Job summary
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:
As a vital member of St Davids Hospice, the Counsellor will play a key role in providing
specialist bereavement and emotional support to patients with life-limiting illnesses and
their families.
Working within our multidisciplinary team, the post holder will contribute significantly to
patient well-being through both one-to-one counselling and therapeutic group sessions.
The Counsellor will provide Clinical Supervision for the Clinical staff.
This position will be instrumental in ensuring that our hospice continues to meet the
needs of the local community, delivering compassionate care that has a profound impact
on the lives of our patients and their loved ones.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for someone who will:
- Provide specialist bereavement and emotional support to patients and families
- Deliver one-to-one counselling and therapeutic group sessions.
- Manage a clinical caseload, providing timely and responsive care.
- Work within a multidisciplinary team to ensure holistic, patient-centred care.
- Be a great listener and have effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Be committed to professional development and maintaining high standards of care.
To do the role you'll need:
- Qualifications: Level 4 CPAB Counselling Qualification (or equivalent), professional registration.
- Experience: Therapeutic group leadership, palliative care exposure, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
- Skills: Exceptional communication, time management, and problem-solving abilities.
- Attributes: Compassionate, motivated, and eager to innovate and enhance our services.
- A valid driving license and access to a vehicle are required.
- Empathy for the Hospice, and alignment with the charitys values.
About us
Who we are:
St Davids Hospice is a local charity providing specialist care for adults with life-limiting illnesses or in need of end-of-life care, as well as support for their families. Each year, we impact the lives of over 1,000 people across Conwy, Gwynedd, and Anglesey.
Our services include 24/7 care, Day Therapy Centres offering patient care and bereavement support, and Inpatient Units in Llandudno and Holyhead providing symptom control, respite, and end-of-life care.
People are at the heart of everything we do, with integrity and care shaping our culture.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DIMENSIONS & LIMITS OF AUTHORITY:
Autonomously manage a clinical caseload, ensuring timely and appropriate care in both
individual and group settings.
The Counsellor has no direct line management responsibility but acts as a mentor for less
experienced staff and volunteers within the counselling team.
Ensure all practices comply with relevant safeguarding legislation, the Mental Health Act,
and hospice policies on data protection and confidentiality.
This position has no direct budget management but is responsible for ensuring
the efficient use of resources within the counselling service.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Clinical Responsibilities
- Manage a clinical caseload of palliative patients across all Hospice services,
ensuring the delivery of timely, responsive, and appropriate care.
- Provide individual counselling and lead therapeutic groups that focus on
supporting patients and families through loss, bereavement, and emotional
challenges.
- Develop and implement therapeutic interventions aimed at optimising clients
functional levels and independence, adapting to their cognitive and emotional
needs.
- Coordinate the admission, review, and discharge of patients within your caseload,
ensuring smooth transitions and appropriate referrals to other services as
needed.
- Act as an advocate for patients during multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings,
representing their emotional and psychological needs to ensure holistic care is
provided.
- Identify and assess clinical risks in patient care, working collaboratively with the
MDT to implement appropriate risk management strategies.
- Provide individual or group clinical supervision for the Clinical staff.
Education & Development
- Support the education of colleagues by providing specialist training on
communication and counselling skills, enhancing the capability of the wider
clinical team.
- Deliver and contribute to staff development programmes, including the
mentoring of volunteers and participation in ongoing professional learning
opportunities.
- Participate in personal professional development, attending mandatory and
specialist training sessions to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills in
bereavement counselling.
- Engage in reflective practice and clinical supervision to continuously improve
service delivery, collaborating with peers to review and refine counselling
methods.
Communication & Collaboration- Communicate complex, sensitive information effectively to patients, families, and
professionals, ensuring that emotional and clinical needs are addressed with
empathy and clarity.
- Resolve conflicts and manage difficult conversations using negotiation and
motivational skills, particularly in situations involving unmet expectations or
emotional distress.
- Collaborate with Allied Health professionals and other members of the MDT to
deliver integrated and patient-centred care, ensuring smooth coordination across
different services.
Documentation & Administration- Maintain accurate and up-to-date clinical records in compliance with hospice
standards and legal requirements, ensuring data protection and confidentiality
are upheld.
- Prepare reports and contribute to MDT meetings, ensuring all documentation is
timely, relevant, and reflective of the patient's emotional and psychological care
needs.
- Use hospice IT systems to record data consistently and efficiently, ensuring all
activity and outcomes are properly documented.
Quality & Service Improvement
- Evaluate counselling practices regularly, identifying areas for improvement and
implementing changes that enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.
- Contribute to service audits, quality assurance processes, and research projects
to ensure the continuous improvement of counselling services.
- Promote patient feedback as a tool for service development, using insights to drive
innovation and adapt services to meet the changing needs of the hospice
community.
Professional Standards & Safeguarding
- Adhere to professional codes of conduct and hospice policies, including
confidentiality, safeguarding, and health and safety regulations.
- Ensure safeguarding principles are applied in practice, following relevant
legislation such as the Mental Health Act and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults.
