APPLY FOR THIS ROLE ON PRINCESS ALICE HOSPICE WEBSITE
As a Social Worker at Princess Alice Hospice, you will play a central role in supporting patients and those close to them as they navigate the emotional, psychological and social challenges associated with life-limiting illness, dying and bereavement.
You’ll work as a key member of our multidisciplinary team across the In-Patient Unit, Hospice at Home service, Day Services and in the wider community. Your practice will include undertaking holistic assessments, providing therapeutic support, offering advice around care planning, and advocating for patients and families to ensure their wishes and priorities are heard. You will also liaise with external agencies including Local Authorities and community organisations to support safe, timely discharge planning and to ensure patients and families can access the resources and services they need.
Beyond your direct work with patients and families, you’ll support colleagues across the Hospice through sharing your expertise - particularly relating to safeguarding, complex family dynamics, loss, and psychosocial care. You will contribute to service development, participate in multidisciplinary learning, and be involved in teaching, supervision and practice development for students, volunteers and team members.
Main duties of the job
You’re a qualified and compassionate social worker with experience in statutory or health and social care settings, and you bring a strong foundation in counselling, advocacy and emotional support. You’re confident working with adults at different stages of illness, and skilled at engaging those important to them with sensitivity, empathy and respect.
You’re comfortable working within a multidisciplinary team and understand the wider health and social care landscape, including safeguarding and the complexities families face when navigating end of life care.
Your communication skills enable you to build effective relationships, manage delicate conversations and support people in distress. You are committed to inclusive practice, ensuring every patient and family receives care that reflects their individual needs, background, beliefs and preferences.
If you’re passionate about making a difference in palliative and end-of-life care and want to be part of a supportive, forward thinking team where your expertise will be valued and developed we’d love to hear from you.
About us
Princess Alice Hospice is a charity supporting people in life, death and grief. We’re dedicated to working closely with individuals, communities and organisations in the London Boroughs of Kingston and Richmond and large parts of Surrey, to ensure more people receive the support they need.
Here at Princess Alice Hospice, you’ll have the opportunity to make a truly meaningful difference to the lives of our patients, their families and those important to them. You’ll be supported every step of the way, working in an organisation small enough for you to see the daily impact of your social work practice, yet large and ambitious enough to offer development, training and opportunities to grow.
Job responsibilities
1. Main Responsibilities:
1.1. Provide a Social Work Service
1.2. Take referrals from the multi-disciplinary team concerning psychological, emotional and social problems of Hospice patients.
1.3. Make accurate assessments of client and family problems with full understanding of available resources. Formulate plans to assist patients and their families in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team.
1.4. Participate in In-Patient Unit rounds and multi-disciplinary meetings as required, and provide the multi-disciplinary team with an understanding of the psychological, emotional and social problems of individuals and families under severe stress or in crisis.
1.5. Liaise between the Hospice, Local Authority, local CCGs and other community agencies for the benefit of terminally ill patients and their relatives, to assist with discharge from the Hospice and/or ensure appropriate care in the community.
1.6. Work directly with patients and their families in the community and In-Patient Unit, using individual, group or family focused techniques, involving other members of the multi-disciplinary team as appropriate.
1.7. Access to community-based services that relate to people who dying, their families and the bereaved.
2. Contribute to the management of the service
2.1. Supervise the work of more junior colleagues and students
2.2. Effectively manage a caseload of clients, in collaboration with team colleagues.
2.3. Maintain accurate and up to date records of activity, in accordance with Hospice systems and procedures.
2.4. Contribute to and where appropriate lead the development of policies, procedures and protocols.
3. Education and Professional Development
3.1. Contribute to the design, delivery and evaluation of programmes for the teaching and training of staff, volunteers and outside agencies, and participate in the multi-disciplinary programmes provided by the Hospice.
3.2. Participate in the education and training of social work students, including contributing to the provision of practice placements for student social workers.
3.3. Keep up to date in relation to professional knowledge, awareness and attitudes to palliative care and bereavement services, including research findings and leading edge practice
3.4. Maintain registration with the Health Care Professions Council and work to the standards of professional conduct and practice required.
3.5. Maintain individual membership of the Association of Palliative Care Social Workers and participate in the Association’s regional meetings.
3.6. Attend team and wider staff meetings as required and participate in regular supervision.
4. Research and audit
4.1. Participate in the clinical audit and research activities of the Hospice
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Recognised qualification in Social Work e.g. BA, BSc, MA in Social Work, Diploma in Social Work, Certificate of Qualification in Social Work
* Current registration with relevant Health Care Professions Council
* Certificate/diploma/professional registration in Counselling or Psychotherapy
* Post Qualifying Award(s) in Social Work
* Teaching or Practice Education qualifications
Experience
* Relevant experience, preferably post qualification, including: working in a public sector setting with responsibility for the delivery of statutory social work services, e.g. local authority or hospital, preferably as a qualified social worker
* Working with people who are facing loss
* Working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
* Experience of working within a voluntary service and supervising the practice of volunteers
* Experience of working with people who are terminally ill and/or people facing bereavement
* Experience of service evaluation
Specialist Knowledge
* An understanding of the principles of palliative care
Personal Qualities and Other Requirements
* Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills
* Established self-care and management skills
* Commitment to provision of a culturally sensitive service
* Flexibility and willingness to learn
* Awareness of, and commitment to the Mission, Vision and Values of the Hospice.
Particular skills and aptitudes
* Able to work with adults and children of all ages
* Able to teach and to facilitate the practice development of volunteers, students and professional colleagues
* Working knowledge and competence in word processing, basic spreadsheets, databases and Power Point
* Able to travel independently
* Valid full driving licence and use of a car
* Counselling and/or therapy skills
* Experience of providing clinical supervision
* Experience of facilitating reflective practice
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.
£40,000 to £48,000 a year Pro rata, depending on experience - Equivalent to AfC Band 6
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