Family Team Worker

Acorns Children's Hospice Trust have an exciting opportunity for a Family Team Worker to join our Family Services Team in Walsall. As a Family Team Worker, you will be an advocate for the children we care for, providing psychosocial and bereavement support and care to them and their families.

**About the Role**

Established in 1988, we are a registered charity, based in the West Midlands. We care for babies, children and young people up to 18 years and support their families. Our teams provide care services for the life limited or life threatened children across our region who meet our referral criteria. A majority of the children and young people that we help are not expected to reach adulthood and require specialist care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As Family Team Worker, you’ll provide ongoing psychosocial and pre and post bereavement support to families going through the grief and pain of losing a child. You’ll provide holistic care and support to families in the home, hospice or other appropriate environment. This ranges from carrying out initial holistic needs assessments and providing a range of face-to-face therapeutic work (including group work) to co-ordinating additional support for parents, siblings and relatives as they face the grieving process.

The role is as wide reaching as it is rewarding. You’ll liaise extensively with external providers and experts across Acorns, supporting families from diverse cultural and social settings across the region. Some, you’ll get to know over several years. Others could be suddenly admitted for an all-too-brief stay with us. Irrespectively, meeting their needs will be professionally invaluable and personally unforgettable.

Championing the needs of children with life-limiting conditions and their families is challenging and intense work. This role isn’t for everyone, but, if you’re looking for an engaging setting for the professional skills you’ve gained in the community, there is no better place than Acorns to work.

**About You**

This is an ideal role for someone in family-centred social care or nursing in the community. You may have experience of working as a Social worker, Bereavement Counsellor, Psychologist, Nurse or Family Support Worker. Professionally registered with a degree (or equivalent experience), you’re keen to build on your experience of working holistically with vulnerable groups.

Alongside experience of managing caseloads in a complex multi-agency environment you’ll bring up-to-date child protection knowledge, good assessment skills and the emotional resilience to support families going through loss and bereavement, although previous experience of psychosocial palliative care is not essential.

We’re driven by children’s needs, so you should be happy to travel, flexible about hours and ready to join an on-call rota.

**What We Offer**
- Salary of £38,122 (FTE) per annum plus allowances
- 30 hours per week
- Based in our Walsall Hospice (WS5 4NL)
- Employee discounts from leading retailers
- Employee gym discount scheme
- Bike-to-Work scheme
- Generous contribution to group personal pension plan or continuation of current NHS pension scheme
- NHS pension scheme life assurance or Acorns group life assurance scheme

As a UNICEF Silver Rights Respecting organisation we are committed to ensuring that the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is embedded into both culture and practice within the organisation. As an employee you will be a Duty Bearer for Children’s Rights and support all children to be Rights Holders.

To apply, you must include additional information about how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role.

**Job Type**: Part-time
Part-time hours: 30 per week

**Salary**: £38,122.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Cycle to work scheme
- Free parking
- Life insurance

Work Location: In person