School Counsellor

**Position Vacancy**
**School Counsellor**

**Term: Permanent, Part Time (approximately 12 hours per week)**

**Start Date: September 2023**

**Reports to: Head**

Read School is seeking to appoint a motivated, experienced and qualified School
Counsellor to work alongside our Pastoral Team and provide specialist counselling support to pupils. The role will focus on pupil well-being, resilience and emotional health within school and will support the students’ specific needs by addressing individual emotional and associated behavioural difficulties through 1:1 counselling sessions.

We are a relatively small day and boarding school for boys and girls, aged 4-18, located in the rural village of Drax near Selby, North Yorkshire. We offer outstanding day and boarding school provision, with small class sizes, excellent teaching and a broad and balanced curriculum which responds to the needs of each individual child. We also offer a wide range of educational opportunities outside the classroom, including sports, music & performing arts, adventurous activity such as a
Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh programme and Leiths cookery school.

**Hours of Work**

This role is offered over two days per week when the School is in session during term-time. Attendance is required at School for any INSET days or similar which may fall on the days immediately prior to the start or at the end of term. The contracted hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm given that early and late appointments are often needed by pupils.

Hours worked outside normal contracted hours will be paid as overtime.
- Show proven experience of working with children and in a busy school environment.
- Assess the level of need of pupils in order to supply them with the appropriate emotional guidance and support or to refer them on to other agencies.
- Provide individual counselling and support for pupils, whose assessed needs require specific intervention.
- Undertake preventative action work in order to alleviate problems and to promote positive mental health. This provision to be flexible to meet need outside the school day in the case of boarding pupils.
- Provide guidance and support within the school to staff to a level which enables them to work effectively with pupils with problems. This may involve delivering whole school training sessions at Inset or specific workshops as part of our commitment to continuous CPD.
- Continue to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided and assess further developmental need.
- Work collaboratively with members of the Pastoral Leadership Team (PLT) to support and meet the needs of students, developing management strategies for students with problems or in need. This will involve attending bi-weekly PLT meetings.
- Ensure that the School’s counselling service is adequately marketed to pupils, leading assemblies; provide resources to promote and explain the support service, working with in-school Marketing team as needed.
- Record all relevant details associated with case management, ensuring that this information is easily accessible to appropriate agencies as needed while maintaining pupil confidentiality.
- Be able to demonstrate awareness of all relevant legislation such as Keeping

Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), Safeguarding, Health and Safety and theNational Minimum Standards for Boarding, and in line with School policies, ensure compliance at all times.

**Person Specification: School Counsellor**
- Required: Diploma in counselling; we are looking for applicants who have, or are working towards, a therapeutic qualification in working with children and young people.
- Accredited by the British Psychological Society, the UK Council for Psychotherapy, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or equivalent.
- Demonstrate a clear track record in working with children and adolescent clients, preferably in a school setting.
- Therapeutic attributes such as empathy, respect and excellent listening skills. You must be friendly and approachable
- Excellent communication skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with everyone in the school community from the youngest pupil to the most senior member of staff.
- Desire to contribute to the overall wellbeing plan of the School.
- Excellent organisational skills; you will be managing your own diary and appointment, in alignment with Heads of Key Stage.
- The maintenance of appropriate and respectful boundaries and other ethical requirements such as confidentiality, discretion and integrity with the assertiveness to protect the pupil right to confidentiality within a busy school.
- High personal standards, reliability, and a friendly, committed and professional attitude are necessary.
- Confidence in liaising with parents and outside professionals.
- Committed to Read School’s ethos and strategic vision.
- Committed to professional development and show a willingness to undertake any appropriate training for this role.