School Counsellor

**ROLE BACKGROUND**:
Youth Enquiry Service (YES) is a charity that has supported young people in High Wycombe and the surrounding areas for over 40 years. We have an established reputation for offering accessible, friendly, and safe services for young people, which includes one-to-one counselling, sexual health information, and drop-in information, advice, and guidance.

This is an exciting time for YES, as we have recently been awarded funding to expand our services as an early-intervention mental health support hub for young people. This expansion will enable us to significantly increase capacity within our pre-existing services, as well as set up several new services including schools-based counselling, peer support groups for young people and for their parents/carers, and a young person’s advisory board who will help shape YES services.

As part of our planned service expansion, we are seeking to recruit freelance Counsellors to be based within local schools, who will provide an ethical and professional counselling service on behalf of YES and establish professional working relationships with key school staff.

**ROLE OVERVIEW**:
**Job Title - **School Counsellors (freelance)

**Salary - **£30 per hour covering all costs

**Hours - **Part-time hours from 3 to 15 hours a week (to be discussed at interview)

**Location - **Local schools within approx. 10 miles of High Wycombe town centre

**Interviews - **Face-to-face interviews will take place at our drop-in centre during the week commencing Monday 10th June 2024

**ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Discussion of referrals with school link
- Managing a session timetable within the school day and agreeing a process for students coming to and from the sessions
- Undertake assessments and counselling sessions
- Complete associated administration tasks
- Attend regular clinical supervision and line management meetings
- Ensure hours with schools are met in term time in line with funding requirements and take any remedial action where unexpected absences occur
- Ensure that feedback forms are collated to ensure our funding targets are reviewed in line with funding requirements and take any remedial action following monitoring and review
- Maintain database files on cases in accordance with data protection guidelines
- Ensure that work is in accordance with the BACP Code of Ethics

**PERSON SPECIFICATION**:

- Current registration with a relevant professional body BACP/UKCP
- Recognised person-centred/integral counselling qualification to at least Diploma level
- Minimum 2 years of post-qualification experience
- Experience of working with young people in a school/educational setting (in the 11 to 18 age range)
- Professional, flexible attitude with excellent interpersonal skills
- Able to manage own time well
- Confident in identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns
- Sound understanding of child protection and vulnerable adult safeguarding issues, policies, and procedures (Safeguarding training will be provided)
- Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office and data entry onto our case management system
- Hold a UK driver’s license and have access to own transport

**OTHER INFORMATION**:
**HOW TO APPLY**:
**Job Type**: Freelance

Pay: £30.00 per hour

Expected hours: 3 - 15 per week

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 03/06/2024
Reference ID: YES - School Counsellor