UHN Bereavement Officer

Requirement post holder to have excellent communication and organisational skills to provide a responsive and supportive UHN Bereavement service. Requirement to work well as a team and focus on achieving best possible Bereavement care consistently for patients, relatives and colleagues using specialist skills and knowledge.

Post holder will be primarily responsible for delivering "front of house" contact point to which patients, relatives and carers can raise concerns and questions relating to bereavement services. Day to day duties will include providing reception cover and preparation of patients records for timely review by the Medical Examiners and triaging new enquiries.

To be responsible for all administrative processes within the Bereavement Service ensuring they are efficient, current, adequate and documented.

Travel between the Kettering and Northampton Hospital sites and other sites where required.

Main duties of the job

To provide a compassionate, person centred service for bereaved families/next of kin and to ensure the correct procedures are enacted. To be responsible for all administrative processes within the Bereavement Service, ensuring that they are efficient, current, adequate, and documented.

Liaise with clinical staff, wards and medical examiners to secure a completed medical certificate of cause of death.

Provide compassionate family support via face to face and/or letter/email.

Advise families/NOK regarding the electronic Medical Certificate Cause of Death procedure explaining the registration process.

Liaison with the Property Office as required. Arranging meetings with senior staff members & clinical team responsible for the deceased patients' care as appropriate.

To prepare paperwork and liaise with the finance/property office when it is necessary to arrange a hospital funded funeral.

To undertake any other duties consistent with the post as determined by the UHN PALS and Bereavement Service.

To develop and maintain excellent working relationships with a range of professionals, including medical examiners, coroner's office, registrar of birth and deaths, medical staff, primary care, social services, funeral directors, chaplains, local councils and solicitors.

Flexible working may be required during extremely busy periods.

Job responsibilities

To provide a compassionate, person-centred service for bereaved families/next of kin and to ensure the correct procedures are enacted. To be responsible for all administrative processes within the Bereavement Service, ensuring that they are efficient, current, adequate, and documented.

Liaise with clinical staff, wards and medical examiners to secure a completed medical certificate of cause of death.

Provide compassionate family support via face to face and/or letter/email.

Provide a point of contact for bereaved families if further information regarding the deceased is required.

Liaison with the Property Office as required. Arranging meetings with senior staff members & clinical team responsible for the deceased patients care as appropriate.

Co ordination of assisted funerals for UHN.

To prepare paperwork and liaise with the finance/property office when it is necessary to arrange a hospital funded funeral.

Liaison with the county Mortuary as required.

To document and maintain accurate records, ensure all investigations and actions are completed.

To actively manage and maintain the UHN Bereavement Service database and ensure that all details are recorded.

Responsible for maintaining an up to date contact list of medical staff.

Escalating any issues that may cause delays to families/NOK.

Signpost complex bereavement support to external bereavement support services as required.

Co ordinate the sending of sympathy cards to all families.

Participate & co ordinate in the bereavement feedback process.

To participate in annual appraisal to ensure that performance targets are appropriate to the identified needs of the Service, and not to use this process to identify professional development needs in accordance with the Service needs. Shared responsibility of reception cover.

To produce monthly and quarterly reports for the UHN PALS and Bereavement Service and assist in producing regular anonymised reports to Management Groups as required.

Respond to Freedom of Information requests as instructed by PALS & Bereavement Manager.

Ensure administration procedures are implemented and to contribute and make suggestions to support changes and improvement in the service delivery.

To assist with providing training to staff across UHN in regard to the Bereavement Service.

To undertake any other duties consistent with the post as determined by the UHN PALS and Bereavement Service.

To develop and maintain excellent working relationships with a range of professionals, including medical examiners, coroners office, registrar of birth and deaths, medical staff, primary care, social services, funeral directors, chaplains, local councils and solicitors.

Responsible for maintaining a clean and tidy environment at all times.

Flexible working may be required during extremely busy periods.

Travel between the Kettering and Northampton Hospital sites and other sites where required.

Person Specification Education

• Educated to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of education, training or experience
• NVQ Customer Care training or equivalent
• Knowledge of customs of other faiths and ethnic groups surrounding death
• Evidence of continuing professional development to diploma level or equivalent.

Knowledge

• Working within the NHS or other support services
• Experience of working with all levels of staff within an organisation
• Experience in dealing with difficult, high pressured situations
• Experience of working within a Bereavement role
• Knowledge of health related terminology and concepts
• Good knowledge of NHS/Hospital Systems
• Experience of working with distressed and sometimes hostile families/visitors
• Microsoft Office packages
• Experience of delivering training sessions
• Experience of carrying out audit and/or research
• Knowledge & understanding of processes in regards to certification and registration

Skills

• Excellent Liaison and negotiating skills
• Proven administrative and organisational skills
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Proven ability to prioritise own workload
• Ability to maintain the strictest confidentiality
• Excellent IT Skills to include Microsoft systems
• Ability to work with all sectors of local communities

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.