Loss & Bereavement Specialist; Criminal Justice System

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker

Salary: £27,000- £32,000 pro rata

Location: Advance Headoffice Hammersmith & Women’s centres across London, with co- location at HMP Bronzefield

Hours: 21 hours per week

Contract: Fixed Term – March 2027

This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Please note:
Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending. We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community.

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.

About the role:

This is an ideal post for someone with experience and interest in bereavement work, looking to join a forward thinking, new service. This is also a great chance to be working alongside the Healthcare & Education Department within HMP Bronzefield and be part of a prison services team in Advance.

Using a trauma informed approached, the Loss & Bereavement Specialist will conduct a person-centred assessment to understand the extent of the client’s emotional needs and the impact of loss due to imprisonment or contact with the criminal justice system whilst also identifying practical and specialist needs. They will work with women to develop a support plan, ensuring they are equipped with information and knowledge about how to navigate possible changes in circumstances related to her children’s care and offer crisis intervention and support during acute phases of loss/bereavement.

The Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker will liaise with the Prison Healthcare team, OMU, visits team and the Family Support Officer to facilitate interactions between women and their children/family members, particularly considering support is in place after visits and that the women’s emotional needs are met in custody and community via our Women’s centres.

The Specialist Worker will create a link between prison and the community, helping women to navigate support services and to positively re-integrate into their community upon release. The role will combine a casework- based approach, along with a signposting and advice service for the women. They will be based in the community and will provide a drop-in service in HMP Bronzefield to support women who are close to release.

A car may be desirable for this role, though not essential.

About You:

To be successful as the Loss & Bereavement Specialist Worker you will need the below experience and skills:

Experience of working with bereaved individuals and providing grief counselling including knowledge of various therapeutic modalities relevant to grief counselling

Comprehensive understanding of the grieving process and experience of working with bereaved and loss as well as knowledge of traumatic and complex grief/loss.

An understanding of violence against women and girls and its links to women in the criminal justice system.

Proven ability and experience as a caseworker delivering trauma responsive interventions which support resettlement and rehabilitation of vulnerable people…