Head of Bereavement Services

Hours:

Normal office hours are 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, although alternative hours may be worked with line manager agreement. Work outside office hours may sometimes be necessary and will be compensated for by time off in lieu

Annual leave:

28 days plus bank holidays. Annual leave steadily increases after five years of service. Annual leave and statutory holidays are calculated on a pro rata basis where applicable.

Pension:

2wish operate a contributory pension scheme. 2wish will auto-enrol you into the scheme in accordance with its auto-enrolment obligations. Full details of the scheme will be provided to you once you are enrolled, including the minimum level of contributions that you will be required to make during your membership (current contributions - employer 3% and employee 5%).

Mileage:

A fixed rate allowance is payable for agreed mileage undertaken on 2wish business in a private vehicle, over and above your usual journey to your workplace/s.

Location:

2wish is currently working with staff to offer a form of hybrid working and this will continue for the foreseeable future.

This post will continue to include home working, with the expectation on the successful candidate to travel to 2wish Head Office regularly.

Applicants living in border counties to Wales will be considered, but the applicant must be willing to commit to regular travel to Head Office.

Objective:

2wish exists to provide support to anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person aged 25 and under.

Aims:

• Ensure every Emergency Department has a suitable bereavement suite
• Ensure that bereavement boxes are available at each of these hospitals
• Ensure that immediate bereavement support is available for all affected by the sudden death of a child or young person
• Provide a professional counselling service and other therapies for those affected by the sudden death of a child or young person
• Provide support to individuals who witness the sudden death of a child or young person
• Provide support and training to professionals from any sector who may be affected by the sudden death of a child or young person
• To advocate and campaign on behalf of suddenly bereaved families

2wish Cymru and 2wish:

2wish has been established since 2012 and has grown from strength to strength. During this time, we have worked tirelessly to embed our service and ensure that the offer of support is made at the point of death.

We offer an immediate, consistent, high-quality and compassionate service to all individuals affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person aged 25 and under in Wales. We work in partnership with professionals who refer into the charity on behalf of the families, so they don't have to trawl through the internet for an organisation who may, or may not, be able to support. We provide immediate, and ongoing, support and are here for as long as our families need us.

However, we know that gaps in support for those suddenly bereaved still exist outside of Wales. And so we are expanding into England and are on the lookout for passionate and committed individuals who want to help push the charity to the next level.

Context of role:

2wish support anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person aged 25 and under. We provide immediate, and longer-term support to families, individuals, professionals and witnesses. Since we were established in 2012, we have grown to deliver our service across the whole of Wales.

In January 2024, we expanded the geographical area and recruited a brand-new team to deliver the service in the border counties of England and Wales, namely Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Somerset. This will be the first of several phases of expansion and the aim is to deliver our service throughout England and Wales in the coming years.

The post holder will lead an effective and cohesive management team across England and Wales overseeing the development and delivery of specialist services for individuals affected by sudden and unexpected death in children and young people aged 25 and under. They will ensure the team provide the highest standards of support, and that services are shaped by the needs of those who access them.

The key objectives of the post are:

• To lead upon delivery of support services across England and Wales, ensuring services are delivered consistently to a high quality and are embedded across a growing geographical area. To embed a growing team and develop relevant strategic priorities.
• To motivate, lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team to provide holistic services to families, friends, professionals, witnesses and individuals affected by sudden death.
• To establish pan-phase partnerships with key stakeholders to embed and develop referral pathways and raise awareness of the charity and its services.
• To work closely with the CEO, Director of Operations, Director of Transformation and Strategy and the wider Leadership Team promoting effective cross-team working that contributes to the overall objectives of 2wish and 2wish Cymru.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

1.0. Support services:

• To oversee outstanding service delivery across England and Wales that responds flexibly to emerging need in line with the business plan, key deliverables, budget and policies and procedures
• To leading on effective delivery and scaling up of services throughout the expansion phases
• To work closely with the Director of Transformation and Strategy to ensure a consistent approach to service delivery that aims to embed the service within existing child death procedures
• To oversee and monitor financial performance, ensuring effective deployment of resources and compliance against agreed targets/budgets
• To be responsible for Safeguarding and work with designated Safeguarding Officers to ensure services are safe for supported persons, staff, counsellors and therapists, volunteers, external partners and other key stakeholders
• To carry out regular risk assessments for services. Ensuring safeguarding concerns are followed up systematically, including making referrals to statutory services
• To oversee high-quality assurance of the service through monitoring of quality assurance systems, audits, management of complaints and learning from disruption
• To work with managers and Senior Leaders in the development and definition of new services, ensuring that operational procedures which support service delivery are fit for purpose
• To taking a hands-on approach to dealing with complex or difficult cases, particularly in new areas as we expand
• To oversee and further develop monitoring and evaluation processes to clearly demonstrate the impact the service has on individuals supported
• To contribute towards applications and reports for funders/ grants etc. in line with milestones /objectives and funding agreements
• To attend formal and informal meetings with the 2wish Senior Management Team and as required with the Trustee Board to review and report on progress

2.0. Leadership:

• To provide clear and visible leadership for a growing support team, with a specific focus upon leading and developing the support managers, taking overall responsibility and accountability for their management, performance, quality of their outputs, including recruitment/retention, induction, training and development, performance management and succession planning
• To lead and motivate staff in the performance of their duties in a way which encourages loyalty, dedication and high professional standards, in line with 2wish Cymru and 2wish ethos, values and determined by the Leadership team and Trustee Board in our strategic plan
• To further develop a positive approach to change and growth in line with expansion plans and the subsequent changes to staffing and areas of service delivery
• To establish and maintain effective working relationships on a local and national with referral partners and key stakeholders including police, health and professionals involved in child death procedures
• To oversee the development of training packages to encourage education and awareness around the experiences of those affected by sudden death
• To work closely with the CEO and Leadership team to support the work of 2wish nationally
• To ensure that the voices and needs of those affected by sudden death in children and young people are at the centre of decision making in Wales and England
• To work to the policies and procedures of the organisation, to promote these with staff and to ensure that they are maintained and developed appropriately. Keeping up to date with regulation, guidance, standards, government policy and research relating to sudden child death

3.0. General:

• To show respect and sensitivity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability or gender identity
• To undertake learning opportunities and seek them out for the team
• To adhere to all company policies and procedures including Safeguarding, Confidentiality, Health and Safety and Lone Working; and to be proactive in implementing new safe working practices as appropriate
• To undertake any other duties deemed commensurate with this post as directed by the CEO or Deputy CEO

It is the nature of the work that tasks and responsibilities are in may circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way and tasks, which are not specifically covered in their job description may have to be undertaken.

You will be subject to performance review, which will incorporate a review of the above duties and performance over the period.

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Additional benefits for our employees:

• An 'Employee Assistance Programme,' including wellbeing support
• Free parking on 2wish premises
• Free branded 2wish clothing
• An extra annual leave day on your birthday
• Incremental increase in holiday entitlement based on length of service
• Paid sick leave
• Discounts for personal purchases on 2wish Merchandise
• Discounted tickets to UK 2wish events, discounts for family
• Extra holiday entitlement when taking part in 2wish overseas events
• Company mobile phone/E-sim for performance of duties
• Tools/equipment required for the performance of duties
• Reimbursement of work expenses
• Bright Exchange employee discounts.