Counsellor

Livewell Southwest

This job is now closed

Job summary

37.5 hours per week. We are excited to be offering an opportunity for specialist counsellor to work within the Psychotherapy service. We are seeking highly motivated mental health professionals to join our specialist counselling team at Plymouth Psychotherapy service.

You should have experience of liaising closely with GPs, CMHTs & other statutory & third sector organisations. You should also have a proven track record of working with those experiencing difficulties in their mental health.

The role is open to individuals with an accredited Diploma or Degree in Counselling, and training relevant to working with adults with mental health disorders.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Main duties of the job

Provide a specialist professional counselling service to adults with mental health difficulties in accordance with the principles set out in BACP Ethical Framework 2018.

Autonomously manage own counselling caseload of adults with mental health difficulties, using an evidence-based eclectic or client-centred approaches. The caseload includes adults with highly complex needs e.g. people who have autism, mental health problems, behaviours which challenge including verbal or physical aggression directed at self or others, offending behaviour and people who are perpetrators and / or victims of abuse. Working with the caseload also includes working therapeutically with parents/families and carers.

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. This will include lone working for long periods of time.

Responsible for implementing specialist counselling treatment. This includes assessment and intervention through both individual and group treatments. Counselling people with mental health difficulties is a highly skilled psychotherapeutic process (with high attention to non-verbal expression and processes) through which distressed adult clients find expression, to often powerful emotional material and work toward psychological change.

Participate in the planning, development, evaluation and maintenance of counselling with the Community Mental Health Service, taking a lead and holding responsibility for defined projects.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.

We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.

Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:

Protected CPD time for registered staff

Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff

Leadership & mentoring programmes

Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training

A Robust Preceptorship

A bespoke induction programme

Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Date posted

23 January 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year pa, pro-rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

B9832-2024-SP-1011-2

Job locations

Centre Court

73 Exeter Street

Plymouth

PL4 0AH

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Clinical

To autonomously manage an individual caseload of clients with complex needs. This may include clients with additional physical health needs, physical disability, behaviours that challenge, mental health needs and/or offending behaviour.
To be responsible for assessing, planning and implementing, monitoring and evaluating client centred individual and/or group interventions using specialised counselling assessments and treatments.
To develop individual programmes of care in conjunction with the client (as much as possible using total communication principles), carers and members of the multi-disciplinary team. To be responsible for co-ordinating care where appropriate.
To provide specialist counselling advice to staff, clients and carers relating to clinical interventions, policy and service development.
To actively engage in the training of staff, families and carers.
To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment counselling of students on practice placements within Livewell Southwest.
To contribute to the induction and training of other staff both within or external to Livewell Southwest.
To ensure that contemporaneous, written and electronic records, specialist counselling report and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and Livewell Southwest standards.
To liaise and communicate with clients, carers, other disciplines, professionals and other agencies using appropriate and accessible methods to do this.
To actively promote awareness of the role of counselling with the Community Mental Health Service and Livewell Southwest multi-disciplinary team and to make links with other services.
To actively engage in specialist counselling supervision due to the often distressing and complex nature of the therapeutic material and to ensure high quality counselling practice.
To provide clinical supervision to professional colleagues and carers, and/or staff (e.g. health professionals/peers).
To assess and order appropriate counselling resources when necessary, demonstrating and teaching the safe use of counselling resources in an appropriate manner to clients and/or carers.
To ensure the physical and therapeutic safety of the therapeutic environment.

Administration

To adhere to all policies and standards of Livewell Southwest and of the Community Mental Health Service. To comply with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national policies and procedures.
To autonomously plan and prioritise own workload in accordance with above.
To co-ordinate or attend clinical meetings as appropriate including staff meetings.
To participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within the Psychotherapy Service, leading on delegated projects. To participate in the delivery of the Psychotherapy Service development plan.
To be responsible for contributing to policy development in line with the Psychotherapy Service development plan and Government directives including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.
To be responsible for the general maintenance of the counselling space, which incudes the adequate and safe maintenance of materials and resources.
To keep clear and accurate case notes and all other necessary records in accordance with Livewell Southwest record keeping policy. This is to include input of statistics onto Livewell Southwest computer database and the use of the electronic Patient Records System One.
To use word processing (e.g. for report writing), email for communication purposes and the Internet for researching and accessing relevant information.

Self-Development

In line with local guidelines review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
To demonstrate ongoing professional development by identifying own training requirements and through participation in internal and external Continuing Professional Development opportunities, reflecting and recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.
To undertake research and/or audit projects relevant to counselling and/or service, disseminating findings at local level.
To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.

Additional Criteria

The post holder is a community-based member of staff and will be expected to travel around Plymouth in the course of their duties.
The post holder must have up to date registration with BACP.
The post holder may be exposed to unpleasant working conditions including exposure to vomit, sputum and body fluids.
The post holder may be exposed to emotionally distressing situation, as many people with mental health difficulties have complex emotional needs. These include challenging and unpredictable behaviour.
The post holder may, on occasions, be required to assist with other duties to cover periods of staff absence.
This job description is a guide to the main duties and is not exhaustive. These duties may change as services develop and the job description will be reviewed annually as part of the post holders performance review. Appropriate training will be provided for new duties.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Clinical

