Community Treatment Team Counsellor

Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) is delighted to be employing two full-time counsellors to work within the Community Treatment Team, known as CTT. The CTT offers secondary care mental health interventions provided by Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear (CNTW) across South Tyneside and Sunderland. Clients are likely to have a diagnosable mental health condition and be in receipt of support from the wider CTT.

The post holder will be expected to work closely with colleagues within this service and others, to ensure clients receive the most effective therapeutic intervention for their presenting need(s) and will play an active role in regular multi-disciplinary team meetings within the CTT to identify counselling suitable clients.

Main duties of the job

The post holders will be expected to provide assessments, check-in phone calls and offer time-limited counselling to adults with a wide range of issues. Up to twenty sessions of counselling will be offered to clients and include work on areas such as anxiety, depression, low mood, complex grief and loss, relationship issues, loss of confidence, emotional distress, historic abuse and wellbeing issues.

The post holders will be expected to be based predominantly within the South Tyneside Team, although some travel to bases in Sunderland may also be required, to ensure clients receive the most effective therapeutic intervention for their presenting need(s). There may also be some home visits and lone working within this post.

The post holder will work with people from different cultural backgrounds and use interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities.

About us

SCS offers services across the North East area and works closely with a range of partner agencies including NHS partners, local charities and community groups. We are recognised for the value we bring to clients and communities and a member of staff recently said the following about working for SCS:

'An ethical organisation who cares equally about the staff and the service users. I feel the provisions are brilliant, management are very approachable, they make you feel your opinions matter. I find it a lovely place to be employed'

The salary for the post is comparable to the NHS Agenda for Change, band 6 and the terms and conditions of employment are provided by Sunderland Counselling Service. This includes 30 days annual leave per year, pension scheme, access to a free and confidential employee assistance programme and a health programme.

The post holder will be employed on a permanent contract, subject to a successful probationary period and work as part of the Community Treatment Team and have access to additional support provided by Sunderland Counselling Service. They will be supported through regular counselling supervision, operational line management and case management provided by SCS. We are committed to supporting and developing our staff and we will support the post holder to access counselling specific personal development opportunities.

Job responsibilities

For further information relating to the role, please download a copy of the job description from the additional documents section of this advert.

You can also contact Leanne Davis (Head of Services) or Marianne Guthzeit, (Clinical Lead) from Sunderland Counselling Service on 0191 514 7007 to discuss this role further.

Person Specification

Knowledge, skills and attributes

• Competence in and possession of a recognised theoretical model of counselling.
• Experience and knowledge of working within a time-limited counselling model.
• Sound knowledge of the associated issues facing this client group, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health and child protection.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of complex mental health issues and presentations.
• Understanding of the stepped care model.
• Sound knowledge of the range of interventions used in primary and secondary care mental health services.
• Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients.
• The ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive therapeutic relationships.
• Ability to make good use of supervisory processes.
• Ability to manage clear, professional boundaries with clients.
• Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual and project level.
• A clear understanding of, and willingness to acknowledge and adhere to, the service philosophy.
• Membership of and registration with BACP or other relevant professional body.
• Sound knowledge of Talking Therapies and the stepped care model.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the Community Treatment Team and their role.
• Sound knowledge of broader mental health issues and services available to support people.
• Commitment to and experience of working with multi-agency partnerships.
• Good information technology skills.
• Full clean driving license and use of a car.
• Working in accordance with the service standards of practice and BACP Ethical Framework, identifying and raising ethical concerns relevant to the organisation. Ability to challenge poor practice and identify and work to best practice standards. Ongoing evidence and commitment to continuing professional development.

Qualifications

• Qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling.
• Possession of, or showing evidence of working towards, BACP accreditation or equivalent.
• Possession of, or showing evidence of working towards, Counselling for Depression, Couples Counselling for Depression, EMDR and / or Interpersonal Therapy qualifications.

Experience

• Significant counselling experience post qualification, either in a paid or voluntary capacity.
• Experience and knowledge of working within a time-limited counselling model.
• Experience of carrying out assessments of client support needs.
• Experience of carrying out robust risk assessments and risk management plans.
• Experience of writing accurate clinical notes.
• Experience of developing care plans.
• Experience of managing a client's care, including referring on to other appropriate interventions or modalities.
• Experience of delivering assessments and effective counselling interventions over the telephone and video.
• Experience of delivering therapeutic or psycho-educational groups.
• Experience of working within a Talking Therapies Service for anxiety and depression.
• Experience of working within a secondary care mental health treatment team.
• Experience of using electronic case management systems such as RIO.

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.

Head of Services Sunderland Counselling Service

01915147007

Date posted

20 December 2024

Other

£37,338 a year Agenda for Change band 6 comparable