Family Counsellor

**ABOUT THE ROLE**

Based within HMP Altcourse, we are looking for a qualified and experienced Family Counsellor to facilitate therapeutically informed spaces for those supporting people through a custodial prison sentence. Using group work and one to one sessions, the Family Counsellor will support participants and their families to rehearse new behaviours, experience alternative perspectives, and work towards sustained engagement and meaningful reconnection. Youwill also support the team’s programmatic work within the men’s prison.

**Rota: Flexible working Monday to Friday at 37.5 hours a week, with weekend work and evenings**

**ABOUT THE SERVICE**

The Family Counsellor will be an integral part of a small, high calibre team based at HMP Altcourse who will deliver pioneering programmatic work, support services for families, and the day to day running of the outside Visitors Centre.

There will be a focus on the development of Safe Ground spaces which are welcoming, comfortable, and conducive to meaningful engagement, as well as developing collaborative partnerships between Safe Ground, key prison teams and community partners. The work of the Family Counsellor will support the establishment as a model of best practice in implementing and supporting ground-breaking person centred family interventions.

Safe Ground is an award-winning arts organisation expert in the design and delivery of therapeutic group work. Our flagship family relationships programmes Family Man and Fathers Inside were the first of their kind in the UK, and our Justice Data Lab results for Fathers Inside (Dec 2016) are some of the best ever achieved (40% reduced reoffending rate). We work in secure and community settings nationally, and have over 25 years’ experience creating spaces within which transformational change can occur.

**ABOUT YOU**

You will have a real commitment and passion for working with people in the given setting and across a diverse population, with an alignment with SIG and Safe Ground’s values and mission. You will have experience supporting complex families, as well as an understanding of the social and societal stigma attached to people with experience of the criminal justice system.

Due to the nature of the role, training will be required including experiential programme training, and Security and Key Training through the Prison Service.

**OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Support programme participants to understand behaviours and relationships to re-form and sustain attachments with significant others.
- Support family members' in achieving their goals and priorities to support them in challenging circumstances.
- Work with colleagues to build good working relationships and systems of communication which supports the develop new hopeful perspectives and coping mechanisms.
- Coordinate and liaise with the team and participants to seek and maximise opportunities.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external persons and partners. This can include _Governors, Offender Management Units (OMU), Wing Staff, Education Staff, Family Services, Inductions, Resettlement and other key components of the HMP and community partners._
- Admin will vary.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position.

**KEY CRITERIA**

What we are looking for:

- Appropriate professional qualifications and experience: Integrative Counselling; Family Counselling; Internal Family Systems; Group Therapy; Play or Art Therapy or similar
- Registered with a recognised regulatory body e.g. BACP; UKCP; BABCP; BPS
- IT Proficiency, ability to learn new software programs, basic Microsoft experience
- Ability to adapt or integrate your therapeutic approach to the needs of individual families and family members

What we would like, but not essential:

- Experience working with complex families
- Experience working with children
- Experience within a prison or other criminal justice setting, **and/or** within a similar role

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

**WORKING FOR US**

**ABOUT US**

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planne