West London Counsellor

Job responsibilities

Job Title:West London Counsellor

Team/Directorate:Family Support Services

Salary range/pay band:Family Support Band 6

Reports to:Head ofLead for Counselling and Family Support Service

Hours:37.5 hours

Location:Across both hospice sites Shooting Star House (base)

Job holder:Vacant

Part 1: Job Profile

a) Main purpose of job

The post holder will provide high quality counselling and psychological support to families accessing Shooting Star Childrens Hospices (SSCH). This work addresses the psychological challenges associated with life-limiting conditions s, and issues of loss and grief, including the Sudden sudden and unexpected death of a child.

The postholder will need to be comfortable with with providing counselling psychological support care in a variety of therapeutic ways appropriate for the familiesin anticipatory grief, acute grief and 0-3 years post-death, using an evidence-based approach to counselling.

Acute, time sensitive, trauma-informed psychological care is provided immediately post-death to minimise longer term experience of trauma, and to safety plan expertly, collaborating with partner agencies including GPs. The purpose of the counsellor is to assess, safeguard, advocate and in this immediate work to provide individualised strategies to manage acute symptoms.

Something about trauma.

The post holder will have a diverse caseload and provide risk assessments, and series of sessions to parents predominantly, but also other family members and friends such asincluding children, young people, siblings and grandparents. The purpose of the West London counsellor is to seek ways to engage clients from varied and diverse backgrounds in culturally appropriate care.

Through a model of holistic care, the post holder will consider the needs of the whole family and work collaboratively with others to continually assess need and approach.

The post holder will be actively involved in the education and development of other team members, in particular in providing clinical supervision individually and for groups of staff.

Something about using screening ?

b) Work relationships

The post holder is part of the Counselling Team, one of the Family Support TeamPsychosocial Services of SSCH. and They will work closelollaboratively with the other multi-disciplinary members of this team including counsellors, therapists, social workers and family support workers, our symptom nursing team, in-house team, community nursing team, care administrators and fundraisers.

The post-holder will work collaboratively with others to support wider family assessments with professional judgement, reflection and curiosity. The post holder will be actively involved in the education and development of other team members and external organisations. This includes providing clinical supervision and debriefs.

The individual in this role will work in partnership with external professionals involved in the care of children and families. The role involves contact withinmembership and leadership of external professional networks to enhance individual knowledge and skills, support the quality improvement of SSCH services and wider developments in childrens palliative careas well as broadening understanding of families accessing childrens hospices (and appropriate services).

c) Decision making authority

The post holder will be required to risk-assess referrals and provide professional opinion concerning the appropriateness and safety of a counsellingpsychological intervention, and the ongoing provision of this. sSafeguarding concerns should be escalated .

in line with SSCH policy.

The post holder will determine the appropriateness of referrals assigned to volunteer and bank counsellors, overseeing work provided by volunteers through clinical supervision.

The post holder will lead and support on therapeutic groups/events for parents and families.

The post holder may be asked to support, develop and supervise a student counsellor, reviewing notes weekly and ensuring safe and effective practice.

The post holder will be given key objectives as part of an annual appraisal, with initiatives to lead and develop in line with SSCH strategy, updating the leadership team appropriately.

d) Scope of job

As part of our Family Support Psychosocial Services, specialist counselling assessments arepsychological care is offered to individual parents, couples, grandparents and families both of supported life-limited children and bereaved families (including those who have experienced the sudden and unexpected death of a child). Depending on the outcome of the assessment, an appropriate intervention is put in place. This may be community-based where appropriate,urgent psychological support, a series of individual sessions (virtual or face-to-face)/support are put in placeor a therapeutic group hosted at one of the hospice sites.

As a member of the SSCH Family Support TeamPsychosocial Services, the post holder is involved in asked tothe holistic assessment each family holisticallyof families, including those referred to the specialist bereavement service. Through a model of evidence-based, holistic care, the post holder will use assessment measures as part of their assessment considering the specific symptoms and needs of the client.

andThe post-holder will Within the team, the post holder contribute professional expertisees to the initial and continual multi-disciplinary assessment of families needs, as well as the provision of short and long-term supportinterventions, signposting, information sharing, developing resources and groups and events for children and families.

