Outreach Officer – Wessex

Job title: Outreach Officer - Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Reports to: Therapies Assessor and Service Manager

Salary: Salary of £26,227 per annum

Location: Remote with regular travel across Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Post No: 2WCSOCFT1

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 and Critical Care unit 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 complementary 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 & 2wish:

2wish has been established since 2012 and has grown from strength to strength. During tis 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 aged25 and under in Wales and the bordering counties in England, including; Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset, with the plan to continue to roll out support to the whole of England. We work in partnership with professionals who refer int the charity on behalf of 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.

Context of role:

The Outreach Officer plays a key role in raising awareness of services, strengthening community partnerships and supporting the delivery of high-quality bereavement support activities across the region. The postholder will engage with local networks, coordinate events, and support volunteers while ensuring effective monitoring, reporting and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities:

Support Service:

Event Coordination and Delivery

• Coordinate and deliver regular community engagement activities, including; coffee mornings and support events.
• Organise and facilitate regular wellbeing and social activities, such as; walks or group sessions.
• Represent the organisation at regional events, including supporting fundraising and CYP teams when required.
• Co-lead on bookings and coordination of Ty Uchaf, our respite house.

Awareness, Training and Engagement

• Lead on regional awareness training delivery for non-emergency services and community-based organisations.
• Deliver additional 2wish training programmes as required, including Children & Young People (CYP) and Bereavement in workplace support training.
• Lead awareness and advocacy activities with local ‘support champions’ , including professionals within non-emergency services.

Partnership and Network Development

• Actively engage with local bereavement networks through attendance at meetings, hosting
• information stands and building strong professional relationships across the region.
• Develop and maintain effective links with community partners to expand reach and awareness of services.

Volunteer Support

• Act as a key local contact for volunteers.
• Support the recruitment, training and retention of volunteers in collaboration with the wider team.

Administration, Monitoring and Reporting

• Maintain and take ownership of relevant systems and spreadsheets, including those used for: Event planning and delivery, Marketing and communications, Contact and engagement tracking
• Professional and family engagement records
• Accurately record interactions with stakeholders, including; families, professionals, champions and referral partners.
• Monitor and manage posts/content on Facebook family accounts.

Quality Assurance and Improvement

• Support quality audits and contribute to continuous improvement processes.
• Collect and review feedback from events and training sessions to inform future development.

General:

• To be responsible for organising own work agenda, time management and administration
• To keep clear and up to date records on database of activities with families and any ensuing action
• To promote the on-going work and continued support that 2wish can offer
• To work as part of a team providing support to suddenly bereaved families
• To work alongside support team and maintain a seamless approach to service delivery
• To maintain a high degree of confidentiality in accordance with the charity’s policies
• To show respect and sensitivity for the cultural and religious beliefs of families
• 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 attend weekend and evening community events in support of the charity as necessary
• Participate as and when required in team meetings and one-to-one meetings, and undertake, as appropriate, courses/training/other developmental activities, which is relevant to the role
• To contribute to the evaluation and monitoring processes to ensure effectiveness of services and activities provided
• Contribute on the social media platforms maintained by 2wish

It is the nature of the work that tasks and responsibilities are in many 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.

This role is subject to a DBS check.

What we do for you:

Salary: Starting salary of £26,227 per annum

Contract type: Permanent

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 it's 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 in accordance with our expense policy, undertaken on 2wish business in a private vehicle, over and above your usual journey to your workplace/s.

Location: This post is hybrid based with some travel across the region you are covering, as well as the office.

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 for staff and family