Job summary
Sunderland Counselling Service is looking to recruit a qualified and experienced counsellor on a permanent 0.5 FTE basis (18.75 hours per week) to join our established team in North Tyneside to deliver Step 2 Counselling within the NHS North Tyneside Talking Therapies service. The post holder will be expected to work 2.5 days a week on the following working pattern:
- Wednesday: 09:00 - 17:00
- Thursday: 15:45 - 19:30
- Friday: 09:00 - 17:00
You will be required to deliver services from the base in Wallsend and a range of health and community venues throughout the borough of North Tyneside.
We are looking for a competent qualified counsellor with significant post qualification experience of counselling adults, who will be able to work independently and is aware of how to make use of the outcome measures required when working within an NHS Talking Therapies service. Experience of working within an NHS Talking Therapies service is ideal, or of working within a time-limited framework.
The successful candidate will be paid at Agenda for Change Band 6 comparable salary (£35,392) FTE pro-rata if Accredited with the BACP or an equivalent professional body. You will be paid at a salary of £29,361 FTE pro-rata if you are a member of the BACP or an equivalent body but not yet Accredited.
Main duties of the job
You will use a range of counselling interventions to provide short-term individual counselling (up to six sessions) either face to face, via telephone, or video, to adults from different cultural backgrounds and ages who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health conditions. You will also complete assessments for new referrals into the service and facilitate counselling support groups.
You will be supported through regular counselling supervision, and line and case management provided by Sunderland Counselling Service.
About us
Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) is an established independent mental health charity which is acknowledged for its contribution to the community by mental health professionals, health practitioners, and local and regional voluntary and statutory community agencies. We have grown into one of the leading NHS Talking Therapies providers for mental health across the North East of England.
We work in partnership with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to deliver counselling within the NHS Talking Therapies service in North Tyneside.
You will be employed by SCS and entitled to our employee benefits such as 30 days annual leave FTE pro-rata, access to our free 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Bike2Work Scheme, self-care group, access to training provided by the Talking Therapies service as well as SCS, and be part of a supportive team which emphasises the importance of continuing personal and professional development. This will include a focus on training in NHS Talking Therapies compliant modalities, specifically Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For detailed information regarding the job description and person specification regarding this post, please refer to the document titled 'Step 2 Counsellor NTTT JD and PS Perm Oct23'.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For detailed information regarding the job description and person specification regarding this post, please refer to the document titled 'Step 2 Counsellor NTTT JD and PS Perm Oct23'.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Significant counselling experience post qualification, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, counselling adults.
- Competence in and possession of a recognised theoretical model of counselling.
- Experience of effectively delivering short-term counselling.
- Experience of working with people who have experienced a common mental health problem.
- Experience of completing assessments, including risk assessments.
- Experience of using electronic case management systems such as IAPTus.
- Experience of recording accurate clinical notes.
- The ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive therapeutic relationships.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to manage own caseload and time.
- Ability to make good use of supervisory processes.
- Ability to meet the BACP competencies for telephone and video working.
- Ability to take responsibility for identifying and meeting own learning and development needs.
- Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships.
- Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual and project level.
Desirable
- Experience of providing a counselling intervention within primary care or NHS Talking Therapies setting.
- Experience of delivering PCE-CfD or CTfD within primary care or NHS Talking Therapies setting.
- Experience of working in a service where agreed targets were in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
- Experience of delivering telephone counselling.
- Experience of delivering video counselling.
- Experience of engaging in case management.
- Experience of developing and delivering or co-facilitating groups with clients.
- Commitment to and experience of working with multi-agency partnerships.
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling
- Training in Risk Assessment
Desirable
- Qualification in NHS Talking Therapies compliant modality, such as Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression
- Possession of, or showing evidence of working towards, NHS Talking Therapies compliant form of counselling therapy; specifically Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression or Couple Therapy for Depression qualifications
Other Criteria
Essential
- Willing and eligible to work towards qualification in NHS Talking Therapies compliant modality, specifically PCE-CfD.
- Sound knowledge of NHS Talking Therapies services and the stepped care model.
- Sound knowledge of the associated issues facing this client group, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health and child protection.
- Sound knowledge of broader mental health issues and services available to support people.
- Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients.
- A clear understanding of, and willingness to acknowledge and adhere to, the service philosophy.
- Competent computer and technology skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills.
- High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
- Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
- Membership of and registration with BACP or other relevant professional body.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health.
- Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems.
- Possession of, or showing evidence of working towards, Accreditation with BACP or other relevant professional body.
- General education to A Level Standard or equivalent.
- Full clean driving license and use of a car.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Significant counselling experience post qualification, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, counselling adults.
- Competence in and possession of a recognised theoretical model of counselling.
- Experience of effectively delivering short-term counselling.
- Experience of working with people who have experienced a common mental health problem.
- Experience of completing assessments, including risk assessments.
- Experience of using electronic case management systems such as IAPTus.
- Experience of recording accurate clinical notes.
- The ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive therapeutic relationships.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to manage own caseload and time.
- Ability to make good use of supervisory processes.
- Ability to meet the BACP competencies for telephone and video working.
- Ability to take responsibility for identifying and meeting own learning and development needs.
- Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships.
- Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual and project level.
Desirable
- Experience of providing a counselling intervention within primary care or NHS Talking Therapies setting.
- Experience of delivering PCE-CfD or CTfD within primary care or NHS Talking Therapies setting.
- Experience of working in a service where agreed targets were in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
- Experience of delivering telephone counselling.
- Experience of delivering video counselling.
- Experience of engaging in case management.
- Experience of developing and delivering or co-facilitating groups with clients.
- Commitment to and experience of working with multi-agency partnerships.
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling
- Training in Risk Assessment
Desirable
- Qualification in NHS Talking Therapies compliant modality, such as Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression
- Possession of, or showing evidence of working towards, NHS Talking Therapies compliant form of counselling therapy; specifically Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression or Couple Therapy for Depression qualifications
Other Criteria
Essential
- Willing and eligible to work towards qualification in NHS Talking Therapies compliant modality, specifically PCE-CfD.
- Sound knowledge of NHS Talking Therapies services and the stepped care model.
- Sound knowledge of the associated issues facing this client group, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health and child protection.
- Sound knowledge of broader mental health issues and services available to support people.
- Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients.
- A clear understanding of, and willingness to acknowledge and adhere to, the service philosophy.
- Competent computer and technology skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills.
- High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
- Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
- Membership of and registration with BACP or other relevant professional body.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health.
- Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems.
- Possession of, or showing evidence of working towards, Accreditation with BACP or other relevant professional body.
- General education to A Level Standard or equivalent.
- Full clean driving license and use of a car.
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).
