Job summary
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and accredited counsellorto join Brent Talking Therapies Service (IAPT) located in the diverse and vibrant community of the London borough of Brent. This is a Senior Counsellor role including clinical and supervisory responsibilities.
You will join a large and well integrated team with experienced staff, fellow supervisors, trainees and colleagues. You must have experience of delivering brief focussed counselling in a primary care setting, and also of offering formal supervision to other staff either in IAPT or in other settings.
Applicants must be BACP Accredited (not just registered), on the UKCP register or NCS Accredited Professional. Please ensure you provide the correct Registration Number in your application for us to confirm .
We are also looking for applicants who have completed a qualification or are in the process of completing training in an IAPT approved modality (such as DIT, Couples counselling for Depression, BCT, IPT or CFD).
Main duties of the job
You will provide a clinical service to adults with common mental health problems in the borough of Brent, and be responsible for the supervision of counsellors within the Brent Talking Therapies Service.
You will be responsible for allocating people referred into the service to the most appropriate intervention and to therapists with the most appropriate training and skills to meet their therapeutic need and provide their care. The post holder will also undertake other senior duties as delegated by the Clinical Lead and Joint Lead Counsellors for the service.
Interview date: TBC
About us
The catchment area of the post is the London borough of Brent. The main hub for the service is based at Fairfields House in Kingsbury and there is a satellite hub at Bell House in Willesden Green.
We operate an agile working policy where staff combine remote working and being on-site to deliver face-to-face appointments and other service commitments that require a hub-based presence. The post-holder will work full-time hours and may be required to work at any times between 8am and 8pm on weekdays including an evening clinic as required by the service.
Benefits of working for CNWL include:
- 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS discount
- Opportunities for career progression
- New starters will have a 13-week probation period which is a supportive process to allow individuals to learn and work within the key aspects of their role over a period of time
- If you would like to see what it's like to work for CNWL please have a look at https://talkingtherapies.cnwl.nhs.uk/work
Job description
Job responsibilities
For information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role of senior counsellor, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role of senior counsellor, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- 1.Qualified and Accredited Counsellor / Psychotherapist, current Registrant on the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register of Counsellors (BACP, BPC, UKCP, NCS [Accredited Professional], COSCA, UKAHPP) OR Qualified Counselling Psychologist, current registrant with the HCPC
- 2.Substantial post-qualification experience of generic counselling (minimum of 450hrs client contact), demonstrable through an additional supervisory reference
- 3.Continued professional development that includes learning/knowledge of other clinical modalities and theoretical models
- 4.Formal post-qualification supervision training on an accredited course of at least one year's duration.
Desirable
- Post-qualification training in one or more additional specialized areas related to primary care mental health eg. DIT, IPT, CfD, Couples Counselling for Depression, mental illness, clinical risk assessment, CBT principles
- Specialist Supervisor training in an IAPT modality including DIT, IPT, CfD, Couples Counselling for Depression
- Attended a management or High Intensity Supervisor's training
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified counsellor with specialist post-qualification experience in the NHS, including substantial post-qualification experience within primary care
- Specialist level of experience of brief focused counselling, including undertaking assessments, including risk assessment.
- Experience of professional management and supervision of qualified and pre-qualified counsellors in the NHS in a primary care setting.
- Experience of working with a wide range of clients over the age of 16 years and including older adults presenting with mild to moderate degrees of severity of mental illness.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' emotional care and treatment including maintaining confidentiality and client records.
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural context.
- Experience of supervising the clinical work of at least two counsellors working in a primary care setting, tested through written verification by at least one referee.
- Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of managing a specialist and independent caseload
Desirable
- Experience of working as a qualified counsellor with specialist post-qualification experience in the NHS
- Experience in consulting with General Practitioners to provide specialist expertise in the field of mental health and counselling in primary care.
- Experience of collaborative work with other mental health professionals working in secondary mental health services
- Experience of teaching and training in professional and clinical areas to other counsellors or similar.
- Experience in service planning, development and management within the NHS.
- Experience of working within an IAPT service
- Experience of working within an IAPT service
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Specialised post-qualification knowledge of a range of specialist therapeutic techniques underpinned by theory, acquired through further substantial training or experience and specialist supervision to Master's degree or equivalent level
- A high level of skill in assessment for short-term counselling, including risk assessment, and application of evidence-based interventions and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Skills in providing professional and clinical supervision, management and training to qualified and pre-qualified counsellors.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BACP or other relevant professional bodies including fulfilling professional clinical supervision requirements.
