Woodsley & Holt Park PCN Counsellor

Job responsibilities

Main duties of the job

This role involves providing high quality, comprehensive and effective therapeutic input with excellent communication skills both written and verbal. The post holder will need to be capable of independent travel across the PCN to meet the needs of the patients.

Effectively managing their own caseload and clinics and appointments

Being able to receive referrals, assess potential clients and offer therapeutic input when appropriate.

Recognising the limits of the service and being able to confidently signpost if a person would be better supported by another service.

Providing a safe and confidential space for clients within the PCN

The post holder will be an accredited member of a relevant professional body and abide by their code of good practice and or ethical framework. (BACP, NCPS, BASRT, BPC, COSCA and UKCP etc)

Managing their time and caseloads effectively to ensure the waiting list is kept at a minimal estimated time.

Maintaining their professional standards with regards to their supervision (to be organised externally)

Undertake any relevant training to further any required CPD to maintain membership with your professional body.

Engage with Peer supervision with our current counsellor to further strengthen the service and its delivery.

Ability to compose Discharge letters following the templates available on the system.

About us

Woodsley & Holt Pak PCN covers the following areas: Woodhouse, Kirkstall, Burley, Hyde Park, Headingley, Cookridge and Horsforth areas of Leeds, although it is expected the post holders will develop and maintain close links across the city.

Job description

Job responsibilities

This role will complement the established PCN mental health and Counselling service and will support in meeting the goals of being a quick access counselling service.

The successful applicant will be an accredited member of a therapeutic professional body (BACP, NCPS, BASRT, BPC, COSCA and UKCP etc) they must be reasonably confident with IT systems, MS Office, Office 365 and an excellent communicator both written and verbal. They will be expected to have the ability to work both independently, managing their own caseload and their diaries and as part of a team to facilitate a well-rounded service delivery, managing their workload and sticking to the time boundaries of the service. They will also have experience of supporting clients with several challenges as this service is general counselling not specialist specific.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or diploma in counselling or equivalent (including at least two years experience in a related field).
• Accredited member of a Counselling professional body (BACP, NCPS, BASRT, BPC, COSCA and UKCP etc)
• Previous experience of working in a counselling setting.
• Knowledge of common mental health problems including solution focused therapy, humanistic, psycho dynamic and CBT.
• Practical knowledge of other local services e.g. IAPT, stepped care model and other local providers.
• Expertise in evaluation referrals and identifying alternative treatment options.
• Knowledge of advances in counselling research.
• Knowledge of current legislation relevant to counselling
• Evidence of professional and ethical practice.
• Ability to reinforce their professional and time boundaries within the service.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with clients and all members of the PCN.
• Ability to demonstrate personal accountability, professional integrity, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on their own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting service expectations.
• Punctual, organised and reliable.
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on their own initiative
• Experience of assessing and providing a wide range of counselling interventions, working with diverse client groups and exercising full clinical responsibility for clients counselling care.

Desirable

• Knowledge of SystmOne and EMIS
• Previous experience of counselling in primary care.

Other requirements

Essential

• Meets DBS reference standards and criminal record checks
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the PCN patch on a regular basis.
• Manage their own supervision requirements.
• Good standards of general education - minimum of 4 GCSEs, at Grade 4 or above or equivalent must include English Language.
• Ability to manage their own case work and clients in an effective and organised way.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office applications Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook

Desirable

• Evidence of undertaking a course for Online and Phone Therapy (OPT)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of managing safeguarding concerns and other risks present in the mental health profession.
• Experience of managing their own case work and clients in an effective and organised way.

Desirable

• Experience of working within the NHS in a mental health role.
• Experienced in working on Clinical Systems.
• Triage and signposting experience.
• Assessing new clients against the criteria for the service
• Experience of working in a healthcare environment
• Risks assessment and experience of safety planning with clients.
• Experience of delivering therapy using an interpreting service.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion
• Ability to recognise and work within limits of competence and seek advice and supervision (peer and clinical) when needed.
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors.
• Ability to work under pressure both independently and as part of a team in emotional and difficult situations.

Desirable

• Understanding of other approaches e.g. CBT DBT- to enable clients to get tailored therapy that suits their needs in a client led way. (Please note this is not a CBT DBT service but knowledge of techniques can be beneficial for clients to explore things in a different way.)
• Knowledge of how the NHS works, including primary care and PCNs.

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).