Bereavement Services & Eye Donation Scheme Assistant

Job summary

Exciting Opportunity: Bereavement Services & Eye Donation Scheme Officer Are you a compassionate, organised, and highly motivated individual looking to make a meaningful difference to patients' families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives? We have a unique opportunity to join our team in a rewarding role that combines the important work of theBereavement Servicesand the newly implementedEye Donation Scheme (EDS).

Main duties of the job

This varied and impactful position focuses on two key areas: Bereavement Services You will provide a professional, sensitive, and high-quality service to relatives and friends of deceased patients, supporting them through the bereavement process while ensuring all legal documentation is completed accurately and promptly. Eye Donation Scheme (EDS) Working closely with the Senior Bereavement Services Officer, you will support the Trust's Eye Donation Scheme, contributing to audit projects, referral processes, and data management that help facilitate eye donation and support life-changing transplant services. We are seeking someone who is:

• Empathetic, professional, and resilient when supporting bereaved families.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Confident communicating with a wide range of healthcare professionals and external agencies.
• Able to manage sensitive and confidential information responsibly.
• Comfortable working independently while contributing positively to a team environment.
• Passionate about delivering outstanding patient and family-focused services.

About us

Why Join Us? This is a rare opportunity to play a vital role in supporting bereaved families while contributing to a programme that can transform lives through eye donation. If you are looking for a challenging, rewarding, and meaningful career where every day makes a difference, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help deliver compassionate care when it matters most.

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).

We have four primary goals:

• high-quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact, and
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive, and
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:

https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities Working in partnership with the Senior Bereavement Services Officer, you will:

• Offer compassionate guidance to bereaved relatives and other appropriate persons regarding death registration procedures and any involvement of the Coroner.
• Ensure families receive the information and contact details they need for ongoing support and enquiries.
• Liaise effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including:
  • Coroner's Office
  • Register Office
  • Funeral Directors
  • Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers
  • Mortuary and ward teams
  • Hospital Chaplains
  • Religious, humanist and secular representatives
  • Pathologists and medical staff
  • Local authorities and cremation services
  • General Practitioners
  • Department for Work and Pensions
  • NHS Blood and Transplant and other relevant organisations
• Prepare Eye Donation Scheme referral templates using information obtained from Medical Examiner proformas.
• Seek clarification and additional information from relevant teams to ensure accurate referrals.
• Work closely with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to obtain key information, including Organ Donation Register details.
• Maintain and update Bereavement Services databases, ensuring all information is accurate, complete, and compliant with data governance requirements.
• Support Eye Donation Scheme audit projects and contribute to service improvement initiatives.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential

• 5 GCSE's (grades A-C) including English, Maths or equivalent qualification (NVQ 2) OR one year relevant NHS administrative experience
• Proven working knowledge of Microsoft applications - Windows / Word / Outlook / Excel

Desirable

• Intermediate to advanced level in the following software packages: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet HISS,/Patient Centre/BSO Database

Experience

Essential

• 3 years relevant experience
• Good command of spoken and written English
• Able to demonstrate cultural competence

Desirable

• Previous experience within the clinical quality field in NHS or bereavement services
• Experience and/or knowledge and understanding of Mortality and Morbidity processes

Communication and relationship skills

Essential

• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent time management, prioritisation & organisational skills.
• Able to work to deadlines/ targets.
• Able to work under own initiative
• Able to identify problems and propose solutions or improvements
• Evidence of being a team worker
• Evidence of being resilient in a pressurised work environment
• Professional appearance, approach and attitude
• Friendly, pleasant personality Empathic attitude to patients, carers and the public

Desirable

• Evidence of ability to work with all members of the healthcare team

Planning and organisation skills

Essential

• Evidence of planning and organisational skills
• Ability to prioritise workload

Analytical and Judgement skills

Essential

• Word processing databases and spreadsheets sound literacy and numeracy data entry/extraction literature searching electronic and manual records

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

Essential

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's Values and Behaviours

Desirable

• Positive attitude to diversity of faith and culture