Paediatric Bereavement Key Worker, Nurse Specialist

Job overview

The OUHFT provides the highest standard of Paediatric and Neonatal Care and this care does not end when a baby or child has died.  The Trust will continue to effectively support and work with families in partnership after their child has died with a strong focus on ensuring that learning from child deaths is acknowledged and shared.  This depends on maintaining a continued relationship with families, collaborating with Trust and external agencies, advocating for patient and family rights and promoting best practices in Paediatric Bereavement Care.

Main duties of the job

• To act as a single point of contact between newly bereaved parents and carers and the agencies that are involved in the essential processes following the death of their baby or child, including Safeguarding agencies.
• To ensure that bereaved families have accurate and timely information about the mandatory processes that follow the death of a child, supporting them through the initial and then ongoing stages after the loss of their child.
• To have a major role in enabling the voice of the family to be heard throughout including input into the Child Death Review forum and feedback to families after review completed.
• To care for bereaved families, including siblings and where relevant, extended families, ensuring that their practical, health, emotional and psychological needs are met through individualised support and appropriate onward referral.
• To provide compassionate, individualised care and foster an environment of respect, dignity and empathy for all bereaved families and colleagues with sensitivity to Safeguarding procedures when necessary.
• To work collaboratively with professionals working in family liaison capacities in Paediatric critical care, emergency and ward-based settings.  The post holder is expected to continue to develop knowledge and skills in the understanding and support of the needs of families bereaved by child or baby death.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To act as a single point of contact between newly bereaved parents and carers and the agencies that are involved in the essential processes following the death of their baby or child, including Safeguarding agencies.
• To ensure that bereaved families have accurate and timely information about the mandatory processes that follow the death of a child, supporting them through the initial and then ongoing stages after the loss of their child.
• To have a major role in enabling the voice of the family to be heard throughout including input into the Child Death Review forum and feedback to families after review completed.
• To care for bereaved families, including siblings and where relevant, extended families, ensuring that their practical, health, emotional and psychological needs are met through individualised support and appropriate onward referral.
• To provide compassionate, individualised care and foster an environment of respect, dignity and empathy for all bereaved families and colleagues with sensitivity to Safeguarding procedures when necessary.
• To work collaboratively with professionals working in family liaison capacities in Paediatric critical care, emergency and ward-based settings.  The post holder is expected to continue to develop knowledge and skills in the understanding and support of the needs of families bereaved by child or baby death