Job responsibilities
Job Title:
Counsellor (part time)
Grade: Band 4
Hours of Duty: Part time and full time hours
considered. May include some
out-of-hours working.
Organisational
Arrangements
Accountable to: Lead Nurse for Clinical Services
Report to: Wellbeing Centre Manager
Key
Responsibilities
Main Duties
To act as a role model and provide exceptional counselling skills
and expertise to the Wellbeing centre
To manage an active caseload of clients dealing with complex
psychological and emotional issues as a consequence of a life-limiting
diagnosis, caring responsibilities or bereavement
To provide specialist one to one and group intervention via a
range of delivery modes in the Wellbeing centre
To holistically assess, plan, implement and evaluate an
individuals requirement for, and response to, counselling practice
To confidently identify and respond to the changing needs of the
client, adjusting intervention accordingly and with the knowledge of the Wellbeing
Centre Manager
To identify risk or safeguarding concerns for vulnerable clients
and report immediately to the Wellbeing Centre Manager/Safeguarding Lead
To respond appropriately in managing a crisis or emotional/psychological
deterioration and to ensure that an effective plan of support and care is put
in place
To confidently liaise with other professionals and organisations,
as necessary, to facilitate appropriate additional support and/or signposting
To prioritise workload appropriately and to work flexibly to meet
the changing needs of clients and the organisation
To be able to work both autonomously and in close partnership with
the Hospice Team
To document electronically
To complete contemporaneous and accurate records in accordance
with professional counselling requirements and standards and Hospice practice
To ensure that all patient and sensitive information is treated
confidentially and in line with local Hospice policies and national legislation
To be an educational resource to the Hospice team and to be able
to contribute to training sessions as requested
To maintain and update current knowledge of evidence-based best
practice
To work in accordance with NICE guidelines and national standards
for palliative and end of life care, bereavement, and psychological support
Clinical
To perform initial assessments of clients and service users
To provide anticipatory and post-bereavement support and
counselling for clients
To provide support and, where appropriate, counselling to patients
with terminal and life-limiting conditions
To work with clients who have mild to moderate mental health
issues
To manage own caseload and administrative tasks
To establish and develop close, collaborative working relationships,
both within the Hospice and with the wider multi-disciplinary team
To undertake continual risk assessment and risk management for all
referred clients and patients
Professional
To be BACP/NCS accredited, or working towards accreditation
To maintain accreditation and registered membership with the accrediting
body and further develop professional practice by undertaking the annual
requirement of 30 hours continuing professional development
To ensure the maintenance of high standards of practice according
to the policies of the Hospice and the professional and accrediting body and
operate within the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions
To maintain up-to-date knowledge of national and local guidance in
mental health and psychological therapies
To attend and/or facilitate in-house CPD sessions
Service Organisation and Development
To take responsibility for some areas of practice within the Wellbeing
Centre
To participate in any other activities as agreed with service managers
Information, Technology and Resources
To maintain clear, professional records of clinical work
To be a source of relevant information for clients and staff and
to be involved in the production of informational material as required
Personal
To read, understand and comply with all Hospice policies and
procedures, applying them as appropriate to the role
To be aware of individual specific responsibilities with regards
to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults as appropriate to the role
To attend, and participate in, all relevant meetings, both within
the Hospice, and externally, as appropriate and agreed with the line manager
To undertake, on occasion, such duties and responsibilities of a
reasonable nature which may be delegated by the Wellbeing Centre Manager or the
Director of Clinical Services
Management
To work alongside
the Wellbeing Centre Manager to manage and organise the daily running of the Wellbeing
Centre
To work and support the Wellbeing Centre Manager with the planning
and organisation of various events for service users, which may involve working
outside normal working hours
To demonstrate proficient IT skills in order to maintain and
develop data collection and reporting
To support local audit and evaluation of the Wellbeing Centre, assisting
with any improvement plans that might be identified
To take a proactive approach towards service development, using
initiative and creativity to implement new ideas and ways of working, where
agreed with the Wellbeing Centre Manager and deemed to be of benefit to
patients, staff and the organisation
Organisational
To exemplify the organisational values of the Hospice, acting as a
role model to others
To maintain confidentiality and safe data handling at all times
To participate in the Hospice appraisal process
To raise any areas of risk or concern in accordance with Hospice
policy, including incident reporting
Educational
To adhere to all statutory and mandatory training requirements as
designated by the organisation
To be responsible for your own continuous professional development
(CPD)
To attend and participate in learning and development opportunities
as deemed mutually beneficial for yourself and the organisation
To contribute to training and development of other staff within
the Hospice where appropriate
To take responsibility for identifying personal and professional
development requirements and communicate these to the line manager
To maintain an active role in self-development and continuing
education by attending planned education sessions and development training
Health and
Safety/Security
To be familiar with all requirements of the Health and Safety at
Work Acts and the Hospice health and safety policies and regulations applicable
to the post.
To co-operate actively with nominated Health and Safety personnel
in achieving the aims of the Hospice Health and Safety policy, Fire
Regulations, and related issues, and to ensure that legal requirements are met.
To take responsible care for the health and safety of yourself and
others who may be affected by your acts or omissions, and comply with health
and safety legislation.
Volunteers
Dr Kershaws Hospice is generously supported through its active
volunteers who work alongside employees of the Hospice, across all departments,
helping to fulfil the needs of the services.
As part of all roles at the Hospice, it is expected that all post holders
commit to assisting and supporting volunteers to perform their roles to the
best of their ability.
General
Confidentiality: It is a condition
of employment that staff will not disclose any information obtained in the
course of their duties other than to those entitled to receive it. The post holder must ensure that the
confidentiality of personal data remains secure and the terms of the Data
Protection Act and relevant Hospice policies are met in respect of information
held on the Hospice computer system.
Equal
Opportunities: The Hospice is committed
to equality of opportunity. All staff
are required to comply with current legislation and Hospice policies.
Health and
Safety: Staff
must ensure they are familiar with the requirements of the Health and Safety at
Work Act (1974) and the Hospice Health and Safety policies and regulations
applicable to their post.
Safeguarding: Dr Kershaws Hospice is committed to
safeguarding adults and children and expects all staff to share in this
commitment. Staff have a responsibility
to ensure that they are aware of specific duties relating to their role and
should familiarise themselves with the Hospice safeguarding policy. Regular safeguarding training updates will be
held and are mandatory for all staff.
The above indicates the main duties that maybe
reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction
with the post-holder.
