Nhs Contracts Counsellor

Permanent position
- Part time hours: 10 to 24 client hours + admin and supervision time over a minimum of 3 days
- Willingness to work both remotely and in-person
- Primarily Hertfordshire based with potential to work in Bedfordshire as well

**Salary and Benefits**
- £29,000 - £36,000 per annum depening on experience
- Fortnightly 1.5 hours in-house supervision (group)
- Access to subsidised TCF CPD events
- Employer pension contributions on eligible pay
- Membership of employee assistance programme
- 25 days per holiday per year pro rata plus bank holidays
- Payment of initial Enhanced DBS (not extended to annual subscription to the Update Service)
- Laptop
- Use of TCF telephony system (Horizon)

**About the Role**

**The Counselling Foundation** has been in operation for over 40 years as a provider of counselling and training services. We are proud of our welcoming culture and commitment to client care.

The Foundation has four strands to the services we provide:

- Provision of long term heavily subsidised counselling for clients who cannot afford private care
- Provision of short-term work to IAPT referred clients using Counselling for Depression (CfD) or Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT)
- Provision of short-term work for our charitable service, EAP contracts and other NHS contracts
- Training programmes that include short courses such as Introduction to Counselling and active listening plus a four-year Advanced Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling that is accredited by the BACP

We are continuously evolving, and mental health support has never been so critical to our communities. We want to further expand our team and are looking for new colleagues to support us as we continue to grow our services.

As a counsellor in our IAPT and/or other services, you will be at the centre of continuing to bring our response to the current mental health crisis to life. We are looking for someone who is passionate about the provision of care outside the private sector and has the energy and enthusiasm to support us in our growth and innovation in client care.

You will work as a semi-autonomous practitioner assessing clients for suitability for counselling and delivering counselling support to these clients whilst working closely with the wider team and partner organisations to ensure appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place.

The role will primarily involve working with clients Counselling for Depression or Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy. You may also be required to work with our subsidised service as well as with clients on our other contracts. You will receive clinical supervision and will be supported by the clinical manager for the team.

Above all you will be passionate about joining a charitable organisation that embraces diversity and innovation and is connected with our local communities.

**Experience**:
**Essential**
- Qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling
- Completed a BACP-accredited counselling qualification
- BACP/UKCP registered member
- BACP accredited or working towards accreditation
- Delivered a minimum of 250 client hours to include agency work
- Willingness to train in the IAPT compliant modality Counselling for Depression (CfD), if not already achieved
- Significant counselling experience post qualification, either in a paid or voluntary capacity
- Experience of providing effective time limited counselling
- Experience of carrying out assessments of client support needs, including risk assessments
- Experience of working with people who have experienced a common mental health problem
- Developed skills in assessing risk and a working knowledge of managing complex risk assessment in practice
- Experience of delivering counselling over the phone and / or via video conferencing

**Desirable**
- Completed a Level 7 or equivalent BACP accredited counselling course
- Experience of providing a counselling intervention within a primary care or IAPT setting
- Qualification in the IAPT compliant modality Counselling for Depression (CfD).
- Qualification in another IAPT compliant counselling modality i.e., DIT
- Worked in a service where agreed targets were in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
- Experience of developing and delivering therapeutic group work
- Experience of using electronic case management systems such as IAPTus