Sessional Counsellor

**Job Purpose**:
Working across the North Wales area providing a specialist Counseling Service to Adferiad clients. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.

**Responsibilities**:

- To have commitment to and demonstrate an undertaking of equality of opportunity and its relevance to different sectors within the community.
- Must demonstrate empathy towards Adferiad Recovery’s beneficiaries.
- To carry out all other tasks commensurate with the role.

**Client Work**
- To explain boundaries of confidentiality, exchange of information and informed consent to clients.
- To undertake assessments. To be able to recognize substance misuse issues and common mental health issues, draw out relevant information needed for an assessment using skillful and sensitive questioning.
- To make assessments based on a stepped care approach using relevant guidance such as the NICE Guidance for Commissioning Stepped Care for People with Common Mental Health Disorders
- To provide expertise in a specialist clinical area, undertaking specialist psychological interventions, formulating mutually agreed contracts for counselling and therapeutic interventions with clients; establishing, maintaining and disengaging from relationships with the client group.
- To select and deliver evidence-based client centred psychological treatments to meet the needs of the client group, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical approaches.
- Counselling, ACT, DBT, EMDR and brief interventions to be delivered in accordance with relevant NICE Guidelines.
- To undertake and manage own client caseload.
- To be accountable for own clinical decisions and professional actions in consultation with clinical supervisor.
- To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively highly complex and sensitive information, taking into account sensory and cultural barriers to communication.
- To make provision for people with limited literacy skills.
- To adhere to BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
- To work in accordance with Adferiad Policies and Procedures, All Wales Child Protection Procedures and Wales Vulnerable Adults Protocol.
- Making referrals to other services and agencies, to do this in a manner consistent with the specific referral processes used by those agencies.
- To undertake clinical administrative tasks and reports relating to clients when necessary.

To refer clients to other services within Adferiad and other external agencies as appropriate. When making

**General**:
**Administration**
- To keep in regular contact with CAST Appointments Team, Associate Director for therapeutic services and Clinical Supervisor.
- Keep up
- to
- date records of current therapeutic and counseling work, case notes and other such pro forma as directed.
- To comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (2016).
- To make referrals to other services and agencies in accordance with guidelines.
- To attend meetings as required.
- To comply with information sharing protocols and procedures.
- **Professional**_
- To maintain BACP membership, working towards MBACP membership.
- To gain BACP Accreditation and maintain through Continuous Professional Development.
- To participate in the Adferiad Recovery continuous learning, development and appraisal process.
- To gain and maintain professional accreditation as appropriate to role.
- To attend training provided, organised or arranged by Adferiad Recovery.
- To operate within and observe Adferiad Recovery policies and procedures as amended and updated.
- Participate in the development, evaluation and amendment of practice and protocols of treatment services.
- Continue to develop professionally consistent with any qualifications held.
- Make regular use of supervision as provided by Adferiad Recovery.
- To attend training provided, organised or arranged by Adferiad Recovery.
- To operate within and observe Adferiad Recovery policies and procedures as amended and updated.
- Participate in the development, evaluation and amendment of practice and protocols of treatment services.
- Continue to develop professionally consistent with any qualifications held.
- Make regular use of supervision as provided by Adferiad Recovery.
- **Person specification for Sessional Counsellor**:_

**Essential:

- **
- Diploma in Counselling (as a minimum)
- Current BACP membership and accreditation

**Experience:

- **
- Post qualification counselling experience
- Experience in addictions and mental health work
- Evidence of ongoing Professional Development

**Skills:

- **
- Effective communication skills with a particular emphasis on listening skills
- Decision making skills (specifically within the assessment process)
- Ability to manage workload, meet deadlines and work und