Counsellor

Greenwich Time To Talk, NHS Talking Therapies is a primary care psychological therapy service. CBT and counselling interventions are offered to clients within the Royal borough of Greenwich.

We are seeking a highly motivated Counsellor who is accredited with the BACP/UKCP to enhance our thriving NHS Talking Therapies service. The post-holder will have experience of working with people with anxiety and depression in a primary and/or secondary care setting. The post-holder will be part of a strong experienced counselling team and will be expected to provide individual and group counselling interventions.

Oxleas has a large, well-established and supportive psychology department which is part of the Psychological Therapies Directorate within the Trust. This provides strong leadership and professional management and supports staff by prioritising supervision and continuing professional development. The department contains clinical/counselling psychologists with extensive training and experience in CBT, psycho-dynamic and systemic approaches.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities. Community languages would be an advantage. The post-holder will be expected to work one shifted day (till 8pm) a week and will also be required to work remotely under Agenda for Change terms and conditions.

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

Clinical

• Contribute to the provision of the Locality Psychological Therapies Service by undertaking counselling with individual clients or, when appropriate, in groups.
• Using communication and relationship skills to undertake assessment of clients referred to the service by themselves, GPs or other professionals including risk assessment and referral on to appropriate services.
• To prioritise and manage own client caseload.
• To exercise professional responsibility for the assessment, intervention and discharge of clients, using highest level of interpersonal and communication skills when presenting and receiving complex, sensitive and contentious information.
• To provide counselling, collaboratively with clients including:

Assessments: Psychometric assessments including the full range of NHS Talking Therapies data set requirements; behavioural assessment; observational assessment; assessment by interviewing; assessment by analysis of archive material, multi-disciplinary notes and discussions, reviews, and supervision.

Interventions: Counselling and other psychological therapies as appropriate with a range of presenting problems primarily Anxiety and Depression.

• To provide advice to other professionals within and external to the multi-disciplinary team.
• To keep adequate clinical records in accordance with Trust guidelines and relevant professional bodies.
• To frequently sit in a restricted position for substantial proportion of working time during clinical sessions and meetings, requiring long periods of concentration.
• Dealing with frequent highly distressing situations i.e. clients with severely distressing mental health experiences.

Management responsibilities

• To provide information and guidance to other primary care staff on the issues of psychological therapy.
• To attend meetings when required.
• To maintain statistical data.
• To liaise, collaborate and communicate with GPs and others concerned with the care and treatment of clients.

Leadership

• Workshops/presentations relevant to counselling.
• To sit on relevant working groups of the service as required.

Clinical Governance

• To implement and maintain the principles of Clinical Governance, including risk management.
• To maintain up to date clear client records and case notes in line with the policies and procedures and service standards of the Trust.
• To abide by the postholder's appropriate Code of Professional Conduct and to follow guidance from NICE and the Department of Health.
• To maintain professional accreditation with relevant professional body and attend training to maintain therapy skills and competencies.

Research and service development

• To use published research and information on good practice regularly to keep clinical practice up-to-date.
• Participate in discussion and review regarding the development and evaluation of the locality counselling service.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

• To provide when appropriate, induction, line management and clinical supervision to counsellors on trainee clinical placement.
• Attend for regular supervision as agreed within the locality counselling service.

Communication

• Clinicians within Greenwich Time To Talk service and clinicians within Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.
• General Practitioners and GPs with special interest.

Person Specification

Professional Registration

• BACP/UKCP Accredited
• Primary Care Adult Mental health working experience

Approved counselling qualification

• Recognised professional counselling qualification at Diploma level or above
• Qualification in a specialist treatment modality

Relevant Counselling Experience

• Experience using counselling interventions with Depression and Anxiety
• Experience working as a counsellor in NHS Talking Therapies

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.

Greenwich Time to Talk NHS Talking Therapies

£42,939 to £50,697 a year pro rata pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

277-6848152-CMH

Job locations

Greenwich Time to Talk NHS Talking Therapies