To autonomously manage an individual caseload of clients with complex needs. This may include clients with additional physical health needs, physical disability, behaviours that challenge, mental health needs and/or offending behaviour.
To be responsible for assessing, planning and implementing, monitoring and evaluating client centred individual and/or group interventions using specialised counselling assessments and treatments.
To develop individual programmes of care in conjunction with the client (as much as possible using total communication principles), carers and members of the multi-disciplinary team. To be responsible for co-ordinating care where appropriate.
To provide specialist counselling advice to staff, clients and carers relating to clinical interventions, policy and service development.
To actively engage in the training of staff, families and carers.
To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment counselling of students on practice placements within Livewell Southwest.
To contribute to the induction and training of other staff both within or external to Livewell Southwest.
To ensure that contemporaneous, written and electronic records, specialist counselling report and activity data are maintained in accordance with professional and Livewell Southwest standards.
To liaise and communicate with clients, carers, other disciplines, professionals and other agencies using appropriate and accessible methods to do this.
To actively promote awareness of the role of counselling with the Community Mental Health Service and Livewell Southwest multi-disciplinary team and to make links with other services.
To actively engage in specialist counselling supervision due to the often distressing and complex nature of the therapeutic material and to ensure high quality counselling practice.
To provide clinical supervision to professional colleagues and carers, and/or staff (e.g. health professionals/peers).
To assess and order appropriate counselling resources when necessary, demonstrating and teaching the safe use of counselling resources in an appropriate manner to clients and/or carers.
To ensure the physical and therapeutic safety of the therapeutic environment.

Administration

To adhere to all policies and standards of Livewell Southwest and of the Community Mental Health Service. To comply with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and national policies and procedures.
To autonomously plan and prioritise own workload in accordance with above.
To co-ordinate or attend clinical meetings as appropriate including staff meetings.
To participate in the operational planning and implementation of policy and service development within the Psychotherapy Service, leading on delegated projects. To participate in the delivery of the Psychotherapy Service development plan.
To be responsible for contributing to policy development in line with the Psychotherapy Service development plan and Government directives including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.
To be responsible for the general maintenance of the counselling space, which incudes the adequate and safe maintenance of materials and resources.
To keep clear and accurate case notes and all other necessary records in accordance with Livewell Southwest record keeping policy. This is to include input of statistics onto Livewell Southwest computer database and the use of the electronic Patient Records System One.
To use word processing (e.g. for report writing), email for communication purposes and the Internet for researching and accessing relevant information.

Self-Development

In line with local guidelines review and reflect on own practice and performance through effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.
To demonstrate ongoing professional development by identifying own training requirements and through participation in internal and external Continuing Professional Development opportunities, reflecting and recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.
To undertake research and/or audit projects relevant to counselling and/or service, disseminating findings at local level.
To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.

Additional Criteria

The post holder is a community-based member of staff and will be expected to travel around Plymouth in the course of their duties.
The post holder must have up to date registration with BACP.
The post holder may be exposed to unpleasant working conditions including exposure to vomit, sputum and body fluids.
The post holder may be exposed to emotionally distressing situation, as many people with mental health difficulties have complex emotional needs. These include challenging and unpredictable behaviour.
The post holder may, on occasions, be required to assist with other duties to cover periods of staff absence.
This job description is a guide to the main duties and is not exhaustive. These duties may change as services develop and the job description will be reviewed annually as part of the post holders performance review. Appropriate training will be provided for new duties.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

An accredited Diploma or Degree in Counselling
Training relevant to working with adults with mental health disorders.
Registration with BACP, UKCP or other recognized professional body

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Commitment to client-centered non-discriminatory practice.
Demonstrate reflection skills.
Ability to form a working therapeutic relationship and communicate with adults with severe mental health disorders
Able to help clients minimise and reduce distress or anxiety, including in situations which are stressful and occasionally highly distressing.
Able to recognise when breakdown/conflict may be likely to occur and be able to manage appropriately.
Able to work effectively as part of a teams.
Ability to work under pressure and set priorities.
Willingness to be flexible.
Health, safety and risk awareness.

Experience

Essential

Evidence of continuing professional development.
Experience within services for adults with mental health disorders.
Working knowledge of the counselling evidence base.
Experience of counselling with clients with mental health issues.

Knowledge

Essential

Able to select, adapt and interpret a range of counselling interventions relevant to adults with mental health disorders.
Knowledge of the principles of person-centered planning.
Good planning and decision-making skills.
To be able to adjust communication according to the particular situation and the needs of the particular individual.
Computer literacy.

Desirable

Presentation and training skills.
Ability to work in counselling groups.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

An accredited Diploma or Degree in Counselling
Training relevant to working with adults with mental health disorders.
Registration with BACP, UKCP or other recognized professional body

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Commitment to client-centered non-discriminatory practice.
Demonstrate reflection skills.
Ability to form a working therapeutic relationship and communicate with adults with severe mental health disorders
Able to help clients minimise and reduce distress or anxiety, including in situations which are stressful and occasionally highly distressing.
Able to recognise when breakdown/conflict may be likely to occur and be able to manage appropriately.
Able to work effectively as part of a teams.
Ability to work under pressure and set priorities.
Willingness to be flexible.
Health, safety and risk awareness.

Experience

Essential

Evidence of continuing professional development.
Experience within services for adults with mental health disorders.
Working knowledge of the counselling evidence base.
Experience of counselling with clients with mental health issues.

Knowledge

Essential

Able to select, adapt and interpret a range of counselling interventions relevant to adults with mental health disorders.
Knowledge of the principles of person-centered planning.
Good planning and decision-making skills.
To be able to adjust communication according to the particular situation and the needs of the particular individual.
Computer literacy.

Desirable

Presentation and training skills.
Ability to work in counselling groups.

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).