- Ability to work independently and manage a caseload, with freedom to act and take decisions about patient care, under supervision.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex and clinically sensitive information to clients and professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to propose changes to service and service delivery and implement policies relating to service provision, including the ability to contribute to policy discussions at a wider organizational level
- Ability to co-ordinate the recruitment, training and supervision of counsellors on placement
- Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the needs of the whole person.
- Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.
Desirable
- Competency in providing brief focused counseling using an evidence based approach eg focal psychodynamic, client centred, solution focused, humanistic etc
- Knowledge of more than one model of intervention and the evidence base for choosing different interventions.
- Familiarity with mental health policies in relation to primary care counselling
- Familiarity with issues around clinical governance.
Other
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.
- Commitment to the evaluation of services especially within own specialist area, an enthusiasm for service improvement and a wish to continue to develop expertise in the service area.
- To demonstrate emotional resilience and stability. Ability to establish and maintain working relationships under pressure.
Desirable
- Experience of personal psychotherapy.
- Personal experience of mental health difficulties as a user or carer
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- 1.Qualified and Accredited Counsellor / Psychotherapist, current Registrant on the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register of Counsellors (BACP, BPC, UKCP, NCS [Accredited Professional], COSCA, UKAHPP) OR Qualified Counselling Psychologist, current registrant with the HCPC
- 2.Substantial post-qualification experience of generic counselling (minimum of 450hrs client contact), demonstrable through an additional supervisory reference
- 3.Continued professional development that includes learning/knowledge of other clinical modalities and theoretical models
- 4.Formal post-qualification supervision training on an accredited course of at least one year's duration.
Desirable
- Post-qualification training in one or more additional specialized areas related to primary care mental health eg. DIT, IPT, CfD, Couples Counselling for Depression, mental illness, clinical risk assessment, CBT principles
- Specialist Supervisor training in an IAPT modality including DIT, IPT, CfD, Couples Counselling for Depression
- Attended a management or High Intensity Supervisor's training
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified counsellor with specialist post-qualification experience in the NHS, including substantial post-qualification experience within primary care
- Specialist level of experience of brief focused counselling, including undertaking assessments, including risk assessment.
- Experience of professional management and supervision of qualified and pre-qualified counsellors in the NHS in a primary care setting.
- Experience of working with a wide range of clients over the age of 16 years and including older adults presenting with mild to moderate degrees of severity of mental illness.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' emotional care and treatment including maintaining confidentiality and client records.
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural context.
- Experience of supervising the clinical work of at least two counsellors working in a primary care setting, tested through written verification by at least one referee.
- Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of managing a specialist and independent caseload
Desirable
- Experience of working as a qualified counsellor with specialist post-qualification experience in the NHS
- Experience in consulting with General Practitioners to provide specialist expertise in the field of mental health and counselling in primary care.
- Experience of collaborative work with other mental health professionals working in secondary mental health services
- Experience of teaching and training in professional and clinical areas to other counsellors or similar.
- Experience in service planning, development and management within the NHS.
- Experience of working within an IAPT service
- Experience of working within an IAPT service
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Specialised post-qualification knowledge of a range of specialist therapeutic techniques underpinned by theory, acquired through further substantial training or experience and specialist supervision to Master's degree or equivalent level
- A high level of skill in assessment for short-term counselling, including risk assessment, and application of evidence-based interventions and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Skills in providing professional and clinical supervision, management and training to qualified and pre-qualified counsellors.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BACP or other relevant professional bodies including fulfilling professional clinical supervision requirements.
- Ability to work independently and manage a caseload, with freedom to act and take decisions about patient care, under supervision.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex and clinically sensitive information to clients and professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to propose changes to service and service delivery and implement policies relating to service provision, including the ability to contribute to policy discussions at a wider organizational level
- Ability to co-ordinate the recruitment, training and supervision of counsellors on placement
- Ability to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the needs of the whole person.
- Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills.
Desirable
- Competency in providing brief focused counseling using an evidence based approach eg focal psychodynamic, client centred, solution focused, humanistic etc
- Knowledge of more than one model of intervention and the evidence base for choosing different interventions.
- Familiarity with mental health policies in relation to primary care counselling
- Familiarity with issues around clinical governance.
Other
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.
- Commitment to the evaluation of services especially within own specialist area, an enthusiasm for service improvement and a wish to continue to develop expertise in the service area.
- To demonstrate emotional resilience and stability. Ability to establish and maintain working relationships under pressure.
Desirable
- Experience of personal psychotherapy.
- Personal experience of mental health difficulties as a user or carer
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.
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).
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Brent Talking Therapies
Fairfields House, Fairfields Crescent, Roe Green, Kingsbury NW9 0PS
Kingsbury, London
NW9 0PS
Employer's website
https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)
