Job responsibilities
Responsibilities
(All of the following will be supported and monitored by regular caseload supervision consistent with the trainee's development towards BACP accreditation).
Communication
To provide one-to-one counselling with family members or Trust staff. This will take place within The Alder Centre and from home in the form of face-to-face, online or phone support.
- Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in a highly emotive atmosphere.
- Elicit highly sensitive information relating to e.g., behaviour, state of mind, attitude from clients during assessments where there is a need to reassure and empathise with the client and a need to gain an understanding from the client of an agreement of the direction and aims of therapy.
- Close communication with recently bereaved individuals, requiring an emotional robustness and sensitivity.
- Communicate with other professionals internally within the Trust and externally.
- Awareness of the effects of bereavement.
- An ability to work with traumatic grief.
Analytical skills
- Initial assessment of clients and continued assessment over an agreed period of counselling.
- Ability to analyse information from individuals who are under immense distress.
- To participate in regular caseload and performance management review.
- To participate in regular clinical supervision (provided by the Alder Centre).
Planning and organising skills
- Manage ongoing caseload of clients.
- Plan and manage own time and maintain awareness of daily team commitments.
Physical skills
- Listening skills
- Keyboard skills.
Responsibility for patient/client care
- Deliver therapy to meet the needs of individual clients.
- Contribute towards an appropriate therapeutic environment within the Alder Centre. This requires individual counsellors to support and assist colleagues and participate as a committed team member.
Responsibility for policy/service development
- Follow national and organisational policies applicable to their role including those implemented as a result of legislative changes.
- To comment on changes in administration procedures.
- Adhere to the Trusts Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Responsibility for financial and physical resources
- Careful use of counselling facilities and equipment.
Responsibility for human resources
- Demonstrates own duties.
- To be flexible in working hours, practices and attitude. This may include some evening and weekend working according to the pattern of the Centre's activities and service user needs.
- To assist in facilitating group support and delivery of training in relation to Child-bereavement.
Responsibility for information resources
To keep appropriate client records and observe associated Trust and Alder Centre administrative and clerical systems and procedures.
- Write up client notes following therapy sessions.
- Microsoft packages...
- Basic IT skills.
- Ability to keep confidential written documentation in line with GDPR.
Responsibility for research and development
- Keep up to date with new developments by reading, attending professional meetings and conferences on matters related to loss and bereavement and other areas of counselling applicable to development as a member of the Counselling Team and observance to professional status as per professional bodys requirements.
- Complete regular waiting list audits and caseload statistics.
- Attendance at team events.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
Freedom to act
- Work with clients independently within policies and codes of conduct.
Physical efforts
- Accompany clients to and from reception area.
- Ability to sit for the duration of counselling sessions.
Mental effort
- In-depth proactive mental attention in client assessment and during therapy sessions.
Emotional effort
- Counselling child-bereaved individuals.
- Self-awareness: an understanding of own grief reactions and how they might impact on the therapeutic relationship.
- Providing therapy to individuals who are dealing with challenging family situations.
- Providing therapy for individuals with multiple presenting problems, eg bereavement, depression and anxiety.
Management and Leadership
- To be able to work as an effective, integrated team member.
- Able to work under own initiative and under difficult situations.
- Management of own caseload is essential.
