School Counsellor

Recruiting Organisation: YMCA DownsLink Group                   

Working hours: 10 hours a week – term time only
Salary: £30,495 per annum, pro rata
Contract: Fixed-term until 31 July 2023
Location: Rottingdean, East Sussex

Established in 1996, Dialogue School Counselling is a BACP accredited school counselling service covering Sussex and Surrey. Dialogue has built an excellent reputation with schools, professionals and commissioners and the service has developed and expanded over the years, now operating across Brighton & Hove, East and West Sussex, and Surrey. Schools are deeply committed to meeting the individual needs of students as they prepare them to meet the challenges of growing up and moving toward adulthood.

The Role

They are looking for a qualified counsellor with experience of working with young people to join our team and deliver the school counselling service at Longhill High School. They are seeking candidates who are passionate about making a difference to the lives of the children and young people they work with.

The role is wide-ranging, rewarding and includes several key responsibilities. You will provide an ethical, professional counselling service to children and young people in a school setting. You will establish good professional working relationships with key school staff, including the discussion of referrals, managing a session timetable within the school day, and agreeing a process for students coming to and from sessions. You will be required to undertake assessments and counselling sessions, complete all associated administrative work and attend regular clinical supervision and line management meetings.

Your expected working pattern will likely be based over 2 days, the days and times are to be confirmed and can be discussed at interview.

Who You Are

You will already have a keen interest in and experience of working with young people of secondary school age in a school setting, along with counselling or psychotherapy qualification (Minimum of Level 4) and be registered or accredited with the BACP or another professional body (e.g. HCPC) and 2 years post qualifying experience in individual counselling or therapy with young people preferred, including work with risk issues.

You will have a professional, flexible attitude with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to manage your time well, along with being able to provide creative therapies to meet children’s and young people’s needs. In addition, you will have a sound understanding of child protection and young adults safeguarding issues, policies, and procedures, with proven experience in identifying and responding to concerns.

Candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK.

There can be great candidates who will not fit everything described above, or who have important skills  not mentioned. If that is you, please do not hesitate to apply and tell about yourself.

Reflective practice: As part of  commitment to being a Trauma-Informed organisation, all frontline staff have access to regular group Reflective Practice Supervision and for therapeutic roles, they offer clinical supervision.

If you have any queries or would like an informal discussion about this post, please contact anita.barnard@ymcadlg.org

How to Apply:

You can apply via website link here.

Please download a job pack from the same page for more information about other benefits offered.

YMCA DownsLink Group welcomes applications from all sections of the community. They value diversity and promote inclusion, which they demonstrate through their activities, as well as in their policies and working practices. Reinforced by their culture and values, they seek to create an inspiring and inclusive place to work.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

For questions regarding this role or to request another application format: please email at recruitment@ymcadlg.org

Closing Date: 26 September 2022

Please note this is a rolling advert; applications will be reviewed regularly, and suitable applicants will be invited to attend interviews on a rolling basis. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.