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

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.

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.