About this role
Job summary
At St Catherines Hospice, we help people to have quality of life to the end of life, alongside supporting their families before, during and after bereavement. Our Social Work, Counselling, Bereavement and Remembrance Services provide compassionate, timely and effective support throughout each persons hospice journey.
Were looking for an experienced and values-led Lead Social Worker to provide professional, clinical and operational leadership across these vital services.
This is a varied senior role combining professional leadership, safeguarding oversight, team management, service development and direct clinical practice.
No two days are likely to look exactly the same. You could be: leading Social Work, Counselling, Bereavement and Remembrance Services; managing a specialist caseload and supporting people with complex psychosocial needs; providing expert safeguarding, mental capacity and risk-management advice; facilitating family meetings and coordinating care with the multidisciplinary team; supervising and developing staff, students and volunteers; overseeing referral, triage, allocation and review processes; monitoring demand, waiting times, outcomes and experience; leading service improvement, audit and quality assurance; delivering education and reflective learning; and building strong partnerships across health, social care and the voluntary sector.
Main duties of the job
Duties include
- 1. Social Work Practice
- 2. Safeguarding Lead
- 3. Day-to-Day Team Management
- 4. Counselling, Bereavement and Remembrance Services
- 5. Service Coordination
- 6. Working Relationships
About us
Enjoy 36 days holiday (including bank holidays), an extra wellbeing day for your birthday, up to 8% employer pension contributions, Blue Light Card discounts, discounted on-site meals, career development opportunities, life insurance, cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and great free parking within our fabulous grounds.
If youre ready to combine specialist social work practice with compassionate leadership and service development, wed love to hear from you. Come and help us ensure people and families receive outstanding psychosocial support when it matters most.
Job description
Job responsibilities
St Catherine's Hospice is committed to achieving its vision of supporting people to have quality of life to the end of life and supporting families before, during and after bereavement. The Lead Social Worker will provide professional, clinical and operational management across Social Work, Counselling, Bereavement and Remembrance Services.
The post holder will lead the delivery of high-quality, person-centred psychosocial care, ensuring patients, families and carers receive compassionate, timely and effective support throughout their hospice journey. They will maintain professional oversight of safeguarding, counselling, bereavement support and remembrance services whilst fostering a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and excellence.
The role combines operational leadership, professional supervision, support of service development and direct clinical practice, maintaining a specialist caseload of patients and families with complex psychosocial needs.
Person Specification
Key Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Communicates sensitive information clearly and compassionately.
- Organises workloads, priorities and day-to-day team activity effectively.
- Provides approachable and consistent support to staff and volunteers.
- Maintains accurate records and responds calmly to changing needs.
- Ability to produce clear, accurate reports and presentations for varied audiences.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level qualification recognised by Social Work England.
- Current Social Work England registration.
- Evidence of postgraduate professional development.
- Supervisory or team management training, or equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Practice Educator qualification.
- Counselling, bereavement or safeguarding qualification.
- Leadership or postgraduate qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration social work experience.
- Experience of working with people affected by life-limiting illness.
- Experience of supervising staff and coordinating day-to-day workloads.
- Experience of safeguarding adults.
- Experience of managing complex caseloads.
- Experience of multidisciplinary team working.
- Experience of providing supervision and day-to-day team support.
- Experience of maintaining safe and effective working practices.
Desirable
- Hospice or specialist palliative care experience.
- Experience of managing counselling or bereavement services.
- Experience of volunteer management.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance and professional standards relating to social care, safeguarding, mental capacity and human rights.
- Knowledge of end-of-life care priorities and bereavement theory and practice.
- Knowledge of counselling governance and ethical practice.
- Knowledge of clinical governance, quality improvement and relevant regulatory standards.
Other
Essential
- Compassionate, professional and values-led approach.
- Flexible and proactive working style.
- Calm and approachable manner under pressure.
- Commitment to personal and professional development.
- Understanding of and demonstrable commitment to the Hospices values as a framework for decisions, actions and behaviours.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
St Catherine’s Hospice
Address
Lostock Lane
Lostock Hall
Preston
PR5 5XU
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.stcatherines.co.uk (Opens in a new tab)