Senior Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Sunderland Counselling Service is looking to employ a Senior practitioner to work within South Tyneside Community Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Service (STCCYPMHS). They will report to Sunderland Counselling Service's Chief Executive. The post is full time- 37 1/2 hours a week with a yearly wage of£50,273.00.

The post holder will be entitled to 30 days annual leave at normal salary rate or pro rata for part of a year. In addition, entitlement to all statutory public holidays will be given at normal salary rate.

The post holder will be employed on a fixed term contract for 12 months which will be subject to a probationary period of 6 months; continued employment will depend on project funding.

The post holder will be working in a STCCYPMHS locality base within South Tyneside and will be responsible for managing and coordinating a team of STCCYPMHS counsellors who are employed by Sunderland Counselling Service. The post holder will be responsible for the delivery and development of the counselling, supervision and training components of the service. They will take primary responsibility for service development and will manage the team of counsellors to ensure that targets and activity levels set out in the specification for the service are met. This will involve reviewing and being confident with data. They will carry a small individual case load of clients and so will work with children and young people whose lives are, or have been, affected by events to such a level that it impacts upon their emotional and mental well-being.

The post holder will be called upon to use a personal means of transport while engaged in the work of the service for which travel expenses will be available.

Main Responsibilities of the post holder are:

Providing clinical leadership, oversight, guidance and decision making for Community Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Service.

Ensuring the safety and consistency of STCYPMHS Counselling Service.

Ensuring safe and ethical practice is observed within the service.

Ensuring that effective clinical governance arrangements are in place and adhered to throughout the service.

Ensuring that all counselling staff, are appropriately supported, supervised, skilled and trained to deliver the services required.

Providing assurance to service management of the safety, consistency and effectiveness of services provided, raising any issues or concerns with service management.

Providing direct line management and case management for all salaried counsellors working within the service.

Being confident in the understanding and evaluation of data.

Acting as a point of contact and guidance for any staff members needing clinical support or guidance.

Providing operational guidance to all Sunderland Counselling Service counsellors.

Coordinating regular team meetings to ensure safety and consistency of service and address any issues that arise.

Liaising and working in partnership with other agencies to ensure clients receive effective and appropriate services.

Observing the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) ethical framework and other guidance.

Working as part of the senior management team within Sunderland Counselling Service, participating in team development, training and regular supervision sessions.

Contributing to the further development and sustainability of the STCCYPMHS Counselling Service.

Professionally represent Sunderland Counselling Service in all dealings with external agencies.

Deputise for the Chief Executive when required.

Assess the needs of children and young people in relation to their emotional and mental well-being and when appropriate provide individual counselling to children and young people.

Encourage and support children and young people using the service, to enable them to address and manage the issues and associated problems that are affecting their mental and emotional well-being.

Assist in the provision of an appropriate service for reaching out to children and young people most at risk. This may include working in primary and secondary level education settings and outreach work within South Tyneside.

Adopt a preventative approach in relation to mental health and emotional well being.

Be accountable for personal conduct and professional practice in relation to all relevant legislation, including Safeguarding Children procedures, and according to Sunderland Counselling Service and STCYPMHS policies and procedures. This includes completing necessary reports for any safeguarding conferences and contributing information towards Education, Health and Care Assessments or reviews. Be similarly accountable for the practice and behaviour of counselling staff working within the service.

Work both effectively and creatively including some evening and weekend work.

Ensure adequate systems are in place to measure the effectiveness of the services provided.

Contribute to the compilation of accurate and appropriate records of the work carried out with children and young people.

Contribute to the provision of accurate statistical information regarding service activity and performance.

Evaluate service effectiveness and make use of relevant outcome measurement tools.

Ensure that targets and activity levels set out in the specification for the service are met.

Undertake any other duties as required within the spirit of the post.

Experience

Essential

• Significant and demonstrable counselling experience post qualification working with children and young people.
• Experience of providing counselling supervision.
• Experience of providing operational line management.
• Experience of carrying out assessments of client support needs.
• Ability to produce written and verbal reports.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a school or educational setting.
• Experience of working within an NHS setting
• Experience of service and business development.
• Project management skills and experience.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Hold individual accreditation as a counsellor with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, or equivalent professional body.
• Competence in and possession of a recognised theoretical model of counselling or psychological therapy.
• Sound knowledge of the mental health system and service provision as well as associated issues facing the services client groups, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health and child protection.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the Children and Young Peoples IAPT agenda.
• Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients through centre based and outreach work.
• The ability to engage and work with clients individually and in groups.
• The ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive therapeutic relationships.
• Ability to engage and work with children and young people, affording them the opportunity to influence and shape all aspects of the service and the way in which the service provision will be delivered.
• Ability to make good use of supervisory process.
• Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual, project and service level.
• A clear understanding of and willingness to acknowledge and adhere to, the service philosophy.
• Commitment to working with multi-agency partnerships.
• Good information technology skills.

Desirable

• Sound knowledge of broader mental health issues.
• Sound knowledge of children and young peoples mental health issues.
• Familiarity with child and family support agencies.

Qualifications

Essential

• Hold individual accreditation as a counsellor with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy, or equivalent professional body.
• Qualified to Honours Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling or other relevant psychological therapy.
• Qualification in counselling supervision.
• Full Driving License.

Desirable

• General education to A Level Standard or equivalent.
• Qualification in counselling children and young people

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).