Aim or goal of position
The Bereavement Service offers support to people who have been bereaved in Highland, helping them to understand how grief affects them as an individual, helping them come to terms with their loss and find their way to move forward. Support is offered in numerous ways to best meet the needs of the individual. The aim of this role is to provide listening support and information to clients and to assist with the facilitation of bereavement support groups and events.
Main responsibilities and suggested activities
The responsibilities of a Bereavement Support Volunteer can be varied and is dependent on your experience, but may include the following:
- Provide supportive listening and information to people accessing the service including:
- Non-judgmental listening and respect for confidentiality
- Developing positive trusting relationships with individuals
- Facilitate sensitive conversations with individuals around loss and change.
- Participate in discussion around appropriate support to be provided.
- Your role could be:
- supporting and/or co-facilitate support groups (various), working alongside an experienced co-facilitator or,
- supporting on a 1-2-1 basis (in person, online or telephone)
- Help identify those clients in need of further specialist intervention in conjunction with the team.
- Attend induction and mandatory training.
- Provision of regular supervision to support your personal development and well-being.
- Opportunity to attend occasional team meetings.
Skills / attributes and/or qualification(s) required
- Good listener, empathic approach
- Good interpersonal skills
- Ability to be alongside people in distress, allowing feelings to be expressed and contained.
- An understanding of the need for and importance of client confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Committed, reliable, dependable, flexible and punctual.
- Self-awareness and working within own limitations.
- Ability to identify risk and report any concerns appropriately.
- Meet requirements of a PVG Disclosure check
- Experience of working with bereaved people (Desirable)
- IT Skills (Desirable)
Estimated hours
2-3 hours per week dependent on your roleWork site
Primarily based at Highland Hospice, Netley Centre, 1 Bishops Road, Inverness IV3 5SB utilising technology to cover the Highlands. There are opportunities for volunteers in other areas of the Highland to support the expansion of the Sharing Space groups.
