School Counselor

Job Title**:School Counsellor**

**Role reports to (Job Title)**:Assistant Principal (Pastoral)

**Job Purpose**:
The role is primarily to provide one to one counselling to students, to maintain appropriate records and liaise regularly with the pastoral team and any other professionals as necessary.
All post holders are expected to recognise overall Trust objectives and practice when carrying out their
Academy role.

**Key Accountabilities**:

- To provide an independent and confidential counselling service to pupils and staff at Trust schools as directed,
- To promote a caring and supportive environment where personal, social, emotional or educational concerns may be explored thereby promoting the mental and emotional health of pupils.
- To maintain confidentiality (except in those circumstances, in line with BACP practice, where this should be breached).
- To uphold good practice as described by the BACP ethical guidelines.
- To be responsible for their own Professional Development maintenance and updating knowledge and awareness through Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- To make referrals, where appropriate and with the student’s consent, to other agencies.
- To liaise, where appropriate and with the student’s consent, with members of staff.
- To maintain appropriate records and to keep these secure.
- To liaise with school staff and other professionals as appropriate to ensure the effective
- operation of the service.
- To be alert to trends and patterns of problems and to be willing to identify causes and recommend corrective action.
- To play an active role in Safeguarding children and adhere with guidance from the LSC and school policies.
- Maintain a high level of knowledge and awareness of changes and developments in the fields of counselling and education and their impact on the delivery of counselling;
- To ensure that as a Counsellor they are properly and regularly supervised.
- Coordinate the TaMHs service within school in consultation with the Assistant Principal (Pastoral)

**Common Accountabilities**

Work towards and support the Academy and Trust vision and values, including Improvement Plans.
- Support and contribute to our safeguarding responsibility.
- Maintain high personal standards and abide by the Staff Code of Conduct at all times.
- Engage actively in the Performance Review process.
- Liaise with central functions such as HR, IT and Finance where specialist advice is required.
- Take a Trust view of any work carried out in the Academy, to ensure this follows central standards.

**Other Accountabilities**
- Play a full part in the life of the school community; support the school’s priorities and ethos and encourage staff and students to follow this example
- Keep up-to-date with current developments affecting student support; participate in discussion and debate; ensure appropriate developments are incorporated into the planning process
- Undertake personal professional development activities, as agreed with the Head of Key Stage

(CPD)
- Undertake the role and responsibilities of an Mentor for an identified group of students
- Undertake examination invigilation, if required
- Undertake ancillary general office work, including photocopying, collating, filing, etc
- Undertake any other responsibilities as reasonably requested by the Principal

No job description can be exhaustive and the duties may alter in practice or over time. The post holder is expected to use his/her professional judgment to ensure that the Counsellor role continues to evolve and develop in line with the Trust’s changing requirements.

**Knowledge and Experience, Qualifications/Training**
- Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy **(Essential)**:

- Diploma in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling **(Essential)**:

- Understanding Child and Adolescent Mental Health **(Essential)**:

- BRIEF - Solution Focused Practice ( **Essential or Equivalent)**:

- Safeguarding Training in line with DfE guidance **(Essential)**:

- Qualification to Level 5 **(Desirable)**:

- Advanced Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy **(Desirable)**:

- Cruse Bereavement Care-Foundation Programme **(Desirable)**:

- Brief Interventions - Advanced **(Desirable)**:

- The Psychology of Self Harm & Behaviour Course
- Autism awareness in a Therapeutic Setting **(Desirable)**:

- Family Links Practitioner Training - delivering workshops to parents **(Desirable)**

**Decision Making**:

- Ability to make decisions daily to support the SEMH of students.

**Contacts and Relationships**:

- Staff, Students parents and outside agencies.

**Creativity and Innovation**:

- To be flexible and creative in order to identify solutions to support children and young people in achieving greater resilience and self-sufficiency.

**Emotional Demands**:

- The appropriate knowledge, skills and evidence of experience of being able to establish and maintain professional boundaries with children, young people and the wider community.
- Demons