Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Counsellor

The closing date is 10 November 2025

Job summary

A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 6 Counsellor working within the field of amputees.

The post holder will be working alongside a highly skilled and specialist multidisciplinary team under the direct supervision of our specialist counsellor. You will be responsible for providing care to adults and children following amputation or with limb difference in the out patient setting at the Specialised Ability Centre.

You must be passionate about providing a high quality service for our patients, have excellent communication skills both verbal and written, and have experience of working both independently and as part of a team.

For further information or for an informal discussion please contact Ged Pandolfo, Specialist Counsellor on 0161 611 3700.

Main duties of the job

Undertake assessment, deliver and manage own caseload within service delivery standards and clinical priorities

Provide emotional support to patients (and their relatives) which can often be held under distressing and upsetting circumstances, including being present at physical examinations.

Responsible for the assessment of counselling needs including the use of clinical measures to support and deliver agreed outcomes of therapeutic support with the patient.

Accept referrals from the wider service MDT and discuss the appropriateness of referrals, referring to other services, where relevant, ensuring smooth transition

To explain service procedures to patients including clear consent protocols and confidentiality boundaries

Write reports and provide statistical information to assist service delivery and evaluation

Have the skills required to motivate and support patients at different stages of their treatment progress

Plan and prioritise own workload according to clinical need and discuss relevant issues as required with a senior member of staff

To be an integral member of the wider clinical multi-disciplinary team, providing advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to patients' rehabilitation care plan

The individual will be an autonomous practitioner being professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of their professional and clinical work and therefore able to recognise their limitations

About us

MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of over £3bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.

Details

Date posted

27 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

349-CSS-7552760*

Job locations

Specialised Ability Centre

Altrincham Road

Sharston, Manchester

M13 9WL


Job description

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Job description

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Person Specification

Education/Qualification

Essential

  • Diploma level 4 or above in Counselling Studies Or Counselling Diploma Level 3 with significant post-qualifying supervised experience of working with people with common mental health problems Or Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Additional Post Graduate training and evidence of Continuing Professional Development relevant to role.
  • Specific training in evidence-based approaches, e.g. Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Registered Counsellor status with a recognised professional body e.g. BACP/UKCP/NCS and eligible for accreditation

Desirable

  • Masters Level qualification in counselling
  • Accredited Counsellor status with a recognised professional body
  • Further qualification and/or training in a range of therapy models/interventions

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

  • Post qualifying experience of working as a counsellor - with minimum 300 hours post graduate supervised practice
  • Post qualifying experience of counselling young people and adults with common mild to moderate mental health problems
  • Experience and knowledge of bereavement and loss theoretical models
  • Experience of delivering self-help and psycho-educational packages e.g. pain management and facilitating group-work
  • Experience of multi-agency/multi-disciplinary working
  • Experience of evaluating own practice by use of recognised outcome measures
  • Experience of managing own caseload and working autonomously
  • Evidence of receiving regular and recent clinical supervision in counselling
  • Knowledge of child protection, safeguarding and other relevant legislation

Desirable

  • Experience of working in Primary Care Mental Health Services
  • Experience preparing and developing new resources to support service delivery
  • Experience of providing guidance and support to other professionals
  • Experience of working with patients with physical disability
  • Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to recognise the impact of physical health needs of patients accessing the service in a medicalised environment, including patients with multiple physical health conditions
  • Ability to contribute to psychological aspects of patient health care within the wider multi-disciplinary team
  • Ability to undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual patients in accordance with Trust policy and to offer advice to other professionals where appropriate
  • Ability to manage own mental health needs and to cope/deal with highly distressing emotional circumstances
  • Presentation skills
  • Ability to work under pressure with conflicting demands of the role
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, one to one and group situations Ability to write clear reports and letters to other services, G.P.'s and other health professionals
  • Ability to conduct audit and research appropriate to post
  • Good I.T. skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, use of Internet and Email

Desirable

  • Evidence of developing new initiatives
  • Ability to manage aggression/hostility
Person Specification

Education/Qualification

Essential

  • Diploma level 4 or above in Counselling Studies Or Counselling Diploma Level 3 with significant post-qualifying supervised experience of working with people with common mental health problems Or Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Additional Post Graduate training and evidence of Continuing Professional Development relevant to role.
  • Specific training in evidence-based approaches, e.g. Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Registered Counsellor status with a recognised professional body e.g. BACP/UKCP/NCS and eligible for accreditation

Desirable

  • Masters Level qualification in counselling
  • Accredited Counsellor status with a recognised professional body
  • Further qualification and/or training in a range of therapy models/interventions

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

  • Post qualifying experience of working as a counsellor - with minimum 300 hours post graduate supervised practice
  • Post qualifying experience of counselling young people and adults with common mild to moderate mental health problems
  • Experience and knowledge of bereavement and loss theoretical models
  • Experience of delivering self-help and psycho-educational packages e.g. pain management and facilitating group-work
  • Experience of multi-agency/multi-disciplinary working
  • Experience of evaluating own practice by use of recognised outcome measures
  • Experience of managing own caseload and working autonomously
  • Evidence of receiving regular and recent clinical supervision in counselling
  • Knowledge of child protection, safeguarding and other relevant legislation

Desirable

  • Experience of working in Primary Care Mental Health Services
  • Experience preparing and developing new resources to support service delivery
  • Experience of providing guidance and support to other professionals
  • Experience of working with patients with physical disability
  • Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Ability to recognise the impact of physical health needs of patients accessing the service in a medicalised environment, including patients with multiple physical health conditions
  • Ability to contribute to psychological aspects of patient health care within the wider multi-disciplinary team
  • Ability to undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual patients in accordance with Trust policy and to offer advice to other professionals where appropriate
  • Ability to manage own mental health needs and to cope/deal with highly distressing emotional circumstances
  • Presentation skills
  • Ability to work under pressure with conflicting demands of the role
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, one to one and group situations Ability to write clear reports and letters to other services, G.P.'s and other health professionals
  • Ability to conduct audit and research appropriate to post
  • Good I.T. skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, use of Internet and Email

Desirable

  • Evidence of developing new initiatives
  • Ability to manage aggression/hostility

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).

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.

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).

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

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Specialised Ability Centre

Altrincham Road

Sharston, Manchester

M13 9WL


Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Specialised Ability Centre

Altrincham Road

Sharston, Manchester

M13 9WL


Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Specialist Counsellor

Ged Pandolfo

gerard.pandolfo2@mft.nhs.uk

01616113700

Details

Date posted

27 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

349-CSS-7552760*

Job locations

Specialised Ability Centre

Altrincham Road

Sharston, Manchester

M13 9WL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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