Locality Counselling Service Lead

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Service Leadership and Operational Oversight

Lead day to day management of the mental health triage team, ensuring safe, timely, and high quality responses to all enquiries.

Line Manage a team of Health and Wellbeing Coaches based across Solihull & Birmingham.

Maintain oversight of risk, safeguarding concerns, demand pressures, and complex cases.

Develop, implement, and review triage processes, tools, and practice standards.

Ensure all staff understand escalation procedures and receive appropriate guidance and supervision.

Supervision and Workforce Development

Deliver regular reflective supervision to triage assistants and other mental health support staff.

Identify training needs and coordinate internal/external development opportunities.

Model trauma informed, strengths-based practice.

Partnership and MultiAgency Coordination

Act as a key link between Primary Care, Primary Mental Health Teams and VCFSE wellbeing providers.

Convene or attend multiagency meetings, panels, or triage discussions.

Ensure smooth referral pathways, warm handovers, and joint working arrangements.

Maintain up to date knowledge of local mental health and wellbeing provision.

Quality Assurance and Safeguarding

Oversee quality of triage records, risk assessments, and case decision making.

Monitor adherence to safeguarding policies, ensuring prompt escalation where needed.

Audit triage practice and produce improvement plans as required.

Review data trends to identify risks, gaps, or opportunities for service enhancement.

Service Development and Strategic Support

Contribute to the shaping and evolution of the Gateway Family Services mental health offer.

Lead on the development of new processes, guidance, and service pathways.

Support tender responses, partnership proposals, and outcome reporting for commissioners.

Represent the organisation at relevant strategic forums and partnership boards.

Data, Outcomes and Reporting

Oversee monitoring systems and ensure high quality data capture.

Prepare performance reports for senior leadership, funders, or commissioners.

Use quantitative and qualitative data to support service planning and evidence impact.

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional qualification in counselling, psychotherapy or psychology or related discipline

Desirable

• Level 4 or 5 Management Qualification
• Safeguarding Level 3

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Strong knowledge of multiple therapeutic modalities and interventions
• Experience of using and interpreting outcome measures including PHQ-9, GAD-7, CORE-10 etc
• Ability to manage complex cases and manage risk
• Strong leadership and relationship building skills with the ability to manage and support multiple deliver partners
• Effective communication skills and ability to build and develop relationships at all levels
• Good planning and organisational skills
• Strong persuasion and influencing skills
• Ability to make decisions and problem solve in relation to the services you are responsible for and contribute to decisions being made effecting the wider organisation
• Ability to manage own time, prioritise and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to compile reports and interrogate statistical information
• IT competent using a range of Microsoft packages, social media and digital platforms
• Self-motivated with a positive attitude - displays energy and enthusiasm
• Commitment to high quality customer/client experience
• Sets high standards for own work and work of others
• Tenacious approach with the ability to creatively problem solve and suggest a range of solutions
• Commitment to personal development
• Able to work flexibly including some evening and weekend working
• Willingness and ability to travel across Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country
• Eligibility to work in the UK
• Committed to equal opportunities

Desirable

• Management across multiple contracts and disciplines

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of managing mental health, counselling or similar services
• Experience of working within a partnership or multi agency environment
• Experience of delivering community-based services to diverse communities
• Experience of clinical governance, supervision and risk management
• Experience of implementing contracts, seeing through to operational delivery and maintaining strong performance
• Proven track record of achieving targets and maintaining high quality services
• Experience of building effective relationships with a range of professionals and services

Desirable

• Experience of working collaboratively with Primary Care partners
• Experience of Volunteer Management or Supervision

Professional Registration

Essential

• Registration or accreditation with relevant professional body (BACP, UKCP etc)

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).