Aware of the three-year provision of care from bereaved families, the post holder will to help engage the client in local support and where appropriate, build a peer network of support enabling good bereavement outcomes.other professionals internally and externally who may be able to offer specialist support. Within the team, the post holder contributes to the continual multi-disciplinary assessment of families needs, as well as the provision of support, signposting, information sharing, developing resources and groups and events for children and families.

The postholder is responsible for ensuring and enhancing the quality, safety and effectiveness of psychological support care offered to SSCH children and families. This involves seeking innovative, flexible, group and individualised approaches that meet the psychological needs of families, and continually developing professional knowledge and skills to respond to evolving needs within childrens palliative care. The scope of this role will include the use of multi-modal approaches to counselling; working strictly with a one discipline approach e.g. person-centred counselling, will not likely provide the breadth of intervention necessary for this client group. An openness to education and continued professional development and training opportunities are provided.

Something about not working from a single model

This care and support will predominantly be provided at Christophers in Guildford and Shooting Star House in Hampton and across north west London. Risk assessments, consultations, assessments and sessions for individuals, couples and families may take place virtually or in-person. Some travel to family homes and hospitals will also be required. Hospice Care is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, therefore the post holder may be required to work in the evening (pre-agreed) and occasional Saturdays or Sundays.

General attributes

Essential

• Flexible and willing to undertake varied responsibilities as part of a team.
• Open to change, development, innovation and enhancement of care services.
• Empathetic and sensitive to others needs.
• Able to build good relationships with others (including staff, students, volunteers, supporters, children and families known to SSCH.
• Organised, methodical and able to multi-task.
• A good health record.
• Evidence of non-discriminatory non-judgemental practice

Experience

Essential

• Post qualifying experience of working with families in a health/social care environment as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of working with individuals facing or experiencing bereavement.
• Experience of conducting risk assessments, consultations and sessions on a virtual platform.
• Experience of working with clients experiencing acute mental health symptoms, including trauma and suicidal ideation.
• Experience of initiating safeguarding processes, safety planning and managing suicidal risk.
• Experience of engaging clients from all cultures, working with issues of equality and diversity within client and organisational contexts.
• Demonstratable ability of recognising and managing ones own stress/wellbeing.

Desirable

• Experience of working with children, young people and their families affected by life-limiting illness in a palliative care environment.
• Experience of facilitating therapeutic group work with family members.
• Experience of using standardised assessment measures within assessments.
• Experience of delivering clinical supervision individually and in groups.
• Experience of delivering effective training.
• Experience of working with or supervising students.
• Experience of conducting research or quality improvement project work.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• A strong, psychotherapeutic underpinning of counselling practice.
• Ability to risk-assess referrals and make primary assessments of children with life-limiting conditions and their family members, utilising safeguarding knowledge and understanding.
• Flexibility, utilising multiple approaches and skills across clients to address the presenting need at that time.
• Ability to be responsive to urgent referrals, drawing on specialist knowledge to provide immediate support or advice.
• Understanding of the needs of the wider family experiencing child bereavement, with ability to advise families and professionals concerning appropriate support.
• Ability to utilise screening and wider assessment to identify where other psychological interventions may be beneficial for a family and refer internally/externally as appropriate.
• Awareness of relevant research concerning counselling and research concerning childrens palliative care, in order to ensure quality of care. Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner and member of a team.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience of using client databases.
• IT skills including use of Microsoft 365 applications.
• Car owner/driver with full UK drivers licence, with appropriate personal and business use insurance.

Desirable

• Fluent in an additional language
• Training/qualification in couples counselling
• Training/qualification in trauma-informed cognitive behavioural therapy
• Training/qualification in dialectical behaviour therapy
• Qualification in EMDR
• Training/qualification in family therapy
• Training/qualification in counselling for children and young people
• Training/qualification in coaching
• Understanding and experience of supporting families accessing neonatal care
• Knowledge of child death review process
• Knowledge of relevant local and national services that support children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised counselling qualification.
• Accredited counsellor with BACP/UKCP.
• A minimum of two years post qualification experience as a counsellor.

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).