Counsellor

Job summary

This is an exciting time for StElizabeth East Coast Hospice. It is a time of expansion, development andinvestment in the Hospice Team. We havean opportunity for a Counsellor to join our well established service and workin a multi-disciplinary team. You will be supporting those living with aprogressive or life-limiting illness and work within our LivingGriefbereavement service. You must be a Registered accredited Counsellor or workingtowards accreditation. Our ideal candidate will have proven abilities to workwith clients and families who have changing needs, on an individual basis, withcouples and in groups, as well as an understanding and ability to supportindividuals and families throughout their illness and in bereavement. There iscapacity in the team to support a newly qualified counsellor working towardsaccreditation so newly qualified therapists are welcome to apply.

We are looking for a dynamic,compassionate and highly motivated individual who canprovide emotional support and counselling service for patients and theirfamilies requiring specialist palliative care.

Main duties of the job

As well as being part of themulti-disciplinary team in Great Yarmouth and Waveney, you will also be part ofthe wider Emotional Wellbeing and Spiritual Care Team and LivingGrief serviceacross St Elizabeth Hospice. You will therefore have opportunities to developworking relationships and contribute to service development within a well-established,supportive and dynamic team of counsellors, social workers, spiritual careworkers and family support workers.

Hours :30- 36 hours per week

Salary : WTE:£29, to £44, band 5 to 6 (depending on experience). Band 5 will progress toband 6 when accreditation complete

If you would like an opportunity to find out some moreabout working at the hospice and how it can fit your own career aspirations, werecommend an informal visit/discussion prior to you completing your application.

Interview Date : 24June 2024

About us

Ourmost recent Care Quality Commission report rated the hospice as Outstanding

For over 30 years St Elizabeth Hospice hasdriven forward innovation and development of services, both in the Ipswich andEast Suffolk locality and now further up the coast to the Great Yarmouth andWaveney area. The Norfolk and Waveney IntegratedCare Board have awarded the specialist palliative and end of life care contractto East Coast Community Healthcare. The contract includes a specialistpalliative care service, which will be delivered in partnership with StElizabeth East Coast Hospice.

We offer:

personal pension plan (NHS Pensions are transferrable)

excellent training opportunities

employee assistance programme

Medicash health cash plan

free parking

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOBSUMMARY

To provide an emotionalsupport and counselling service for patients and their families requiringspecialist palliative care. To work alongside a multi-disciplinary team (MDT)for the community, community care units, outpatients and those using in-patientspecialist palliative care beds, within the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area.

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PROFESSIONALRESPONSIBILITIES

To work jointly within the MDT to provide emotional support andcounselling to patients, relatives and carers of all ages in various settings outpatients, community, inpatient beds and community care unit locations.

To provide individual counselling support in person, online or bytelephone where appropriate.

To provide support in groups where appropriate.

To appropriately manage referrals to the service, prioritising responsesagainst urgency and need.

To work as part of the team staffing the Emotional Wellbeing EnquiryLine providing telephone support, managing telephone enquiries, triaging andorganising referrals, providing emotional support to the inpatient unit.

To establish person centered goals and evaluate intervention.

To maintain the standards of professional accountability in practice asdetermined by the relevant professional bodies.

To hold a caseload for patients and their families. To coordinate ongoing care, where needed andto communicate with the rest of the hospice team and other professionals, asrequired.

To maintain up to date and comprehensive treatment records.

To maintain an awareness of both individual and corporate needs ofpatients and their families and participate in family meetings when necessary.

To provide follow-up bereavement support where appropriate.

To participate in regular supervision to meet professional regulations.

To maintain a working knowledge of local bereavement support to ensureadequate follow up care for relatives where appropriate.

To support volunteers and/or students working with the EmotionalWellbeing Team.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

To devisewith the Emotional Wellbeing Team leader a personal development plan in linewith the Hospice objectives and personal needs.

To maintainand increase personal professional skills.

PERSONNEL RESPONSIBILITIES

To recogniseindications of staff stress and to facilitate staff support.

Toparticipate in the induction of all new staff, as required.

Asrequested, to participate in professional placements.

Toparticipate in the recruitment of staff as requested.

To act as aLink role to volunteers.

EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Toparticipate in the Hospice education programmes.

To givefeedback from attended education programmes/study days to the MDT.

To maintainawareness of research and relevant findings and in conjunction with the MDT,work towards these being applied to practice.

To promotegood practice in palliative care in the community through professionalnetworking and initiating specialist training programmes where appropriate.

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To work atall times within the policies of the Hospice and national professional guidelinesat all times.

To uphold the hospice and individual team values at all times.

To ensureeffective use of resources.

Toparticipate in relevant activities which promote the Hospice as requested.

To respectat all times the confidentiality of information covering patients, staff and

Volunteers.

To play anactive part in the development and maintenance of good relationships with allthose who have business with the Hospice.

To promotethe Hospice Philosophy of Care towards patients, relatives and visitors.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

Essential

High level of self-awareness and commitment to own continued personal and professional development. Confident and mature approach. Confident to work in a variety of environments, including patients own homes. Flexible and approachable.

Qualifications

Essential

Counsellor qualification registered with BACP/UKCP (level 5)

Desirable

Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience Proven experience in adult community care or adult palliative care Looking at working towards/working towards an advance qualification MA, PHD

Experience

Essential

Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team. Good knowledge of attachment and loss theory and current bereavement thinking and research. Experienced in providing counselling to a range of people including those with serious life threatening illness and facing loss. Experience of planning, delivering, monitoring and evaluating care needs interventions that are complex and subject to change. Able to contribute to service development. Skilled in use of evaluation tools.

Desirable

Experience of working in a health or social care setting. Previous experience of supervising volunteers. Experience in leading groups. Experience of working with couples and families. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Specific Skills

Essential

Highly developed interpersonal skills, including listening, empathy, and advocacy. Excellent written communication skills. Good organisational skills. IT and computer literate. Confidence to work independently and as part of a team. Current driving license and access to own transport.

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