Counsellor

**Role title** - Counsellor

**Based at** - Esteem office, Old School House, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6PA

**Contract**:

- Subcontractor Agreement - Paid upon invoice

**Hours** - Minimum of 3 clients a week - 50 min sessions plus write-up time. Days and times of availability will be agreed with the Counselling Manager

**Pay** - Qualified Counsellor (£25/hr)

Each clinical session lasts up to 50 minutes, with time to write up session notes after.

Admin time is provided by Esteem at £12.60 per hour, as well as for in-house mandatory training and meetings within Esteem, including the Quarterly Counselling meetings.

DNAs/Cancelled sessions will be paid for in full if less than 24 hrs given; and at 50% if short notice less than seven days’ notice is given

**Application Deadline** - 9am Monday 8th September 2025

**Interview Date** - Monday 29th September 2025

**Start Date** - w/c 27th October 2025

**About Esteem**

At Esteem, we create space for young adults to thrive. We offer social, wellbeing, volunteering, and mentoring opportunities to young adults aged between 14-26, from our base in Shoreham-By-Sea. We aim to involve young adults as partners in everything we do, this provides a platform for them to develop confidence, build life skills, and improve their wellbeing. They, in turn, make our organisation, and society, a better place.

This is an exciting opportunity to work for a charity that is passionate about empowering and giving children and young adults the chance to develop their skills and confidence, both for their own benefit and for that of society as a whole.

Role DescriptionAs part of Esteems counselling service you will be providing counselling to children and young adults who are aged 14-26.Based at The Old School House, the Counsellor will be required to work with the Counselling Manager and Clinical Supervisor to support the children and young adults accessing support via the wellbeing service and mental health pathways.
Key Responsibilities

As a counsellor, you'll need to:

- Work closely with the Counselling Manager and wider team to ensure high quality delivery of service
- Deliver 1-1 counselling sessions to children and young adults at Esteem
- Fully comprehend and work within all of Esteem’s policies and procedures at all times, including Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity and understand how this fits with the Risk Management Protocol of the wider organisation.
- Attend Esteem mandatory training when required
- Work within the framework of a time-limited therapeutic model (up to 24 sessions with periodic reviews)
- Work within the BACP Ethical Framework and to uphold the clinical standards that are expected from a service that adheres to this
- Attend regular clinical supervision with the assigned clinical supervisor
- Report back to the Counselling Manager on a regular basis on the progress of the provision, and to raise any areas of service excellence or concern
- Establish a strong working relationship with Esteem colleagues
- Actively promote participation and for all children and young adults to be offered the opportunity to have a voice, get involved and to influence operational and strategic direction within Esteem
- Use UPSHOT for recording counselling notes and any work relevant to the children and young adults in an appropriate, professional and diligent manner.
- Contribute to and be part of the EsteemS Counselling Service team and attend line management meetings, team meetings and CPD events as required.
- Work constructively as part of a team and be involved in the development of good practice.
- Carry out, from time to time, any other appropriate duties in line with capabilities as directed by the line manager to support and promote the work of the project.
- Take responsibility for your own wellbeing as essential to sustaining good counselling practice

**Person Specification**

**Education and Experience**
- Graduate or Post graduate level Counselling Diploma or equivalent (of two years minimum duration including personal counselling or psychotherapy)
- BACP Accreditation/eligibility for accreditation
- BACP Registration or accredited with other relevant professional bodies (UKCP/HCPC)
- Post qualified work as a counsellor/psychotherapist
- Experience in individual counselling with children & young adults (aged 14-26 years)
- Ability to assess the needs of clients and provide appropriate service for them
- Training in child and adolescent counselling and a commitment to relevant ongoing professional development
- Experience in counselling neurodivergent children & young adults
- Training and experience in using play and creative techniques in counselling/experience in working with children and young adults with communication difficulties

**Skills and Abilities**
- To be able to work competently and ethically on a time limited basis
- Excellent motivational skills relevant to children, young adults and families with complex needs