High Intensity Counsellor

Job description

Job responsibilities

To proactively manage a caseload of people who are experiencing depression and have been assessed as appropriate for brief counselling interventions at step 3 of the stepped care model.

To provide effective short term counselling interventions in up to 20 sessions with people experiencing depression, in line with NICE guidance.

To effectively manage a caseload of up to 24 patients with the support of clinical supervision.

To work collaboratively with the administrative and clinical team.

PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

To manage a caseload of clients who are experiencing depression; formulating and providing specialist short term counselling interventions

To be integrated with the Talking Therapies service, being responsible for those clients who have been assessed and referred for counselling at step 3.

To be involved in carrying out initial assessments with people referred to the service.

To maintain a professional relationship with the clients and with other staff, with particular attention to confidentiality and the maintenance of boundaries.

To ensure all client activity is recorded and monitored in line with the required data management system (SystmOne).

To work with senior clinicians to implement and integrate counselling with the talking therapies team at step 3 of the stepped care model, in line with national and local policies.

To work within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for providing counselling interventions within the service.

CLINICAL

To assess clients therapeutic needs at the initial appointment and throughout treatment. To make recommendations for alternative treatment, if the counsellor considers that counselling is not the best source of help for a particular client.

To provide brief counselling, (up to 12 sessions) to those aged 16 plus at Talking Therapies. Clients problems may include those who are experiencing: mild to moderate depression, whether reactive or clinical in origin; relationship issues; bereavement; sufferers of domestic, emotional, physical or sexual abuse.

To exercise autonomous clinical responsibility for the selection, development and implementation of counselling models, strategies and interventions, adjusting and reformulating as appropriate on the basis of feedback from the client, the counsellors judgement and input from clinical supervision.

To communicate with referrers at various stages of the counselling process.

To maintain agreed patient record systems and abide by agreed confidentiality boundaries.

To keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.

To adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the number of client contacts offered and clinical sessions carried out per week in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.

To complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.

To adhere to all clinical policies and procedures.

To maintain high clinical standards in all aspects of the work.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management in line with trust and service policies.

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

NHS Talking Therapies requires the use of minimum data set to record the outcomes of the service. The post holder will work with the senior clinicians, clinical lead and service manager to be involved with:

Completing all requirements relating to data collection within the service.

Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.

RESEARCH AND AUDIT

To support the development and implementation of relevant audits, operational policies and guidelines relating to counselling.

PROFESSIONAL

To be accountable for matters of professional clinical judgement.

To take responsibility for and to manage ones own caseload.

To assess the appropriateness of referrals for counselling in consultation with the clinical lead and other clinicians.

To maintain professional knowledge and competence in line with professional guidelines and to keep updated with theoretical and research developments which affect good working practices.

To maintain professional, clinical and ethical standards in compliance with the British Association of Counselling (BACP), Counsellors in Primary Care (CPC) Codes of Ethics and Practice and other relevant practice guidelines.

To attend counselling supervision in accordance with BACP Codes of Practice.

To undertake any other duties as agreed with the clinical lead and service manager.

To comply with all Trust policies and guidelines.

To participate in continuing professional development in accordance with BACP and CPC requirements.

Be aware of and keep up to date with advances in counselling and other agreed psychological therapies.

Attend agreed regular clinical and managerial supervision in line with the trusts policies an

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree Qualification in Person Centred Counselling
• BACP or CPC Registered / eligible for accreditation / working towards accreditation

Desirable

• Post graduate diploma in High Intensity Psychological interventions
• Other Talking Therapies Qualifications
• BACP accreditation

Experience

Essential

• Working in Mental Health Services
• Ability to meet agreed/specific service targets
• Ability to manage own caseload and time
• Demonstrate high standards in written communication and able to write clear reports and letters to referrers.

Desirable

• Working in a NHS Talking Therapies setting /
• Working in Primary Care Mental Health Services
• Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
• Supported the development of a new pathway or service.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• High level of enthusiasm and
• Motivation.
• Advanced communication skills
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
• Ability to work under pressure
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality
• Ability to be self reflective, whilst working with service users, & in own personal and professional development and in supervision
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for a new service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system
• To work at least 3 days out of 5 days a week, between base and community settings.
• To work at least one late night as per the service needs

Desirable

• Fluent in any other languages other than English
• Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation

Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
• Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health / benefits & employment systems
• Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
• Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post Full range of skills and competencies
• Computer literate
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Has received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice
• Basic understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
• Good record of Continuing Professional Development.

Desirable

• Completed clinical audits within a service

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

Navigo Health and Social Care CIC

Address

Navigo House, 3-7 Brighowgate

Hybrid of office/community based working and working from home

Grimsby

DN32 0QE

Employer's website

https://navigocare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)