Bereavement Buddy
St Christopher's Hospice
Bereavement Buddies is a new volunteering role for us at St Christopher’s. We would like to match a volunteer to a person who has been recently bereaved to support them with their loss and grief. As a volunteer you would give one- to- one peer support and company. Most importantly you’ll be a listening ear to help someone at what might be a difficult time for them.
Bereavement Buddy At St Christopher’s we put people at the heart of everything we do. We believe that all dying people and those close to them deserve to have the best care and support, wherever and whenever they need it. We do all we can to make this happen, providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to over 7,500 people across south east London every year. Could you be a Bereavement Buddy? Bereavement Buddies is a new volunteering role for us at St Christopher’s. We would like to match a volunteer to a person who has been recently bereaved to support them with their loss and grief. As a volunteer you would give one- to- one peer support and company. Most importantly you’ll be a listening ear to help someone at what might be a difficult time for them. Activities you might perform: • providing company to them during this time; • listening and helping them to understand the feelings they are having, • helping them to reflect on their experience, identify and achieve personal wellbeing goals • by providing practical support if appropriate; If you feel able to take on this role you will play a huge part in helping us to achieve our vision, in which all dying people and those close to them have access to care and support, whenever and wherever they need it. Why we need your help We work with bereaved people every year, and we know that bereavement has physical and mental impacts with many different conflicting feelings and emotions. Bereavement can profoundly impact you, and early bereavement (the period immediately after a death) can be particularly hard, confusing and isolating. If you have been caring for someone before their death you may have more complicated feelings and impacts. Most people don’t need professional counselling to cope with a bereavement. But those who have social support from others are likely to do better. That’s why we would like people in the community, particularly those who have already had this experience, to support others as a peer of theirs. We know that peer support and social connections between people can play a huge role in helping a bereaved person to deal with death, loss and grief and maintain their health and wellbeing. But as a peer, a Buddy, we’re also asking people to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for sharing confusing emotions that sometimes it is hard to share with family members and friends. What time should you offer? Ideally, we’d like a Bereavement Buddy to support a bereaved person from a short time prior to the person’s expected death, to up to 4 months after the death. We would like you to offer between 1-3 hours a week during this time – this will be agreed with you individually and with agreement from the bereaved person. There will be monthly learning sessions to support your confidence, skills development and learning, as well as help you reflect on your own experiences. Where will you be based? In the community, linked with a bereaved person/family who lives within one of St Christopher’s catchment areas (Bromley, Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon). It is likely you would be in a person’s home, or meeting them somewhere in their local community (cafes, parks etc) as well as potentially coming into the hospice buildings. What activities will you be involved in as part of this volunteer role? This is a person-centred role where we’d ask the buddy to respond to the needs of the person they are linked with – therefore we cannot provide a definitive list. However, activities are likely to be along the lines of: • Listening – supporting bereaved people by listening to their experiences and feelings following the death of a loved one and following key milestones such as the funeral, the first month, any significant anniversaries during the first few months. • Supporting bereaved people to identify how the Bereavement Buddy can best support them over the next few months, setting practical goals if appropriate. • Supporting bereaved people with understanding their post death admin and tasks. You will be signposting and helping people to organise their thoughts, not giving advice or instructions. Examples of activities to complete may include: registering the death or informing others of the death. • In agreement with the bereaved person, supporting with their personal wellbeing goals. This might include: reminding them to get fresh air, eat regularly, go for a weekly walk together if appropriate, encourage them to reconnect with friends, take up a new or existing hobby or interest. Supporting the bereaved person to come up with a plan for what they might do next when the support from the Bereavement Buddy ends. This might include: attending a group or taking up an activity as above. This role is not intended to provide long-term support beyond four months. What you can gain from volunteering in this role • Know you are providing support and guidance to people who are experiencing early bereavement and who need listening ear and social support rather than having to seek formal counselling. • Know you are helping people in your local community have access to care and support, whenever and wherever they need it. • Use and develop active listening and communicating skills and have opportunities for further development. • Use and develop your skills, enhancing your CV if that is important to you. • Join an enthusiastic team, meet new people and get more involved in your local community. Training and support provided • All mandatory training including Safeguarding Training • Role specific training to include: • Active listening skills - empathy, unconditional positive regard, avoiding judgement or advice • Boundaries • What happens when someone dies • Registering a death/what to consider when organising a funeral • Cultural differences • Support from a member of the Community Action team • Support from the Volunteering Team • Volunteer handbook and workbook • Weekly volunteer e-newsletter We are looking for someone who is… • An empathic and non-judgemental listener • Compassionate • Respects diversity and others’ opinions • Able to build a friendly rapport with new people quickly • Adaptive to new and/or changing situations • Wants to make a difference in their local community • Ability to follow our policies and procedures to keep you, our staff, our patients and our customers safe • Ability to represent St Christopher’s and our values positively. Anything else you need to know • You must be 18 years old or over to do this role • There is a short settling in period to see if the role is right for you • Informal interview to discuss the role and get to know you • After the training you will need to complete a DBS check and provide two references • Having a criminal conviction will not necessarily prevent you from volunteering with us. We assess each situation on an individual basis • At St Christopher’s we believe that no volunteer should be out of pocket because of their volunteering. The reimbursement of reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred whilst volunteering will help ensure volunteering is accessible to all. All expenses to be reclaimed should be agreed with the manager/supervisor in advance. Equality and diversity St Christopher’s recognises the qualities and strengths that a diverse group of volunteers bring to the organisation and we therefore particularly welcome applications from our underrepresented groups from within the local communities and from a range of different cultures and backgrounds.
Advice, information & support
Verbal Communication
This is a person-centred role where we’d ask the buddy to respond to the needs of the person they are linked with – therefore we cannot provide a definitive list. However, activities are likely to be along the lines of: • Listening – supporting bereaved people by listening to their experiences and feelings following the death of a loved one and following key milestones such as the funeral, the first month, any significant anniversaries during the first few months. • Supporting bereaved people to identify how the Bereavement Buddy can best support them over the next few months, setting practical goals if appropriate. • Supporting bereaved people with understanding their post death admin and tasks. You will be signposting and helping people to organise their thoughts, not giving advice or instructions. Examples of activities to complete may include: registering the death or informing others of the death. • In agreement with the bereaved person, supporting with their personal wellbeing goals. This might include: reminding them to get fresh air, eat regularly, go for a weekly walk together if appropriate, encourage them to reconnect with friends, take up a new or existing hobby or interest. Supporting the bereaved person to come up with a plan for what they might do next when the support from the Bereavement Buddy ends. This might include: attending a group or taking up an activity as above.
What you can gain from volunteering in this role • Know you are providing support and guidance to people who are experiencing early bereavement and who need listening ear and social support rather than having to seek formal counselling. • Know you are helping people in your local community have access to care and support, whenever and wherever they need it. • Use and develop active listening and communicating skills and have opportunities for further development. • Use and develop your skills, enhancing your CV if that is important to you. • Join an enthusiastic team, meet new people and get more involved in your local community.
1-3 hours a week
SE26 6DZ
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