Palliative Care Social Worker
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 18/09/2026
- Closes
- 30/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This role is for an experienced and compassionate Social Worker to join a hospital-based palliative care team. You will provide specialist psychosocial support to patients and their families facing serious or life-limiting illnesses, helping them navigate emotional, social, and practical challenges. Responsibilities include holistic assessments, counselling, managing complex family and safeguarding needs, and supporting advance care planning and end-of-life decisions. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team to connect patients with appropriate support services and provide bereavement support.
Key responsibilities
- Provide expert psychosocial support to patients and families living with serious or life-limiting illness.
- Undertake holistic psychosocial assessments and provide emotional and practical support.
- Help patients and families navigate complex issues including adjustment, grief, loss, end-of-life care and bereavement.
- Advocate for patient and family wishes and support complex discharge and care planning.
- Facilitate access to appropriate health, social care, financial, community and bereavement services.
- Provide advice and education to colleagues, contribute to safeguarding and clinical governance, and support service development.
Essential criteria
- oRecognised professional qualification in Social Work.
- oCurrent registration with the relevant professional regulatory body.
- oEvidence of continuing professional development relevant to social work practice.
- oExperience working as a qualified social worker within a health, hospital, community, hospice, or similarly complex setting
- oExperience undertaking comprehensive psychosocial assessments
- oExperience contributing to multidisciplinary assessment and care planning
- oGood understanding of the psychosocial impact of serious and life-limiting illness on patients, families, and carers
- oUnderstanding of the principles of palliative and end-of-life care
- oKnowledge of relevant health, social care, community, hospice, and voluntary-sector resources
- oAbility to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
- oAbility to prioritise and manage a complex caseload
- oExcellent verbal and written communication skills
Desirable criteria
- oPostgraduate qualification in social work or palliative care
- additional training in palliative care, end-of-life care, bereavement, counselling, oncology, or a related field
- oExperience facilitating or contributing to complex family meetings and discussions regarding goals of care
- oExperience providing education, consultation, or supervision to colleagues
- oExperience supporting discharge planning and transitions between hospital, hospice, community, and social care services
- oKnowledge of advance care planning and goals-of-care processes
- oKnowledge of approaches to supporting people experiencing complex grief or psychological distress
- oExperience delivering teaching or presentations to healthcare professionals
- oExperience facilitating family meetings
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £55,524 – £62,652 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 0d ago · Closes in 13d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Palliative Care Social Worker
The closing date is 30 September 2026
Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Social Worker to join our hospital-based palliative care team. You will provide specialist psychosocial support to patients and their families living with serious or life-limiting illness, helping them navigate the emotional, social and practical challenges of their diagnosis.
You will undertake holistic assessments, provide counselling and emotional support, respond to complex family and safeguarding needs, and support patients with advance care planning, goals of care, discharge planning and end-of-life decisions.
Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, you will help patients and families access appropriate hospice, community and other support services, and provide support through bereavement where required.
This is a rewarding role for a compassionate, skilled Social Worker who is committed to delivering person-centred care and improving the experience and quality of life of patients and their families.
Main duties of the job
The Palliative Care Social Worker will be an integral member of the Specialist Palliative Care MDT, providing expert psychosocial support to patients and families living with serious or life-limiting illness.
The post holder will undertake holistic p
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