Counsellor - 22.5 hours per week

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: Counsellor

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Family Wellbeing and Counselling Coordinator

About us

Our Vision

For every baby, child and young person with a life limiting condition to access specialist

palliative care, where and where they need it.

Our Mission

Whether in the hospice, at home or in partnership with another provider in a different setting, babies, children and young people will experience the same high-quality palliative and end of life care, and beyond, alongside specialist family support.

Our Values

We have worked together to create a new set of values which represent our aims as an organisation and these align perfectly with our overall strategy, ensuring that every decision we make and every action we take is guided by these principles.

JOB PURPOSE

The post holder has the responsibility for provision of counselling services for both children and adults, experiencing trauma, bereavement, and anticipatory grief, due to life shortening, palliative or end of life care, at Bluebell Wood to ensure that they are delivered in line with the ethical and professional codes of conduct pertaining to the relevant registered body (BACP).

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities:

Provide professional, competent, and ethical counselling in line with BACP requirements.

Provide a robust service delivery, under the direction of the Family Wellbeing and Counselling Coordinator.

To provide data and reports on services provided as required.

Maintain records in confidence and in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations).

Seek out and engage in regular clinical supervision.

Continue life-long professional learning.

Support colleagues in helping to ascertain the correct level of support based on client need and referring/signposting to the most appropriate service.

Key Tasks

Provide data and reports on the services provided as required.

Maintain accurate notes and appointment schedules using The Care Database, monitoring attendance and cancellations of clients.

Raise concerns to the appropriate member of management or Safeguarding Lead in a timely manner to ensure effective intervention if necessary.

Facilitate therapy sessions either in person or remotely according to client need.

Therapy

Hold a balanced caseload of clients, offering therapeutic intervention in line with professional registered body, (BACP).

Work autonomously as a competent practitioner within national, organisational, and local policies and procedures maintaining British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) or equivalent accreditation, working within the professional framework for ethical practice.

Continue to be mindful of and honest about limits to competence, and make recommendations for referral on where psychological difficulties are more complex and/or require specialist services/interventions.

Work in partnership with other professionals and agencies where necessary, signposting appropriately in situations where the core individual need is not bereavement or anticipatory grief.

Maintain a professional level of clinical practice through participation in individual monthly clinical supervision, placing a high value on self-care.

Maintain ongoing professional CPD in line with BACP requirements for continued registration, setting realistic personal development objectives. Taking responsibility for own development and maintaining a professionally relevant development portfolio.

Communication

Develop and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with children, young people and their families who use the counselling services via their preferred method of contact.

Establish and maintain effective communication with relevant individuals and groups to support children, young people, siblings, and family members; including key members of the hospice; volunteers; service users; statutory and voluntary organisations.

Develop and maintain effective communication links and relationships with external stakeholders, multi-disciplinary services and agencies, individuals, and organisations, to enable effective signposting where required.

Understand the importance of, and maintain, the need for confidentiality in all individual and hospice matters.

Service Development

Engage in research and development opportunities.

Network with other professionals both locally, regionally, and nationally who offer specialised services to children and families.

Work in collaboration with the psychological therapies team to continue to develop a robust, creative and evidence-based service for our children and families. I added this but if you think it isnt needed we can cut it.

Support the psychological therapies team to guide Family Support and wider hospice colleagues on theories around trauma, bereavement, and anticipatory grief to support their individual roles, providing specific training sessions where necessary.

GENERAL

All Bluebell Wood employees are required to:

Abide by the Health & Safety at Work Act

Adhere to policy and procedures around safeguarding children and young adults

Respect confidentiality applying to all Hospice areas

Work within Hospice policies and procedures

Comply with the Hospice no smoking policy

Participate in and contribute to team meetings

Co-operate and liaise with colleagues

Always behave in a professional manner, reflecting and maintaining the values and ethos of Bluebell Wood

All Bluebell Wood employees are expected to:

Demonstrate a commitment to their own development, to take advantage of education and training opportunities and develop their own competence

Support and encourage harmonious internal and external working relationships

Make a positive contribution to fundraising and raising the profile of the Hospice

This job description is not exhaustive. It will be subject to periodic review and may be amended following discussion between the post-holder and employer.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified Counsellor registered with BACP
• Specific training in working with children
• BACP Accreditation (or actively working towards this)

Skills / Knowledge

Essential

• IT Literate, including the ability to use Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to analyse data and produce performance reports
• Expert knowledge within own profession, which underpins theory, gained through recent professional development

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of the assessment of child and young adult support needs in a racially and culturally diverse population

Other

Essential

• Legally entitled to work in this country
• Willing and able to travel extensively to meet the needs of our children, young people, and their families
• Car driver with access to a vehicle

Experience

Essential

• At least two years post qualifying experience in a related area
• Experience of responding proactively to safeguarding concerns
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively
• Ability to demonstrate a high degree of professional credibility
• Experience of providing bereavement counselling to children

Desirable

• Experience of working within a palliative care setting

Personal qualities

Essential

• Fully committed to the aims and objectives of Bluebell Wood Hospice
• Accountable for own actions, decisions, and development

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice

Address

Cramfit Road

North Anston

Sheffield

S25 4AJ

Employer's website

https://www.bluebellwood.org/ (Opens in a new tab)