About the Children’s Grief Centre:

Founded in 2009, The Children’s Grief Centre provides one-to-one support for school-aged children and young people (4–18 years) affected by loss through death, separation, or divorce.

We offer a safe and supportive place for children, young people, and their families who are grieving. Children are given the opportunity to explore feelings associated with loss and to learn that they are not alone. We aim to help children overcome obstacles that prevent them from leading full lives.

We are now seeking an empathetic and dedicated Support Worker to join our team of professionals in making a positive impact on the lives of children facing grief. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a compassionate and nurturing environment for children navigating challenging times.

Essential Criteria:

1. A relevant professional qualification (Counselling, Psychotherapy, Play Therapy, or a related discipline)
2. A minimum of 5 years’ relevant post-qualification experience working with children and young people.
3. Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism when working with highly emotive and distressing situations.
4. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport with children and their families.
5. Ability to work collaboratively within a team-oriented environment.
6. Competent working knowledge of computers and IT systems.

Job Summary:
Working as part of a growing team, you will provide support to children and young people who have experienced loss through bereavement or separation/divorce.

Core Responsibilities:

• Foster a safe and welcoming atmosphere for children to express their feelings and emotions

• Provide effective support to children, young people, and families in the Mid-West region affected by loss through death, separation, or divorce

• Support children and young people on a one-to-one basis

• Maintain open communication with families to address their specific needs and concerns

• Positively promote the service to other agencies and funding providers

• Produce and maintain relevant client and service statistics, as well as expenses and other organisational records as required

• Provide relevant service reports as required

Practice Responsibilities:

• Be responsible for the provision of a support service for children, young people, and families

• Engage flexibly with children and their carers to promote constructive working relationships

• Ensure all safeguarding training is relevant and up to date

• Liaise effectively with other agencies to promote and develop the service

Organisational Responsibilities:

• Positively engage with line management

• Maintain open communication with colleagues and provide information in a timely and appropriate format

Administration:

• Maintain accurate and confidential records and provide statistical returns as required

• Maintain confidentiality for and with clients (both individual and organisational)

General Responsibilities:

The post holder will be required to:

• Co-operate fully with the implementation of Health and Safety arrangements and standards

• Adhere to all Children’s Grief Centre policies and codes of conduct

• Take responsibility for their professional development, including attending monthly client supervision provided by the Centre

• Engage in performance appraisal to maximise potential and meet the demands of the role

Person Specification

Personal Attributes:

• Commitment to delivering a high-quality service to young people and their families

• Empathy and compassion

• Patience to allow a child time to open up and heal

• Strong active listening skills, allowing children space to express their thoughts and emotions

• Flexibility to adapt to different situations

Job Title: Support Worker

Salary: €27.08 per hour

Hours: Vacancies available
Working hours: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm over 3 days

Contract: 3 Year Fixed Term Contract

Holiday entitlement: 23 days per annum pro rata

Location:
Children’s Grief Centre
Mount St. Vincent
O’Connell Avenue
Limerick

Tel: 061 224 627 / 087 985 1733

The Children’s Grief Centre Company Limited by Guarantee is a registered company
CHY: 22832
RCN: 20205877

Reports To: CEO