Experienced Counsellor/Social Worker

Posting date:	21 November 2025
Salary:	£29,453.00 per year
Additional salary information:	£29453.00 a year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	05 December 2025
Location:	Newport, PO30 2ER
Company:	NHS Jobs
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	B0508-VC344

Summary

KEY TASKS Conduct comprehensive holistic assessments of the patient and their families and ensure their needs are met appropriately To hold and effectively manage a clinical caseload to demonstrate best practice in line with professional guidelines and research. Ensure that patient records on SystmOne of are maintained to a high standard. Ensure that a range of emotional and social support strategies are available to meet the needs of individuals and their families including information, 1-1 support and counselling, group work and family work. Ensure that up to date, relevant information is provided to facilitate access to appropriate psychosocial support. As a member of multi-professional and psychosocial teams, attend MDTs and other meetings to ensure that the needs of family members and carers are considered. Act as an advocate for patients and where conflict arises with family members sign post families to external advocacy agencies. To be familiar with and work within Mountbattens Safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure patient safety. Provide support and guidance to staff to promote understanding of families/carers/individuals coping with psychological and social impact of living with a palliative diagnosis, as well as, pre-bereavement and bereavement. Participate in regular professional supervision for yourself and provide supervision to team members. To effectively manage the referrals and assessment processes in a timely manner. Conduct assessments of individuals for suitability of other services provided including; befriending/visiting service or groups, or referral on to another appropriate service, e.g. psychiatry or social service. Research, develop, implement groups for bereaved people to meet identified need including social support and for therapeutic purposes. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES To maintain knowledge of current best practice and research in palliative care psychology and bereavement care and evaluate how this can be effectively implemented at Mountbatten. Constructively contribute to current thinking and service evaluation on best practice in bereavement care at Mountbatten. Collaborate with external researchers and develop research activities in consultation with the Director of Psychosocial Care and the Head of Education and Research. Disseminate knowledge of best practice and research within the psychosocial service and more widely by participating in and providing consultancy, education and training. To monitor and gain regular feedback from service users to ensure the service develops to meet patients needs. Ensure high quality psychosocial and bereavement care is offered in line with the national care service standards, benchmarking with other services, identifying gaps in service provision and developing strategies to develop the service. Develop and maintain an understanding of Mountbatten and local psychosocial care provision, assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to inform service developments. Develop and maintain a critical analysis of the national picture of psychosocial care and the different models of service provision. EDUCATION AND TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES Provide education and training in relation to grief, bereavement and psychosocial issues in palliative care. To engage with agreed external requests for training. To maintain personal knowledge and skills in supervision and psychosocial support and interventions. Identify areas that may need personal development and suggest a training plan to address need. RESEARCH, AUDIT AND SERVICE EVALUATION RESPONSIBILITIES Volunteers Ensure sufficient volunteers are recruited to sustain the work of the bereavement service alongside the Volunteer Service and participate in the training of volunteers. Governance Participate in governance activities including audits. At all times, to respect the confidentiality of all data and information held by Mountbatten including electronically stored information and written data, whether this relates to patients, families or professionals. Ensure that the bereavement service keeps records in accordance with policy and best practice in data protection. Personal Development: Adhere at all times to professional body code of practice. Take responsibility for own professional development, including keeping up to date with relevant professional and developments in the care of the bereaved at local and national levels. Identify own learning and development needs in order to meet the key requirements of the post. Take responsibility for linking own professional development needs to Mountbatten's appraisal and objective setting process. Engage in own supervision to support personal and professional development. *PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR THE FULL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS ROLE*