Counsellor / Psychological Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

To assess and treat people stepped to Counselling as appropriate.

To complete all mandated session by session outcome measures.

To have autonomous professional responsibility for clients referred.

To formulate and implement a counselling contract based on an appropriate conceptual framework of the persons presenting issues.

To recognise and assess risk (including child and vulnerable adult protection) and raise matters in line with IAPT/SHSC policy.

To manage all aspects of arranging and working with interpreters when assessed as necessary for the Counselling contract.

To sensitively communicate complex information to clients to encourage therapeutic engagement.

To ensure record keeping in line with SHSC policies. This includes contemporaneous notes completed within 24 hours on the agreed patient record system, checking SHSC patient administration system prior to taking on new patients to check any risk or suitability issues and to send a discharge summary to GP practices once completed treatment.

To maintain a high level of clinical practice by attending Individual and Group Supervision; as well as being an active member of the Counsellor specific forum (pro rata if part time).

To provide evidence-based modality individual and/or group supervision as appropriate.

Participate in individual performance reviews and respond to agreed individual objectives aligned with meeting the service objectives.

To continue to gain professional training and experience over and above that provided by the service making a commitment to continual professional development.

Ensure all mandatory training is up to date in line with service protocol

Service Development

To be research aware and able to contribute to the research programmes supported by WWB where appropriate.

To act in an informed proactive manner to support improved access to the IAPT service for people who use the service.

To contribute through the WWB data set and other evaluation tools to improve the quality and effectiveness of Counselling within the Service.

To be able to use all the required electronic systems used by SHSC.

The post holder should be comfortable in the use of computer technology, have basic keyboard skills and have the ability to use email. In addition to this the ability to conduct videoconferencing as a treatment option.

To attend clinical and practice meetings as part of the WWB team and work closely with SHSC teams where appropriate.

To contribute to the development of best practice in Counselling by continuing to develop the skills of a reflective practitioner.

To maintain an active involvement with current developments in the area of staff support, trauma in formed practice and counselling.

To maintain up to date professional knowledge and developments in psychological therapy and Counselling.

To maintain annual accreditation with a professional accrediting body relevant to providing individual psychological therapy / Counselling / psychotherapy and the required registrations for the IAPT evidence-based competency-based trainings.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Knowledge of the role of Workplace counsellor and skills to deliver evidence-based modalities in the treatment of depression in line with the National IAPT manual
• Skilled at achieving required standards through delivering agreed job plan in line with 10 clinical hours per week pro rata and ability to meet the minimum required 50% clinical recovery rate
• Ability to use session by session outcome measures to monitor practice
• Knowledge and skills in the use of methods of Counselling appropriate in Workplace settimgs e.g., contracting; assessment; implementing clinically appropriate interventions, caseload management to achieve clinical contact hours required and managing endings
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively (verbally and written); communicating complex, highly technical or clinically sensitive information to clients, organisations and to other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Able to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships and alliances as well work within the IAPT model and hold firm boundaries when necessary
• Skilled in providing advice on suitability of evidence-based counselling interventions to other professions in IAPT, GPs and other stakeholders as appropriate
• Skilled at working with, and in a variety of teams

Desirable

• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and Mental health

Training & Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified in a BACP approved Diploma in Counselling
• Registered and accredited with United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP or equivalent accrediting body). It is essential that registration and accreditation must be maintained throughout employment

Desirable

• Supervision training in evidence based modality (with relevant qualification and experience for the IAPT counsellor role)
• Further formal and relevant post accreditation training (relevant to the WWB counsellor role)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of Counselling in different settings working collaboratively with GPs and the wider Primary Care Team
• Experience of delivering brief focus Counselling interventions with good patient outcomes
• Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotional and distressing problems
• Demonstrate clinical leadership appropriate to banding where required

Desirable

• Experience of the application of evidence-based counselling modalities in different cultural contexts
• Experience of delivering evidence-based modality supervision

Other

Essential

• Ability to be flexible with appointment times to meet patient need (where needed to offer one early appointment and one late appointment per week outside 9-5 working hours and to work Saturdays if required, on occasion)
• Documented evidence throughout employment in line with requirements from professional body to maintain accreditation
• Strong evidence of commitment to personal development to maintain and deepen the capacity to withstand the emotional and ethical conflicts of the post and the capacity to maintain therapeutic focussed concentration for long periods of time. This can be demonstrated through different forms of continuing personal development and effective use of supervision

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework

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

Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wilkinson street

30 Wilkinson Street

Sheffield

S10 2GB

Employer's website

https://www.shsc.nhs.uk/working-us (Opens in a new tab)