Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw Children’s Hospice
Family Support Worker
The closing date is 31 May 2026
At Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbrias Childrens Hospice, we provide compassionate, specialist care to people living with life‑limiting and terminal illness supporting families to make the most of the time they have together.
We are now entering an exciting period of growth, with a clear ambition to reach more families across Cumbria.
As a Family Support Worker, you will deliver a high‑quality, compassionate support service to families, providing emotional, social and practical support to those caring for a child or young person with a life‑limiting condition, as well as families experiencing bereavement.
Main duties of the job
Provide needs‑led support to families across Cumbria
Support families before and after bereavement, helping them navigate grief and change
Work closely with health, social care and education professionals as part of a multi‑disciplinary team
Build strong, trusting relationships with families
Manage your own caseload and diary, working flexibly across home and community settings
You will be a compassionate and motivated individual with experience in health, social care, or a related field, with strong communication skills and the ability to support families in emotionally demanding situations.
About us
At Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, our work is guided by a commitment to being caring, inclusive, respectful, and innovative. We are looking for someone who shares these values and is motivated to make a difference every day.
What We Offer
- Dynamic, supportive, and creative working environment
- A genuine opportunity to make a meaningful impact
- Involvement in education, training, and service development initiatives
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme, offering free, 24‑hour support
- Discounted local gym membership
As part of our commitment to learning and development, we provide a comprehensive programme of training to help you perform at your best and feel valued as part of a high‑performing organisation. In your first 12 months, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a range of specialist courses, including:
- Mental Health First Aid
- Makaton
- Counselling skills
This programme provides a strong foundation, enabling you to tailor your ongoing development to your interests and career goals.
Job responsibilities
Overall Aim
As a Family Support Worker, you will play a vital role within the Care Team, delivering a high‑quality, compassionate support service to families. You will provide social, emotional and practical support to families, including those caring for a child or young person with a life‑limiting or terminal illness, as well as those experiencing the bereavement of a parent or carer. Your work will ensure families feel supported, informed and able to navigate challenging circumstances with dignity and care.
Key Responsibilities
Family Support and Care Delivery
Deliver a high‑quality, compassionate family support service as part of the Care Team.
Provide needs‑led emotional, social, and practical support to families across Cumbria.
Support families where a child or young person has a life‑limiting or terminal illness.
Offer support over varying timeframes, including both short‑term and longer‑term involvement.
Bereavement and Emotional Support
Provide sensitive bereavement support to families before and after loss.
Support individuals and families through grief, loss, and change.
Apply an understanding of grief processes to support emotional wellbeing.
Provide appropriate signposting to additional services and support where required.
Partnership Working and Multi‑Disciplinary Team (MDT) Working
Work in partnership with health, education, and social care professionals.
Contribute to multi‑disciplinary team working, including attendance at meetings.
Collaborate with colleagues across Jigsaw and the Adult Hospice to ensure coordinated support.
Identify families in need of support and respond to referrals appropriately.
Relationship Building and Communication
Build and maintain supportive, trusting relationships with families.
Communicate effectively and sensitively in a range of complex and emotional situations.
Promote a person‑centred and family‑focused approach in all interactions.
Service Delivery and Caseload Management
Plan, prioritise and manage your own caseload and diary, working autonomously.
Deliver support in a variety of settings, including family homes and community environments.
Work flexibly to meet the needs of families and respond to changing service demands.
Travel across Cumbria as required.
Safeguarding and Risk
Safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults at all times.
Recognise, respond to, and escalated safeguarding concerns in line with hospice policies.
Contribute to risk assessment and management, escalating concerns appropriately.
Record Keeping and Information Governance
Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records in line with hospice policies and procedures.
Ensure compliance with Data Protection legislation and information governance standards.
Contribute to data collection and reporting requirements as needed.
Maintain confidentiality of all issues concerning patients, their families together with all other hospice and staff issues.
Professional Practice and Development
Work independently while maintaining high standards of care and professionalism.
Demonstrate compassion, empathy, and reflective practice in all aspects of the role.
Participate in supervision, appraisals, training, staff meetings and ongoing professional development.
Contribute to service development and continuous improvement.
Take responsibility for attendance at mandatory training sessions in health and safety, resuscitation, fire, safeguarding, moving and handling, infection control, equality and diversity and vehicle familiarisation.
General Responsibilities
Comply with all hospice policies, procedures, and statutory requirements.
Maintain awareness of health and safety responsibilities.
Promote the values and ethos of Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw.
Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role.
Person Specification
Skills
- Strong interpersonal skills with a practical, people oriented approach
- Ability to work at pace while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail
- Open and effective communication skills (written and verbal)
- Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers
- Ability to adapt communication style for varied audiences
Personal Qualities
- Warm, inclusive and compassionate approach to working with others
- Proactive and motivated, with a focus on achieving goals effectively
- Professional, credible and able to lead by example
- Adaptable and resilient when working in emotionally demanding situations
- Ability to drive throughout the community
Experience
- Experience working as a child health, education or social care professional
- Experience of working in a demanding, people focused environment
- Experience working in a community setting
- Experience working with volunteers
- Experience supporting fundraising activity (e.g. writing case studies or updates)
Knowledge
- Sound knowledge of child protection, information sharing and data protection requirements
- Understanding of professional boundaries and working within established guidelines
- Additional specialist training in child health, safeguarding or family support
- Knowledge of community based support services
Qualifications
- Recognised qualification in education, health or social care or equivalent professional
- Counselling or bereavement qualification
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw Children’s Hospice
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