Counsellor

Would you like to share your counselling knowledge and skills to enhance and optimise the holistic interventions with patients on our Critical Care Unit (CCU)?

Are you inspired by working in and contributing to multi-disciplinary teams to support patient care beyond the therapy room?

Are you passionate about supporting people to optimise their recovery following an acute care episode?

Are you excited to contribute to the development of our psychological professions workforce at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) and contribute to training and supervising other counsellors in training whilst enhancing your own professional development?

If the above questions spark your interest and you sense a good fit with the skills you have, we are keen to meet you to discuss our brand-newCounsellorrole within the Critical Care team.

We are seeking to pilot the role of a fixed term counsellor with the Critical Care team. The post holder will be integrated within CCU and the broader Department of Clinical Health Psychology to deliver psychological provision for patients. This is an exciting opportunity to collaborate and add psychological value for our Cornwall patients within our Acute Medical setting. If this pilot is proven to be successful, there is potential for this role to become a substantive position (0.8WTE).

The CCU at RCHT is a mixed unit, currently staffed for 9 Level 2 beds and 6 Level 3 beds. Around 1000 patients are admitted per year from all specialty areas. The average unit length of stay is 4 days; however, a significant number of patients require CCU care for many weeks. There is a Critical Care Outreach Team which supports patients as their care is “stepped down” to wards and a multidisciplinary follow-up clinic is already well established to assist patients in adjusting to their CCU experience.

The post holder will be involved in delivering care for inpatients either through direct care provision and/or the development of systemic ways of working that support psychologically informed care. A proportion of time will also be given to developing the support needed for patients during “stepped down” care to wards within the hospital. It is expected that after review in the Consultant led follow-up clinic, a small number of patients may require outpatient psychology follow-up. Suitable clinic space will be provided external to the CCU in The Lighthouse, which is the clinic base for the Clinical Health Psychology Department.

This is a varied and exciting position within a positive and proactive Critical Care multi-disciplinary team and a forward-thinking Clinical Health Psychology Department. Both departments seek to embody the RCHT Trust values.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is the biggest provider of healthcare services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Our three main sites are Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro, St Michael’s Hospital Hayle and West Cornwall Hospital Penzance, our staff and services are available across the region.

The Trust employs 5,000+ staff, has a budget of £380 million and 750 beds. We work with health and social care organisations -including NHS Kernow and NHS England
- to ensure local healthcare needs are met. We provide acute medical, surgical and specialist services to around 500,000- which can increase significantly during busy holiday periods.

The Trust has teaching hospitals status as part of the University of Exeter Medical School. Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we continually develop clinical services and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care offered locally.

We can offer you a rewarding career in a supportive working environment. We have extensive educational links to help you realise your full potential and develop skills to provide outstanding healthcare to the local community.

Enjoy an outstanding quality of life in a place that offers surfing beaches and fishing harbours to beautiful countryside and historic towns. With clean air, plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities and excellent schools, colleges and universities (including adult education) it is the ideal place for families and for you to develop your own career.

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification document attached for a detailed description of the role and main responsibilities.

Please note that you will need to have a Diploma level qualification, provide evidence of personal & professional development and ideally have qualifications / attended relevant course in working in a physical health environment and in the supervision of others.

This is a part-time post (0.8 WTE), working 30 hours per week. Part-time/ job share may be considered for the right applicant. The post is offered on an 18-month fixed-term basis.