Counsellor

Counsellor, Band 6

Permanent - Part Time, 3.75 hours per week

As part of the mental health team, the Psychological Therapies Service provides psychological therapies and counselling to individuals experiencing mental health difficulties and emotional distress within Kent Prisons. We are looking for an experienced and dynamic counsellor who has the personal and professional qualities to take on challenging work within prisons.

The Mental Health Team in each prison and falls within the Oxleas Forensic and Prisons Directorate. The successful post holder will be required to undergo and pass all prison security requirements as well as all Oxleas employment requirements. Evidence of professional registration will be required.
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care

Providing Counselling assessment & interventions under the supervision of a qualified professional counsellor or psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified counsellor or psychologist and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, and development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the HPCC and Trust Policies and Procedures.

To undertake specific administrative duties as required.

To perform other duties of a similar kind, appropriate to the grade which may be required from time to time by their Manager.