffing levels align with service needs, including the approval of annual leave.
Service Development & Delivery
- Oversee a range of bereavement and family support services for adults, children, and young people.
- Support the facilitation of group support, therapeutic group work, and individual counselling to meet community needs.
- Develop support provision for hospice patients, ensuring attendance and representation at the monthly MDT meeting.
- Foster a collaborative approach between services to enhance joint working and service integration.
Governance & Safeguarding
- Ensure a robust system is in place to assess and manage risk for adult and CYP clients.
- Report identified risks and issues to the Head of Family Support and Bereavement Services.
- Attend Quality and Safety Group and Safeguarding Group meetings.
- Serve as part of KEMP’s Safeguarding Team.
External Representation & Promotion
- Promote the service and hospice at internal and external meetings.
- Develop links with relevant organisations, including hospices, educational institutions, charities, and health and social care providers.
Casework & Additional Responsibilities
- Maintain a personal counselling caseload appropriate to qualifications, experience, and case complexity.
- Deputise for the Head of Family Support and Bereavement Services as needed in areas including Finance & Welfare and Pastoral Support services.
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
- Experience of coaching and managing people as part of a supervisory role.
- Experience of managing or working with safeguarding concerns, including acting as a safeguarding lead or deputy
- 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 of contributing to service development and evaluating outcomes
- Experience of working with case management systems (e.g. EMIS) and using data to support service planning or quality assurance
- 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
- Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and ability to assess and respond appropriately to risk in adults and CYP
- Formulating strategies and support plans using creative and integrative approaches.
- Ability to deliver constructive feedback and manage difficult conversations with compassion and professionalism
- Ability to lead and support colleagues through emotionally demanding work
- 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 deputise at meetings or represent the organisation externally, confidently and in line with organisational values
- Ability to compile reports and collate service figures.
- Confidence in using client information systems and maintaining data accuracy
- 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
In no more than 750 words, please outline your motivations for applying for the Family Support & Bereavement Services Team Leader role at KEMP Hospice. We are particularly interested in how your supervisory experience, counselling background, and understanding of bereavement or palliative care make you well suited to this position. Please reflect on how your personal qualities and professional approach align with KEMP’s ethos of delivering compassionate, person-centred care, and how you would contribute to the development and support of a small, dedicated team.
Please email your CV and supporting statement to: peopleteam@kemphospice.org.uk
Closing Date: Tuesday 20th May 2025 at 11:59pm
Interviews expected: Week commencing 27th May 2025
As an equal opportunities employer, KEMP Hospice is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments to participate in the interview process, please let us know as soon as possible, and we will be happy to accommodate your needs.
Disclosure & Barring
This role is subject to an Enhanced (children and adults) check with the Disclosure and Barring Service.
