Family Support Officer

Role overview

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Family Support Officer to join the GOSH Louis Dundas palliative care team in London. The postholder will offer direct practical and financial guidance, alongside emotional and social support, to children, patients and their families. A central part of the role is to champion access to community services and support families by arranging the right referrals at the right time.

What you will do

• Provide hands-on support, advice and practical help to families in line with the LDC Palliative Care team’s agreed framework for psychosocial support across hospital and community settings.
• Work closely with families and the LDC Palliative Care team to deliver practical assistance.
• Support children with a wide range of health conditions and families who may be experiencing significant distress.
• Support families after a death and act as bereavement key worker where appropriate.
• Take part in regular team meetings to review new referrals and assign work based on need.
• Receive referrals from members of the LDC Palliative Care multidisciplinary team.
• Put in place processes to manage and distribute financial help effectively from the different funds available.
• Work alongside psychosocial colleagues, clinical teams and benefits advisers in the hospital and community to ensure support is prompt and effective.
• Liaise with professionals involved in the child’s care, such as teachers, social workers, community nurses and hospice family support workers.
• Communicate sensitive information with care, recognising the high levels of stress families may be under.
• Advise families, and staff when needed, about welfare benefits, charitable support and volunteer organisations.

Additional information

The organisation states that it is committed to a fair, open and consistent recruitment process free from bias and discrimination. It is working towards becoming an anti-racist organisation and aims to create a workplace where all colleagues feel seen, heard and valued, with no place for racism.

This commitment is supported by an Anti-Racism Statement and action plan developed with the REACH staff network. The organisation says it actively challenges discrimination, removes barriers and embeds equity in recruitment, progression and development.

All applicants will be treated equally regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, health condition or employment history.

Applications are especially welcomed from ethnically diverse communities, people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The employer is a Disability Confident Employer, a member of the Business Disability Forum and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

Staff networks including REACH, PRIDE, ENABLED and Women’s Networks are active, supported by leadership and open to all colleagues. The organisation says inclusion is essential, not optional.

Contact for informal enquiries

Name: Miss Charlotte Stevens
Job title: Service Manager
Email: charlotte.stevens@gosh.nhs.uk
Telephone: 07475252852