About this role
Job summary
The Mortuary & Bereavement Assistant is responsible for supporting the Bereavement Officer in delivering a sensitive, responsive, and high-quality bereavement care service in accordance with Trust policies, statutory requirements, and relevant legislation. This role requires knowledge of bereavement processes, cultural considerations, advanced interpersonal skills, and the ability to liaise effectively with internal teams and external agencies.
The post holder will provide operational support within the Bereavement Office and, when required, undertake mortuary duties under supervision, ensuring accurate documentation, dignity, and compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Main duties of the job
Provide cross-site support across Bereavement and Mortuary services, acting as a first point of contact for families, staff, and external agencies. Maintain accurate records in line with Trust policy, GDPR, and legal requirements. Liaise with Registrars, Coroner's Office, Medical Examiners, and clinical teams to ensure timely completion of documentation.
Coordinate family visits and ensure safe handling and release of the deceased and patient property. Assist with funeral arrangements and bereavement processes, including post-mortem consent (after training).
Undertake mortuary duties including booking-in, identification checks, preparation for viewing or release, and support to post-mortem activity. Maintain cleanliness and safety of facilities and equipment, participate in on-call rota, and support eye retrieval (after training).
About us
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities.
We are one of the largest employers in region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.
We operate from five hospital sites:Aintree University Hospitalis the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.Broadgreen Hospitalis home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospitalprovide specialist services incardiothoracic surgery,cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community.Liverpool Women's Hospitalspecialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. TheRoyal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms and mainly focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
Job description Job responsibilities
Detailed information regarding this position and the ideal candidate profile can be found in the accompanying document - pleasereview the attached job description for full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
HND or equivalent
Experience Essential
Evidence of organisational skills in all 3 categories (self, others, workload) Previous administration experience
Desirable
Experience of dealing with deceased persons and bereaved families
Knowledge Essential
General awareness of health & safety
Desirable
Evidence of knowledge of H&S implications when dealing with deceased persons Understanding of post-mortem examinations & coronial system, issues arising from Redfern report and understanding of registration procedures Evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills of Microsoft packages
Skills Essential
Evidence of effective oral communications skills
Desirable
Keyboard skills Evidence of ability to write coherent documents Good teamwork skills Ability to work independently without supervision
Other Desirable
Hospital administration and finance arrangements Evidence of progression in knowledge and career Positive attitude towards change
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address CSSB Liverpool Clinical Laboratories
Liverpool
L7 8YE
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)