Sessional Trauma Therapist

Job responsibilities

Hours: ad hoc as per practitioner availability

Location: Russell House, Huddersfield or your own designated therapy space

Responsible to:Family Services Manager

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

At Forget Me Not, we dont just care for children with life-shortening conditions, we care for their families too. Families who may be traumatised by the struggle of caring for a child with complex heath needs or by bereavement.

We also support families whose child has died suddenly and unexpectedly, often in traumatic circumstances. Were looking to build our pool of professionals from a range of therapeutic disciplines so that we can match family members with the right support for them. With an accredited qualification in trauma therapy including compassion-focused, EMDR etc, youll have a deep knowledge of trauma, particularly in relation to grief and loss and/or palliative care and experience of delivering counselling and psychotherapy within a structured programme.

You might have your own practice, or currently be working in the NHS or another charitable organisation and be looking to expand your understanding of childrens hospice care. Services could be delivered at the hospice, within a local community space or within your own designated therapy space (if available).

JOB DESCRIPTION

Role Summary

Carry out trauma-informed assessments on individuals and families providing an overview of their emotional, social, practical, environmental needs and stressors, family dynamics, strengths and ways of coping.

Complete risk assessments around harm to self and suicide risk.

Contract with the client to ensure there is clarity and definition around issues such as confidentiality and boundaries.

Complete formulation and support plans, based on your assessment of need.

Use counselling skills and knowledge of theories of trauma, adversity and bereavement and loss to deliver therapeutic interventions.

Provide individuals with the skills and interventions to help them process trauma.

Empower families and individual family members to make their own choices and decisions.

Be confident in contacting individuals and professionals via telephone, email and video call.

Ensure excellent communication internally throughout the multidisciplinary family support team and across all areas of the hospice including explaining your service offer to care staff and income generation teams.

Demonstrate clear communication between the hospice, the family and other agencies supporting any individuals, including social services, education, GP, childrens community nursing teams, occupational therapist, perinatal mental health teams, hospital consultants and voluntary agencies, including as part of a transition into other services and organisations.

Ensure that relevant records are kept which are accurate, contemporaneous, and professional and meet legal requirements and that of any accredited body you are a member of.

Implement outcome measures, including PHQ-9, SDQ, AAG and Impact of Events Scale.

Manage own caseload, maintaining a structured but flexible and responsive approach. This will involve prioritising and planning work with families, including frequency of contact, and time management.

Actively participate in own supervision with your external professional supervisor.

Maintain professional registration.

Comply with your professional standards of conduct, performance and ethics.

Work within the guidelines of the local safeguarding childrens board (LSCB) procedures.

Adopt positive and reflective approach to personal and professional development, participating constructively in annual appraisal process, including working towards objectives.

Maintain professional development by keeping up-to-date with current research and developments within your field and that of childrens palliative care, bereavement, perinatal mental health and trauma.

DBS

Essential

• DBS Required for role (covered by us)

Qualifications

Essential

• Essential:
• Recognised professional counselling or psychotherapy qualification
• Membership of BACP/NCS or other appropriate counselling and psychotherapy membership body.

Desirable

• Desirable:
• EMDR training and qualification
• Specific grief and loss training.

Experience

Essential

• Essential:
• Minimum 2 years post registration experience of working individuals who have experienced trauma and loss
• Qualified in an area of trauma therapy (EMDR, CBT, Compassion Focused Therapies)
• Experience of supporting adults affected by pregnancy, baby and child bereavement
• Providing therapeutic support to individuals
• Working within a multidisciplinary team
• Assessment of psychosocial needs of individuals and families in need
• Excellent interpersonal / communication skills
• High levels of empathy
• Time management and caseload management
• Computer literate
• Team player who can work under minimal supervision
• Flexibility
• Friendly and enthusiastic
• Confidence with ability to make decisions
• Creative thinker
• Experience and knowledge of working within safeguarding procedures.

Desirable

• Knowledge of childrens hospice services and philosophy
• Knowledge of perinatal mental health
• Postgraduate qualifications in trauma, psychotherapy, counselling.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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