Bereavement Care - Bereavement Visitor

Details of the Charity:Share this

Bereavement Care is a non-profit organisation that has been providing essential support services to bereaved children and adults for over 40 years. The organisation operates in the London Boroughs of Harrow and Hillingdon, as well as the surrounding areas, offering free one-to-one support to individuals who are coping with the grief and loss of a loved one.

The loss of a close friend or family member is one of the most challenging experiences anyone can face. The enormity of the loss can have a profound impact on an individual's emotional and mental well being. Grief can last for an extended period of time, frequently longer than people expect. Unresolved grief can lead to long-term difficulties later in life, which may require more intensive interventions

Bereavement Care offers a range of services to support people dealing with grief. The organisation facilitates a network of bereavement groups and drop-in venues, mainly based in places of worship. They provide a central point of contact and administrative support, ensuring that those in need of support are allocated to an appropriate group or drop-in venue. The organisation also offers bereavement training courses for volunteers and professionals, enabling them to support bereaved people effectively.

Details of the Volunteering Opportunity:

As a Bereavement Visitor volunteer, you will provide one-to-one support to children and adults in Harrow, Hillingdon, and surrounding areas who are dealing with the grief of losing a close friend or family member. Your role will involve visiting clients in their homes or other suitable locations and providing a listening ear, empathy, and support as they navigate their journey of grief.

You will undergo thorough training and regular supervision to ensure that you are equipped with the necessary skills to provide effective support to bereaved clients. This training will cover topics such as understanding grief and loss, communication skills, and self-care.

This volunteering opportunity is remote.

The majority of communications will be via email or phone calls.

Key Responsibilities:

Providing one to one support for a child or adult who has had a bereavement.
This may be on a weekly/fortnightly basis so there is considerable time commitment here
To visit bereaved clients, as agreed with their Bereavement Group Leader
To ensure that they are complying with Bereavement Care’s Codes of Best Practice for Visitors and any specific codes of practice issued by their Bereavement Group
To attend regular supervision
To ensure that they take care to look after themselves (in so far as workload, emotional well-being and personal issues are concerned)
To report any concerns to their Bereavement Group Leader

Training:

Volunteers will be required to attend our Initial Bereavement Training Course (2 full days) prior to volunteering. If interested in supporting a young person, an additional 1 day course will be required.

Enhanced DBS check will be required (which we can arrange)

Skills Required:

We are looking for an individual who is compassionate, understanding and a good listener
Though volunteers do not require any previous experience, we would like them to be sympathetic to the cause of the Charity
We’d encourage those interested to look at our website to learn about our work and activities

Additional Benefits:

Volunteers are invited to a two-day training course; Upon completion, volunteers are issued certificates
Volunteering Hours to go towards the Brunel Volunteers Award
Volunteering achievement recognised on your HEAR Transcript