Talking Therapies (Step Three) Counsellor

Talking Therapies (Step Three) Counsellor

Working as part of the NHS Talking Therapies Service for Anxiety and Depression, County Durham and Darlington, Sunderland Counselling Service is seeking to appoint a counsellor who will offer Person-Centred Counselling for Depression (CfD) for clients with mild to moderate mental health concerns at Step Three in the Talking Therapies Service.

The post holder will be employed by Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) on a permanent contract subject to the successful completion of a probationary period and employed on a 30 hour per week contract. This role will also involve regular evening work, one night per week.

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.

Main Duties of the Job

The successful counsellor will provide Talking Therapies compliant, time-limited, individual therapy to adults referred to the service. This will be provided either face to face, over the phone, or using a video function and adhere to session limits and models defined by the service. The Counsellor will operate from Talking Therapies bases in County Durham and Darlington, specifically those in the Derwentside area; however, the post holder may be expected to offer face to face sessions throughout the Service bases in County Durham and Darlington according to service requirements. While we anticipate this role will largely be delivered in person, there may be opportunities to offer remote therapy and therefore the post holder may be required to work confidentially from home.

The successful candidate will be qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling as well as qualified in a Talking Therapies compliant form of counselling therapy, specifically Counselling for Depression. We require a therapist who can complete comprehensive assessments for clients referred to the service to determine their therapeutic and other support needs. The successful counsellor will demonstrate how they develop realistic treatment goals with a client and successfully encourage and support them in using the service, to enable them to address and manage the issues and associated problems that are affecting their mental and emotional well-being.

About Us

The salary for this post is equivalent to Band 7 agenda for change for candidates who are BACP accredited or equivalent and who hold a Counselling for Depression qualification. Terms and conditions of this post are provided by SCS, including 30 days annual leave per year, a pension scheme, and access to a free and confidential employee assistance programme and a health programme.

We welcome applications from accredited counsellors who have completed, but are not yet qualified, in CfD who would be paid at a band 6 equivalent or accredited counsellors willing to undertake Counselling for Depression training. Again, the remuneration for this post would be equivalent to a band 6, agenda for change salary. We will also consider applications from counsellors trained but not yet qualified in CfD who can demonstrate they are working towards their accreditation. In this instance, a candidate would be paid the comparable salary to a mid-point band 5 (£32,324) AfC salary.

They will be supported through regular counselling supervision, operational line management, and case management. We are also 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

Other Requirements

• Accreditation with BACP or other relevant professional body.
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
• Advanced communication skills.
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
• Full clean driving license and use of a car.
• Fluent in languages other than English.

Skills and Competencies

• The ability to create, sustain and disengage from productive therapeutic relationships.
• Ability to carry out risk assessments within scope of practice.
• Ability to make good use of supervisory processes.
• Ability to evaluate effectiveness of interventions at an individual and project level.
• Ability to work in accordance with the service standards of practice and BACP Ethical Framework, identifying and raising ethical concerns relevant to the service.
• Ability to work in an unsupervised area and share information where appropriate, with the relevant personnel.
• Ability to challenge poor practice and identify and work to best practice standards.
• Ability to handle others' emotions without becoming personally involved in them.
• Ability to take responsibility for identifying and meeting own learning and development needs.
• Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills.
• Able to write clear reports and letters.
• Willingness to contribute to and assist in the development of strategies that will make the service provision accessible to all clients.

Knowledge

• Competence in and possession of a recognised theoretical model of counselling.
• Sound knowledge of the associated issues facing this client group, including relevant legislative frameworks in relation to mental health and child protection.
• Sound knowledge of broader mental health issues and services available to support people.
• Understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care.
• Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health.
• Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems.
• Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post.

Qualifications

• Qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling.
• Qualification in Talking Therapies compliant form of counselling therapy, specifically Counselling for Depression.
• Training in risk assessment.
• First training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, or another relevant disciple.
• Psychology or other health related undergraduate degree.
• Psychology or other health related postgraduate degree.

Experience

• Significant counselling experience post qualification, either in a paid or voluntary capacity.
• Experience of effectively delivering time limited counselling.
• Experience of providing CfD within primary care or Talking Therapies setting.
• Experience of carrying out assessments of client support needs, including risk assessments.
• Experience of writing accurate clinical notes.
• Commitment to and experience of working with multi-agency partnerships.
• Experience of using electronic case management systems such as IAPTus.
• Experience of working with people who have experienced a common mental health problem.
• Experience of providing comprehensive assessments by telephone and/or via a video function.
• Experience of providing effective counselling by telephone and/or via a video function.
• Worked in a service where agreed targets were in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
• Experience of case management.
• Ability to manage own caseload and time.
• Evidence of working in the local community.
• Experience of developing and delivering therapeutic group work.

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.

Depending on experience, AfC Band 7 comparable (£46,148) if CfD qualified and accredited.

Contract

Permanent

Working Pattern

Part-time

Reference Number

B0330-24-0016

Job Locations

51 John Street, Sunderland, SR1 1QN, NHS Talking Therapies County Durham and Darlington