Job summary
The YoutherapY team (Part of Options4cyp), is continuing to expand. We now have an opportunity for a qualified counsellor, with experience of counselling children and young people, to become part of an innovative Young People's team based in Blackpool.
You will be joining a well-established team of therapists, primary mental health workers, and assistant practitioners. You will be providing assessment and counselling for young people aged 11-25 who have psychological and emotional difficulties.
You will be working alongside the Resilience Team in Blackpool and our main office in the centre of Blackpool will also be a base for the post, but most of the therapeutic work will take place in local schools. Some evening and weekend working may be required.
Counsellors who meet the criteria for BACP Accreditation submission, or who have already submitted their application and are awaiting the result, will also be considered for this post but would be paid at Band 5 until their Accreditation is approved.
The successful candidate will have completed a qualification counselling to at least diploma level and will be a member of the BACP (or equivalent). BACP accredited counsellors will be paid NHS Agenda for Change Band 6, non-accredited will be paid at Band 5.
Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Tracy Heaton on 01253 955858.
Main duties of the job
To provide a high-quality counselling service to children and young people aged 11-25 at YoutherapY's main office in Blackpool (with the option to work in schools and other community venues across the Fylde Coast). Who have been referred with a range of generic issues and mild to moderate mental health problems. Working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the NHS; team policies and procedures; and the Thrive Framework.
To provide advice and consultation on client's care to professionals and non-counselling colleagues including school staff and other referrers.
To utilise research skills for audit policy and service development and research within the areas served by the team.
About us
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ideally situated just a forty five minute drive from Manchester. The Trust provides services to the 440,000 residents of Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and North Lancashire, as well as specialist tertiary care for Cardiac and Haematology patients.
As one of the United Kingdom's largest coastal resort, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents -it's not just a good place to work; it's a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade. Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To exercise professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients who self-refer or are referred by families/carers, school staff, GPs and other appropriate health and social care professionals.
To assess clients presenting with complex personal difficulties including those arising from mild to moderate mental health difficulties, based on accurate understanding and utilising a conceptual framework of the clients difficulties.
To make decisions regarding suitability for counselling, with particular regard to issues of risk, and referral onward to other specialist services, using trauma informed therapeutic decisions.
To formulate and implement counselling and treatment plans with clients, normally within a brief structured time frame or a contracted number of sessions.
To exercise sound theoretical knowledge of the processes of counselling and based on evidence of efficacy, to employ a range of short-term counselling interventions to meet the needs of the referred client.
To be able to work with a range of client presentations, including ambivalence and resistance, in order to facilitate clients ability to explore a range of life issues which are frequently of a distressing emotional nature.
To provide regular information to referrers, about the treatment process and outcome, initial and ongoing risk assessments, making appropriate disclosure and referral onward where necessary.
To communicate and liaise where appropriate with all other professionals involved in the individual clients treatment and ongoing emotional wellbeing and mental health care.
To provide such information reports as are required in order to facilitate effective communication with referring agencies and commissioners.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To exercise professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients who self-refer or are referred by families/carers, school staff, GPs and other appropriate health and social care professionals.
To assess clients presenting with complex personal difficulties including those arising from mild to moderate mental health difficulties, based on accurate understanding and utilising a conceptual framework of the clients difficulties.
To make decisions regarding suitability for counselling, with particular regard to issues of risk, and referral onward to other specialist services, using trauma informed therapeutic decisions.
To formulate and implement counselling and treatment plans with clients, normally within a brief structured time frame or a contracted number of sessions.
To exercise sound theoretical knowledge of the processes of counselling and based on evidence of efficacy, to employ a range of short-term counselling interventions to meet the needs of the referred client.
To be able to work with a range of client presentations, including ambivalence and resistance, in order to facilitate clients ability to explore a range of life issues which are frequently of a distressing emotional nature.
To provide regular information to referrers, about the treatment process and outcome, initial and ongoing risk assessments, making appropriate disclosure and referral onward where necessary.
To communicate and liaise where appropriate with all other professionals involved in the individual clients treatment and ongoing emotional wellbeing and mental health care.
To provide such information reports as are required in order to facilitate effective communication with referring agencies and commissioners.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma level qualification in counselling from a BACP accredited course or equivalent.
Desirable
- Current BACP accreditation.
- Qualification in clinical supervision
Experience
Essential
- Substantial post qualification clinical work with children and young people
- Experience of working with a diverse client group with a wide range of presenting problems and significant level of distress.
- Experience of short-term time-limited work.
- Experience of evidence based practice and the use of outcome measures.
- Evidence of regular supervised practice.
- Evidence of regular CPD.
Desirable
- Experience of therapeutic groupwork.
- Experience of counselling within the educational sector.
- Experience of collaborative counselling work in the NHS.
Skills and Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal skills and communication skills, both oral and written.
- Evidence of ability to organise own workload.
- Ability to cope and deal with highly distressing emotional circumstances.
- Ability to self-reflect and use clinical supervision appropriately.
- 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.
- Good IT Skills and basic keyboard skills.
- Car driver and/or ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation.
Desirable
- Extensive clinical and theoretical knowledge of more than one model of counselling.
- Specialist skills, e.g. trauma-informed work, psychosexual counselling, working with ethnic minorities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Diploma level qualification in counselling from a BACP accredited course or equivalent.
Desirable
- Current BACP accreditation.
- Qualification in clinical supervision
Experience
Essential
- Substantial post qualification clinical work with children and young people
- Experience of working with a diverse client group with a wide range of presenting problems and significant level of distress.
- Experience of short-term time-limited work.
- Experience of evidence based practice and the use of outcome measures.
- Evidence of regular supervised practice.
- Evidence of regular CPD.
Desirable
- Experience of therapeutic groupwork.
- Experience of counselling within the educational sector.
- Experience of collaborative counselling work in the NHS.
Skills and Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal skills and communication skills, both oral and written.
- Evidence of ability to organise own workload.
- Ability to cope and deal with highly distressing emotional circumstances.
- Ability to self-reflect and use clinical supervision appropriately.
- 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.
- Good IT Skills and basic keyboard skills.
- Car driver and/or ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation.
Desirable
- Extensive clinical and theoretical knowledge of more than one model of counselling.
- Specialist skills, e.g. trauma-informed work, psychosexual counselling, working with ethnic minorities.
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).