- Maintain professional registration and take responsibility for ongoing personal
and professional development, ensuring compliance with the hospices standards.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DIMENSIONS & LIMITS OF AUTHORITY:
Autonomously manage a clinical caseload, ensuring timely and appropriate care in both
individual and group settings.
The Counsellor has no direct line management responsibility but acts as a mentor for less
experienced staff and volunteers within the counselling team.
Ensure all practices comply with relevant safeguarding legislation, the Mental Health Act,
and hospice policies on data protection and confidentiality.
This position has no direct budget management but is responsible for ensuring
the efficient use of resources within the counselling service.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Clinical Responsibilities
- Manage a clinical caseload of palliative patients across all Hospice services,
ensuring the delivery of timely, responsive, and appropriate care.
- Provide individual counselling and lead therapeutic groups that focus on
supporting patients and families through loss, bereavement, and emotional
challenges.
- Develop and implement therapeutic interventions aimed at optimising clients
functional levels and independence, adapting to their cognitive and emotional
needs.
- Coordinate the admission, review, and discharge of patients within your caseload,
ensuring smooth transitions and appropriate referrals to other services as
needed.
- Act as an advocate for patients during multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings,
representing their emotional and psychological needs to ensure holistic care is
provided.
- Identify and assess clinical risks in patient care, working collaboratively with the
MDT to implement appropriate risk management strategies.
- Provide individual or group clinical supervision for the Clinical staff.
Education & Development
- Support the education of colleagues by providing specialist training on
communication and counselling skills, enhancing the capability of the wider
clinical team.
- Deliver and contribute to staff development programmes, including the
mentoring of volunteers and participation in ongoing professional learning
opportunities.
- Participate in personal professional development, attending mandatory and
specialist training sessions to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills in
bereavement counselling.
- Engage in reflective practice and clinical supervision to continuously improve
service delivery, collaborating with peers to review and refine counselling
methods.
Communication & Collaboration- Communicate complex, sensitive information effectively to patients, families, and
professionals, ensuring that emotional and clinical needs are addressed with
empathy and clarity.
- Resolve conflicts and manage difficult conversations using negotiation and
motivational skills, particularly in situations involving unmet expectations or
emotional distress.
- Collaborate with Allied Health professionals and other members of the MDT to
deliver integrated and patient-centred care, ensuring smooth coordination across
different services.
Documentation & Administration- Maintain accurate and up-to-date clinical records in compliance with hospice
standards and legal requirements, ensuring data protection and confidentiality
are upheld.
- Prepare reports and contribute to MDT meetings, ensuring all documentation is
timely, relevant, and reflective of the patient's emotional and psychological care
needs.
- Use hospice IT systems to record data consistently and efficiently, ensuring all
activity and outcomes are properly documented.
Quality & Service Improvement
- Evaluate counselling practices regularly, identifying areas for improvement and
implementing changes that enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.
- Contribute to service audits, quality assurance processes, and research projects
to ensure the continuous improvement of counselling services.
- Promote patient feedback as a tool for service development, using insights to drive
innovation and adapt services to meet the changing needs of the hospice
community.
Professional Standards & Safeguarding
- Adhere to professional codes of conduct and hospice policies, including
confidentiality, safeguarding, and health and safety regulations.
- Ensure safeguarding principles are applied in practice, following relevant
legislation such as the Mental Health Act and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults.
- Maintain professional registration and take responsibility for ongoing personal
and professional development, ensuring compliance with the hospices standards.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of developing and delivering therapeutic groups.
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
Desirable
- Experience of advance care planning.
Other
Essential
- Full current driving licence with ability and willingness to use own vehicle.
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Qualification, Counselling Qualification Level 4 CPCAB.
- State registration with Professional Body.
Desirable
- Post graduate experience as a qualified Counsellor, experience in palliative care and end of life care needs for people with life-limiting
- illnesses.
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to teach and coach patients, carers and colleagues.
Desirable
- Clinical governance and service improvement expertise.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent assessment and treatment skills.
- Ability to teach and coach patients, carers and colleagues.
- Enabling and empowering approach.
- Effective time management skills.
- Caseload management skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commitment to expert patient/family care.
- Motivated and enthusiastic, compassionate approach and commitment to provide expert patient care.
Desirable
- Willingness to develop collaborative working with other provider groups.
- Innovator.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience of developing and delivering therapeutic groups.
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
Desirable
- Experience of advance care planning.
Other
Essential
- Full current driving licence with ability and willingness to use own vehicle.
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Qualification, Counselling Qualification Level 4 CPCAB.
- State registration with Professional Body.
Desirable
- Post graduate experience as a qualified Counsellor, experience in palliative care and end of life care needs for people with life-limiting
- illnesses.
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to teach and coach patients, carers and colleagues.
Desirable
- Clinical governance and service improvement expertise.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent assessment and treatment skills.
- Ability to teach and coach patients, carers and colleagues.
- Enabling and empowering approach.
- Effective time management skills.
- Caseload management skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commitment to expert patient/family care.
- Motivated and enthusiastic, compassionate approach and commitment to provide expert patient care.
Desirable
- Willingness to develop collaborative working with other provider groups.
- Innovator.
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).
Additional information
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).
