Counsellor

Job Title: Safe Space Counsellor
Starting Salary: £38,220 progressing to £41,771 per annum (pro rata) - pay award pending
Hours: We are recruiting for two separate vacancies across various educational sites in Hertfordshire. Both roles are term-time-only schedules:

• 22.2 hours per week
• 33.3 hours per week

Working weeks per year: 39
Location: Hertfordshire
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Children's services

About the team

Safe Space is a counselling and therapy service which offers children and young people across Hertfordshire a creative, confidential and safe space in which to explore any issues affecting their everyday lives.

Safe Space is unique in that, whilst being part of Hertfordshire County Council, we are a traded service which means our services are purchased by schools and other organisations across the county. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Safe Space within Hertfordshire. Safe Space also has a Mentoring programme, supports Foster/Kinship carers and forms part of HCC’s Crisis Response support to schools following a critical incident.

About the role

As a Safe Space Counsellor, you will be part of a team of 25 Counsellors and Senior Counsellors and work alongside school colleagues and other health professionals to support 10 - 20 clients per week (offering between 8-12 sessions to each young person, although this can be longer). Sessions are usually held at the same time and day each week, and last between 40-50 minutes.

As a Safe Space counsellor you will be largely school-based with flexibility and autonomy in how you plan your work and clients each week (bearing in mind school hours and room availability).

This is a dynamic role which involves excellent communication skills (with young people, parents/carers, school colleagues and other professionals) and good level IT skills. As a Safe Space counsellor you will be part of a highly supportive team, reporting directly to one of our Senior Counsellors, and will have access to clinical supervision (both individual and group).

Safe Space is a county-wide service which may mean you will be required to travel to different locations depending on the needs of the service.

About you

Below we have set out our essential & desirable criteria:

Essential:

• Diploma level qualification and proof of BACP membership (or equivalent body).
• Experience of how to manage safeguarding concerns.
• Driving licence with access to a car (with business insurance).
• Experience of delivering therapy to children and young people.
• Ability to use/develop Play and Creative Therapy skills
• Ability to communicate well with a variety of stakeholders
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of professionals and school staff in order to take an holistic approach to working with children/young people.
• Ability to manage a clinical caseload within BACP or equivalent Ethical Framework.
• Good level IT skills to maintain your online diary and accurate case records on each child/young person using the Early Help Module (EHM) online system in accordance with Data Protection Act / GDPR.

If you are a qualified counsellor and see yourself as part of a team making a real difference to children and young people, then this is the role for you, and we would welcome your application.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 10. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact:

Sally Gubb- Safe Space Manager sally.gubb@hertfordshire.gov.uk/ 01992 588251 or

Debra Gee- Safe Space Clinical Manager debra.gee@hertfordshire.gov.uk 01992 588552

Interview Date: Weds 22nd July (all day); Thurs 23rd July and Friday 24th July

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.