Martin House provides free specialist palliative care to babies, children and young people with complex and life-shortening conditions. Families from across West, North and East Yorkshire have access to our care 24/7, 365 days a year, including specialist doctors. Every year we care for more than 550 families, at the hospice, in hospital and in families’ own homes, as well as supporting around 200 bereaved family members.
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Family Support Team as a Family Support Practitioner (Psychological Wellbeing).
About the role: The key purpose of this role is to provide emotional and holistic support to the parents, carers and family members of children and young people with palliative care needs, as well as offering compassionate early bereavement support following the death of a child. You will be part of a warm, dedicated and highly skilled team delivering high-quality family support services across the region. Your work will focus primarily on promoting parental wellbeing, strengthening resilience, offering emotional support and walking alongside families as they navigate some of the most challenging experiences of their lives.
Working closely with families in the hospice, community and hospital settings, you will help create safe and supportive spaces where parents and carers feel heard, valued and empowered. You will support families from the point of referral, through periods of illness and uncertainty, and into bereavement where appropriate. The successful candidate will work under the guidance and supervision of qualified professionals within the Family Support Team, including psychologists, mental health practitioners and therapists. Together, you will provide thoughtful, evidence-informed and person-centred care that reflects the unique needs, strengths and experiences of every family.
This role offers an excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about emotional wellbeing and family-centred care and who wishes to further develop their knowledge and skills within specialist children's palliative and bereavement care.
Our ideal candidate will:
- Be warm, empathetic and skilled at building trusting relationships with families.
- Have experience of supporting children, young people, parents or carers within a health, social care, education or voluntary sector setting.
- Demonstrate an understanding of emotional wellbeing, grief, loss and bereavement.
- Be able to work sensitively with families experiencing significant emotional distress and uncertainty.
- Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Be able to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Be committed to person-centred, family-focused and trauma-informed practice.
- Be organised, reflective and willing to learn through supervision and professional development.
- Share Martin House's values of compassion, respect, integrity and excellence.
Experience of working with families affected by life-limiting conditions, palliative care needs or bereavement would be advantageous, although not essential.
Why Join Martin House?
- Annual leave – eight weeks per year, including bank holidays
- Sick pay – six months full pay and six months half pay following successful completion of probationary period.
- Recognition of NHS pension scheme for candidates who are currently in the scheme and up to 10 per cent contributory AVIVA scheme.
- Enhanced maternity and partners leave to exceed the NHS entitlement
- Health and wellbeing programme including access to free of charge Employee Assistance Programme for employees and their families
- Accredited Menopause and Mindful employer
- Life insurance – two times annual salary
- Free parking at our children’s hospice in Boston Spa
Please apply via our website www.martinhouse.org.uk/get-involved/join-our-team/ and complete an application form, referring to the Job Description and Person Specification which can be found here. For further information contact Emma Taylor or Jenny Humphries by email at [email protected]
The closing date for applications is noon on 27th of July 2026. Interviews will take place on Tuesday August 4th at Martin House. If you have not heard from us by Friday 31st July please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Martin House is committed to providing care and improving services irrespective of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion or belief, age, marital status, or sexual orientation.
Martin House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment.
Recruitment checks are undertaken in accordance with safer recruitment standards and successful applicants will be required to undertake a DBS via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Please note all applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK.
