School Therapist - Garforth Cluster

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: School Therapist Garforth Cluster

Contract: Permanent contract

Salary: £26,260 £32,830 pro rata

Pension: Eligible employees will be auto-enrolled in a defined contribution scheme.

Hours and days: 33.5 hours per week. Term-Time Only.

The role is part funded by the Leeds CCG and part funded by the cluster/schools.

Location: Working across various schools within the cluster.

It is envisaged that desk/office space will be made available within the cluster. Therapeutic work will normally take place within schools and community venues.

Accountability and reporting: The post-holder is ultimately accountable to the Board of Northpoint, through the Director of Northpoint. The post holder will be line-managed by Northpoints School Services Manager. Direction on a day-to-day basis will be provided by the Cluster Leader, or other named person.

Start date: November 2020 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate: Due to the nature of the work this post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. Northpoints policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request a past criminal conviction will not necessarily be a bar to employment.

Approach/interventions

The therapist will deliver one-to-one short-term therapeutic interventions to primary and secondary school children referred through the cluster.

The exact nature of the therapeutic work will depend on the presenting issues, and on the theoretical orientation of the post-holder; work will normally last for 6-8 weekly sessions, but may be extended depending on factors such as the degree of engagement/clinical need/likelihood of CAMHS involvement etc. Any group interventions would also be consistent with the above approaches.

The approach used by the therapist should be consistent with the following:

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework, and specifically BACPs Good Practice Guidance for Counselling in Schools
• Professional requirements of the Health Professions Council (if registered)
• Evidence base contained within the Department for Education guidance Counselling in schools: a blueprint for the future

Client group

The focus will be on referrals from identified priority groups where consent and motivation criteria are met (including looked after children, potentially NEET at 16, poor attendees, vulnerable boys, those experiencing bullying, young carers, those affected by loss/bereavement/parental separation, children who are anxious/depressed, those displaying behaviour management problems/conduct disorder, those experiencing deprivation, asylum seekers, refugees, etc).

A limited amount of work with adults (parents and carers) may be required within the role and the therapist will be able to refer parents (if need be) to other services within the area, including Northpoints other provision.

Caseload

The caseload will be dependent on a number of factors. It is envisaged that a therapist working 5 days (35 hours) would normally hold a caseload of 17/18 clients who are seen weekly. The exact size of the caseload may vary and will be dependent on the nature of the work and other factors including the number of venues, travel time, and room availability.

Main duties

The duties and responsibilities of the post will include:

1. Delivery of the therapeutic service in the cluster, working with colleagues to promote the service, liaising with school staff and other stakeholders.

2. Building and maintaining good, effective working relationships with management teams and pastoral staff in the schools and venues.

3. Liaising with cluster and school staff on referrals, assessing and determining the need for intervention with children and families referred.

4. Holding a caseload of children and young people (aged 5 to 19) and parents/carers at any one time.

5. Holding a caseload of referrals and gathering information to allow accurate assessment and formulation of emotional and mental health needs for children and young people.

6. Delivery of short-term (normally 6 to 8 sessions), evidence-based individual interventions in various school settings, to children and families who are referred through the cluster, and where consent and motivation criteria are met.

7. Delivery of group interventions where appropriate.

8. With a developed understanding of local services, assisting the cluster team to establish the most appropriate cluster practitioner to work with specific referrals, or providing supporting information for onward referrals into specific CAMHS pathways.

9. Offering consultation and advice to school staff, cluster and other professionals as and when appropriate.

10. Working peripatetically across schools in the cluster.

11. Providing clinical support, guidance and input to school and cluster-based staff.

12. Attending/contributing to referral and planning meetings with school and other staff.

13. Taking a pro-active approach to ensuring safeguarding concerns are raised appropriately, and contributing to EHCP/safeguarding processes.

14. Ensuring that all records are kept confidentially, in line with Northpoints procedures.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A relevant therapeutic qualification* (E)
• *A relevant therapy qualification would include a diploma from a BACP-accredited training (or equivalent**) OR a relevant HCPC-registered title (i.e. art therapist, arts psychotherapist, drama therapist, counselling psychologist, clinical psychologist).
• **NB Equivalent therapy qualifications from non-accredited courses should be of a level that would be recognised for professional accreditation purposes and sufficient to practise as a counsellor/therapist (i.e. minimum of 450 taught hours over at least 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, supervised practice within a therapeutic organisation, with teaching which covered elements of theory, skills practice, professional issues and personal development).

Desirable

• Further training in working therapeutically with children and young people (D)

Experience

Essential

• At least one years post-qualification clinical experience (E)
• Experience of working in schools, childrens centres, and/or children and family services (E)
• Ability to carry out comprehensive mental health assessments including assessment of risk, analysis of strengths and protective factors. (E)
• Understanding of social, emotional, behavioural and specialist presentations for children and young people (E)

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of CAMHS or other mental health services (D)
• Experience and/or knowledge of systemic family therapeutic interventions (D)
• Experience of group work and training provision (D)
• Experience of working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds (D)

Skills

Essential

• Ability to deliver time-limited evidence-based therapeutic interventions (usually 6-8 sessions) to primary and secondary school students (E)
• Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team, and to foster good working relationships with different professionals and agencies (E)
• Ability to communicate effectively and manage sensitive client information (E)
• Ability to assess and respond to child protection and safeguarding issues (E)
• Ability to assess risk and suitability for therapy (E)
• Ability to manage own caseload, time and priorities, plus ability to be self-motivated, to work with remote management, and to take initiative as appropriate (E)
• Ability to demonstrate outcomes and evidence impact (e.g. SDQ, client feedback) (E)
• Competence with basic IT software (email, Word, spreadsheets, report writing, letters) (E)
• Commitment to working within relevant professional guidance (e.g. BACP Ethical Framework) (E)

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of mental health and wellbeing issues facing children and young people (E)

Desirable

• Knowledge of initiatives, priorities and agendas facing staff working in childrens services, such as EHP, Leeds Children & Young Peoples Plan, Child Protection Plans etc (D)
• Knowledge/experience of education and cluster working (D)
• Knowledge or training in restorative practice techniques (D)

Other

Essential

• Availability to start work November 2020 (or shortly thereafter) (E)

Desirable

• Car driver with access to own vehicle for purposes of working across different settings (D)
• Fluent in languages other than English (D)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Northpoint Wellbeing Ltd

Address

Hunslet Road

Leeds

LS10 1JN

Employer's website

https://northpoint.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)