Children and Young Person (CYP) Bereavement Support Volunteer

St Clare Hospice is a charity providing specialist palliative care for people living with terminal or life-limiting illnesses across West Essex and the East Hertfordshire border. We care for patients and their families, providing physical, emotional, social, psychological and spiritual support, and ensuring they have timely access to skilled, compassionate and sensitive care in a place of their choice. 

Summary of role:

You will help to create a safe and relaxed space to encourage experience sharing. Support the provision of a wide selection of activities to suit all children and young people, and accommodate all abilities, and allow for varying moods. Facilitate a space for parents to come together while waiting, allowing them to connect and share experiences. You will support and encourage the children and young people to explore their own unique experience of grief.  

Key Tasks:-

• Build trust and a professional boundaried relationship with attendees
• You will utilise skills of active listening, reflection discussion to explore grief. Helping attendees to come to their own understanding, promoting autonomy and wellbeing. You will not give advice or counselling.
• This role may involve providing support to parents/guardians where necessary.
• Setting up and clearing away sessions and events. This may include games, art materials etc.
• Facilitating the group and activities.
• Ad hoc support for trips and activity days.
• Help create a safe and relaxed space to encourage experience sharing.
• Apply safeguarding practices where needed.
• Help to organise refreshments for the attendees.