Iapt Counsellor

**North Staffs Mind has an exciting opportunity for a qualified Counsellor to join our IAPT team**

**Benefits**
- **5 weeks annual leave per annum (pro rata)**
- **Gifted the days between Christmas Day and New Year plus your birthday as additional annual leave**
- **Flexible approach to working**
- **Discounted gym membership**
- **5% contributory pension scheme**

**Job Title: IAPT Counsellor**

**Reports to: Senior IAPT Counsellor**

**Salary: Point 22-22 £22,768-£26,639 gross per annum, pro rata to £9,230-**

**£10,800 gross per annum**

**(Higher salary Banding available for those PCE-CfD or IPT trained)**

**Hours: 15 hours per week (to include 1 evening)**

**Based at: Hope Centre, Hanley, outreach venues and working remotely from**

**home address**

**Summary**

**Please note: for this role you will be expected to enroll on PCE-CfD or IPT training as soon as possible (cost met by employer).**

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Wellbeing Service is part of the Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program introduced by Government to allow more people to receive psychological therapies earlier in the development of mental health issues. By offering timely interventions at the lowest level necessary to help the individual, it aims to reduce the demand on higher intensity secondary mental health services.

In this role you are employed by North Staffs Mind but, as this is part of the IAPT service, the counsellors work as part of a multi-disciplinary team which includes high intensity Cognitive Behavioral Therapists, and low intensity Primary Wellbeing Practitioners.

Counselling will be delivered both remotely and face to face from venues close to the client, and a counsellor may be working from GP surgeries and other community-based locations. The main central office base is at The Hope Centre in Hanley.

This post requires compliance with IAPT data recording and logging of information onto the IAPTUS computer system. Good administrative skills are essential as well as a high level of counselling experience and competence. BACP accreditation, or evidence of working towards this, will be required.

You will need to demonstrate that you are working in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions at all times. This document can be found on bacp.co.uk in the ‘Events and Resources’ section.

**Main Duties**:

- Offer a professional one-to-one counselling service to adult clients presenting with a broad range of common mental health issues. We will require at least one evening per week from the post holder.
- Undertake work remotely from your home address and in outstations set up by the service, which will include GPs surgeries.
- Work in line with Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Wellbeing Service and North Staffs Mind’s current practices, policies and ethos, including confidentiality and safeguarding.
- Adhere to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy ethical framework.
- Work flexibly to allow us to offer the best service possible to clients - this will involve working some evening/weekend sessions per week.
- Work in a time limited, but appropriate way with clients to help them identify, understand and resolve or manage the issues which have brought them to counselling.
- Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of issues which affect the mental health of individuals, families and communities. Maintain knowledge base by attending relevant training and undertaking relevant reading.
- Attend training as specified by Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Wellbeing Service and North Staffs Mind.
- Use evaluation measures as required by the IAPTUS system to log data on a session-by-session basis.
- Ensure all necessary administrative procedures are followed and logged to maintain the requirements of the IAPTUS system of data collection.
- Undertake counselling supervision of 1.5 minimum hours per month, or more, as required by the service.
- Attend staff meetings, line management meetings, team meetings etc. as required by Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Wellbeing Service and North Staffs Mind.
- Undertake any duties as required by Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Wellbeing Service and North Staffs Mind to maintain an efficient and client friendly service.
- If supervision qualification/experience is possessed, then you may be asked undertake supervision with colleagues in the wider Counselling team.
- An enhanced DBS check is essential for this role, cost met by NS Mind.

**Person Specification**

**Essential**:
Diploma in Counselling (or equivalent)

Able and willing to enroll on IPT or PCE-CfD training

Wide range of direct clients work, post qualification

Accredited with BACP or working towards

**Job Type**: Part-time
Part-time hours: 15 per week

**Salary**: £22,768.00-£26,639.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Additional leave
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Flexitime
- Gym membership
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Well