Job summary
We are excited to advertise this great opportunity of becoming the Senior Fertility Counsellor of the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU), The Jessop Wing, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (STHFT).
We aim to attract a committed, diverse, and talented workforce who are passionate about delivering psychological care within an acute hospital setting and adapting approaches to meet the needs of our services and service users. In return, we offer a supportive, dynamic work setting where you can link with colleagues and develop your career.
As a department, we recognise that diversity of workforce extends our skills, experiences, and ideas, thereby adding value and creativity to our services. The department has an active Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group and welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community. In our latest staff survey, 95% of staff report feeling valued and cared for and that their role makes a difference.
Please see the attachment "Department overview" for more details about working with us.
Main duties of the job
The Senior Fertility Counsellor leads the specialist fertility counselling service of the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU). The counsellors work as part of the multi-disciplinary team to ensure that regulatory requirements in relation to donation, surrogacy and general counselling needs are met.
This includes providing implications counselling to those who are considering, undertaking or have undertaken assisted conception, donation, surrogacy or storage procedures. This in addition to providing therapeutic and supportive counselling, as needed by those whose infertility, circumstances, treatment, donation, and /or outcomes give rise to particular difficulties or distress.
As the Senior Counsellor you would play an active role in the wider ACU service, attending and contributing to ACU Board meetings, MDT meetings, senior staff meetings and all ethics committee meetings. The Senior Counsellor is also responsible for ensuring the Counselling Service meets statutory, national, regional and Trust standards of care.
About us
"You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives."
As a member of the department, you would be part of a substantial, experienced, and enthusiastic team; benefitting from inhouse professional development including clinical supervision, special interest groups and opportunities to engage in our wider projects. The department is committed to supporting our staff and have a well-supported Staff Engagement and Wellbeing Group. The Trust has a flexible working policy, allowing for a range of flexible / hybrid working options as appropriate to the service needs. The attached document outlines our department strategy.
As a dynamic department, we have seen considerable growth in recent years and have a portfolio of new service developments. Continuing professional development is strongly supported, as appropriate to the individual's and organisation's requirements.
The department has strong links with the Sheffield, Leeds and Hull DClinPsy courses. We also offer placements to trainees on DCounsPsy courses.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- A psychotherapy or counselling qualification to advanced diploma level or above, accredited by the BACP, NCPS, UKCP, or BABCP
- Accredited member of BACP, UKCP, NCPS or BABCP
- Accredited Member (AMBICA) of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA)
- Evidence of continuing education and professional development to recognised required standards
- Senior Accredited Member (SAMBICA) of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA) or commitment to obtaining within the first 2 years of employment in post
Desirable
- Degree or Master's degree
- Post-qualification training in approaches and therapies appropriate for an HFEA Licensed Treatment Centre
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post-qualification supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice working face to face, online and by telephone
- Proven experience of working with complex presentations (e.g. fertility grief, treatment distress, trauma)
- A proven interest in the specialist area of fertility, including the provision of implementations counselling with up to date knowledge of legislation
- Experience of undertaking psychotherapeutic interventions appropriate to fertility-related treatments and conditions
- Undertaking highly specialist assessments in the context of considering the Welfare of the Child in the area of fertility treatment.
- Experience of providing counselling / psychotherapy supervision (individual or group)
- Working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
- Experience of working therapeutically and providing implications counselling to individuals, couples and groups (e.g. in planned surrogacy arrangements)
- Experience of working with people seeking fertility preservation
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of the practice of counselling/psychotherapy in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working clinically in health and medical settings.
Further Training
Essential
- Higher level knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more specialist counselling/psychotherapeutic modality
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychotherapeutic therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, chronic or terminal illness, complex psychological or physical problems, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc)
- Post-qualification training in supervision
- Experience providing later counselling for donors, parents and donor conceived people
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Audit and research skills in counselling / psychotherapy related projects
- Skills in working effectively with other professionals in multidisciplinary settings.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to establish and maintain professional credibility at all levels of the organisation.
Desirable
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Highly developed ability to communicate effectively (orally and in writing) highly complex and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Ability to manage confidentiality according to professional guidelines and time effectively and prioritise workload with flexibility required for this setting
- Positive attitude, sensitivity, and commitment to working with patient groups affected by fertility issues and involuntary childlessness
- Ability to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional circumstances.
- Ability to maintain intense concentration on a frequent basis.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- A psychotherapy or counselling qualification to advanced diploma level or above, accredited by the BACP, NCPS, UKCP, or BABCP
- Accredited member of BACP, UKCP, NCPS or BABCP
- Accredited Member (AMBICA) of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA)
- Evidence of continuing education and professional development to recognised required standards
- Senior Accredited Member (SAMBICA) of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA) or commitment to obtaining within the first 2 years of employment in post
Desirable
- Degree or Master's degree
- Post-qualification training in approaches and therapies appropriate for an HFEA Licensed Treatment Centre
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post-qualification supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice working face to face, online and by telephone
- Proven experience of working with complex presentations (e.g. fertility grief, treatment distress, trauma)
- A proven interest in the specialist area of fertility, including the provision of implementations counselling with up to date knowledge of legislation
- Experience of undertaking psychotherapeutic interventions appropriate to fertility-related treatments and conditions
- Undertaking highly specialist assessments in the context of considering the Welfare of the Child in the area of fertility treatment.
- Experience of providing counselling / psychotherapy supervision (individual or group)
- Working with a wide variety of patient groups presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
- Experience of working therapeutically and providing implications counselling to individuals, couples and groups (e.g. in planned surrogacy arrangements)
- Experience of working with people seeking fertility preservation
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of the practice of counselling/psychotherapy in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working clinically in health and medical settings.
Further Training
Essential
- Higher level knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more specialist counselling/psychotherapeutic modality
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychotherapeutic therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, chronic or terminal illness, complex psychological or physical problems, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc)
- Post-qualification training in supervision
- Experience providing later counselling for donors, parents and donor conceived people
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Audit and research skills in counselling / psychotherapy related projects
- Skills in working effectively with other professionals in multidisciplinary settings.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to establish and maintain professional credibility at all levels of the organisation.
Desirable
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Highly developed ability to communicate effectively (orally and in writing) highly complex and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Ability to manage confidentiality according to professional guidelines and time effectively and prioritise workload with flexibility required for this setting
- Positive attitude, sensitivity, and commitment to working with patient groups affected by fertility issues and involuntary childlessness
- Ability to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing or highly emotional circumstances.
- Ability to maintain intense concentration on a frequent basis.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Assisted Conception Unit
The Jessop Hospital, Tree Root Walk, Broomhall,
Sheffield
S10 2SF
Employer's website
https://www.sth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)
