Defence Medical Welfare Service

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Job Description

Post Title		Welfare Officer

Salary Scale		£17,922 - £23,265

Responsible to		Senior Welfare Officer

Accountable to		1. Line Management & Operations Manager
		2. Liaises closely with the Garrison Commander/Commanding Officer for the effective local delivery of the welfare service.

Location		UK/Germany/Cyprus

Base		Office location

Job Summary

To provide high quality, responsive, 24 hour welfare support to service patients, their families and entitled civilians working within the military community, both in peacetime and in times or areas of conflict.

Key Responsibilites

Welfare

To visit service patients, their families and entitled civilians in hospital, in order to assess their welfare needs.
To receive referrals for welfare support, assessing patients' needs on an individual basis, documenting this appropriately.
To provide a rapid, personal response in support of crisis situations occurring both inside and outside normal working hours.
To provide practical and emotional support to relatives of seriously ill patients and to those who are bereaved.
To provide informal support to military colleagues.
To provide, on a rota basis, emergency cover during silent hours and weekends.
To recognise that Welfare Officers have an Operational role, accepting that he/she may be required to serve in an area of conflict or war zone, sometimes at short notice.
To ensure, where accommodation facilities for visiting relatives of very ill service patients, their dependants and entitled civilians exist, that these are provided on a priority basis and appropriately maintained.
To ensure, where such accommodation either does not exist or is full, that visiting relatives of very ill service patients, their dependants and entitled civilians are helped to find suitable accommodation.

Accountability

To recognise the limitations of his/her own knowledge, skills and experience and the importance of working within the bounds of his/her own competence at all times.
To have an awareness and understanding of Child Protection issues, and a recognition of the importance of reporting anxieties with regard to children to the appropriate Agencies.
To ensure that he/she adheres to the British Association for Counsellors Code of Professional Ethics at all times.
To take part in regular external supervision sessions in order to monitor, evaluate and develop his/her counselling skills.

Public Relations

To work individually, and with colleagues, to raise the profile of the work undertaken by the DMWS, including assisting with presentations to military and hospital personnel.

Administration

To provide full and accurate documentation of the process of assessment of welfare needs, action taken and subsequent outcome.
To provide any data or reports requested by his/her Senior Welfare Officer or Operations Manager within agreed timescales.
To maintain and regularly update departmental records and files, ensuring that monthly and quarterly returns are forwarded to Headquarters.
To ensure that, where patients are referred to other Agencies, written reports are provided to enable follow-up care to be provided that is appropriate to their needs.

Continuous Professional Development

To recognise the need for ongoing education and training to fulfil the requirements of the Welfare Officer role, in line with the DMWS core and functional competence frameworks.
To participate in the DMWS Performance Appraisal Review process, ensuring that training needs are recorded in his/her Personal Development Plan, after discussion with his/her Line Manager.
To participate in the planning and delivery of training locally, according to the level of his/her own competence and experience.
To take part in Field Hospital exercises, training with the Defence Medical Services.

Confidentiality

To maintain confidentiality of information relating to patients, relatives and staff of the DMWS and MDHU, in accordance with the DMWS Confidentiality Undertaking and the Data Protection Act 1998.

Equal Opportunities

To carry out at all times his/her responsibilities in line with the DMWS Equal Opportunities Policy and Procedure.

Health and Safety

To comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, always behaving in a manner that is consistent with good health and safety practice, taking responsibility for his/her own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by his/her own acts or omissions.

General

To work from other locations, if required, according to Service need.
To undertake any other duties commensurate with the role, within the bounds of his/her own competence.

Person Specification

	Essential	Desirable
Qualifications/Education: Good standard of education Recognised National Healthcare or Welfare/Social qualification
Knowledge, Skills & Experience: Experience of working in a health or welfare environment Counselling skills Presentation skills
Personal Qualities: Excellent interpersonal skills Excellent written communication skills Self-motivated Adaptable Team Player
Other: Current First Aid Certificate Current Driving Licence Knowledge of service life Prepared to move at short notice and serve in areas of conflict