Bereavement Support

Coping with bereavement involves painful feelings, coming to terms with loss and making adjustments in life. We are looking for volunteers to provide support to people experiencing bereavement, helping them to explore their feelings and promoting healthy grief in a safe and supportive environment.

When / Where: Face to Face support is Monday – Friday between core office hours 09.00-17.00 on-site at St Oswald’s Hospice.

Remote support via telephone or Teams is offered throughout the week as agreed with client and volunteer.

We are looking for a commitment of a around 12 months to ensure that those we support are given consistency with support

Main Tasks:

• You will be matched with a bereaved person for one to one support where your role will include some of, but is not restricted to, the following tasks: ·
• Provide bereavement support either in the hospice, over the phone or via TEAMs
• Provide short term confidential emotional support to clients
• Actively listen to clients and explore their feelings around their loss with empathy
• Pass on appropriate information to the Bereavement team
• Keep to hospice record keeping procedures
• Help with other related tasks when necessary

NB: This role is not giving advice or telling individuals what to do, but recognising the value of being alongside and supporting people in their grief.

Skills

Someone who is:

• able to provide emotional/psychological support
• understanding of loss, grief and bereavement and how this impacts on individuals
• patient, kind and a good listener
• able to show respect, empathy, genuineness
• and who has a good level of self-awareness

Please note that is important that the volunteer for this role does not have unresolved bereavement issues.