Senior Counsellor - Part Time - Temporary

Information

Help to shape our future.

 

At CrossReach Counselling we’re beginning a process of change, bringing our services closer together, to create a wider community for our teams to progress together. To take our developments forward we are looking to grow our team to help shape our future.

 

As part of one of the country’s largest voluntary social care providers, we have services located across Strathclyde, Lothian and the North, supporting mental health and wellbeing. Together we offer a broad range of face to face and distance counselling for adults and families, including, perinatal, workplace, relationship, substance use, and Children, Young People services.

For you, this is the chance to gain a breadth of counselling experience, have access to extensive training opportunities and to be part of our uniquely supportive environment. At CrossReach, we see our Christian values as a strength, inspiring us to foster a culture of mutual respect and place empathy and understanding at the heart of everything we do. We value each individual – an approach we extend to all the people that use our services and all the people that work for us too.

A key role will be mentoring and developing our teams of counsellors, so they feel truly supported to give their best to our clients. Our Clinical Managers , bring a combination of clinical and management experience to ensure we deliver the highest standards of counselling and to spot areas for future development. While our Senior Counsellor role is an opportunity to gain management and mentoring experience. In both roles, you’ll also have a small, manageable caseload.

For an informal chat about the opportunities available please call Craig on 0131 225 6028. 

What the Counselling team have to say about working for CrossReach

‘Just as CrossReach are there for their clients whatever their need is, they equally value their staff - there’s no cookie cutter approach as we’re all seen as individuals.’

‘People take the time to really get to know each other and the way we all work. You’re not forced to be a certain personality type, as they focus on people’s strengths.’

‘They cared about me beyond just the work I was doing. They helped me through the more challenging times in my transition to a new life. I have lifelong friends here and met people who have made a massive impact on my life.’

This is a temporary post for one year maternity cover.

Salary is pro rata of 38.5 hours per week.

#Crossreach

Main Function

Working within CrossReach Counselling Services, you will work as part of a holistic team to deliver a service that ensures that the needs of our young clients are fully met. You will be expected to assist in the development of a high quality counselling, therapy and support service for families affected by parental substance use, working to the highest professional standards of COSCA, BACP or BAA.

You will promote a Therapeutic Environment and ensure that our services reflect CrossReach's Christian ethos and mission statement.

Main Duties

1. Hold specific responsibilities for the day-to-day operation of the service and to hold clinical responsibility in relation to referral assessment and allocation of clients.
2. Manage the clinical aspects of the client waiting list and referrals to the service. To take a lead role in assessing new referrals into the service, conducting initial assessments and allocating clients to counselling staff and volunteers, and to hold a small client caseload.
3. Contribute to developing policies and procedures and work within the policies procedures and guidelines set down by CrossReach including human resources policies, health and safety guidelines, and child protection guidelines.
4. Participate in recruitment, selection, induction and training of a multi-disciplinary team including volunteer counsellors, supervisors, therapists, and fundraising volunteers. Co-ordinate PVG Disclosure applications and act as counter-signatory.
5. Provide clinical and management supervision for staff and volunteers as appropriate and liaise with other professionals around safeguarding issues for adults and children.
6. Contribute to the development & delivery of training and personal growth opportunities for volunteers within the service.

7. Assist the service manager to raise awareness, promote training and service provision of our therapy provision for adults and children & young people.
8. Together with the service manager, monitor standards required to maintain COSCA Service Recognition and work within the ethical framework laid down by COSCA and BACP/BAAT.
9. Liaise with relevant professional, statutory and voluntary organisations as required.
10. Any other duties as requested by the Counselling Manager.
11. To demonstrate and share Christian love and support including sharing with others the leading of worship in accordance with CrossReach policy and by ensuring all staff meetings are opened with prayer and Bible reading.

Qualifications

Essential: Diploma in Counselling/Art Therapy/Play Therapy

Desirable: Qualification in Training and Clinical Supervision, Qualification in Counselling Children and Young People

Personal

The post holder must have the ability to be a strong self motivator and be able to work to a broad remit, where changing priorities can be a daily occurrence.

As we do our work in Christ’s name the job you have applied for requires you to have a Christian faith and be able to work within and uphold our Christian Ethos.  This is an Occupational Requirement under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

This post requires you to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and undertake the necessary vetting checks.

Skills and Abilities

Essential:

• Significant post qualifying practice hours.
• Experience in counselling children and young people.
• Experience in clinical supervision.
• Good communication and team working skills.
• Basic computer literacy skills including use of Microsoft Office and the internet.

Desirable:

• Experience in delivering training, and managing staff and volunteers.
• Experience of working with families affected by substance use and being able to work across a multi disciplinary team.