Counselling Psychological Specialist Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

ALLIANCE PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES LIMITED

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Counselling Psychological Specialist Therapist (Complex Families)

Location: Teesside

Service Area: Children Young People and Families (CYPF)

Reporting to: Schools Cluster Lead - CORE

Employment Terms: 22.5h per week

Alliance is a leading local childrens mental health provider delivering psychological support and emotional well-being services in primary and secondary schools and supports a whole school approach to improving childrens mental health and wellbeing. We also provide psychological therapies to children and families with multiple and complex needs. Through the Children and Young Peoples Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) Programme our service transformation is through the delivery of evidence-based therapies, use of routine outcome measures and in full collaboration with children, young peoples and families.

Job Purpose

We are looking for an experienced counsellor to operate within a wider team of psychological therapists to deliver, with clinical supervision, high-quality trauma informed counselling to children, young people and their families presenting with a range of emotional and mental health issues such as anxiety, low mood and depression and supporting children and families who have experienced trauma and difficult life events such as abuse, family breakdown, bereavement and relational issues. Delivery will be across a range of different settings, including schools and other community projects and the postholder will be expected to work in partnership with a range of other services such as Youth Offending, CAMHS, Early Help and Childrens Social Care.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Therapeutic practice

Post qualified experience and understanding of working with children, young people and their families who require or who would benefit from emotional/trauma related psychological counselling support.

Experience of working creatively with children, young people, and their families, to develop positive therapeutic relationships and support engagement for the hardest to reach families.

To complete comprehensive assessments, including risk assessment, of children, young people, parents and carers referred for psychological therapy.

• Working in collaboration with families to develop effective treatment plans and agreed outcomes.
• To operate within the Service Referral to Discharge Protocols
• Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with Alliances service protocols and use these records and outcome data to inform decision making.
• To work within CYP IAPT Delivering with and Delivering Well Values and Standards
• To explore and evaluate clinical treatment using evaluation tools, contributing to evidence-based practice

Partnership Working

To work within a multi-disciplinary team, to assess, plan and manage the care of children, young people and their families.

To liaise effectively with other local providers, including statutory and voluntary sector organisations and advocate on behalf of the child, young person or family where appropriate.

• To understand and make use of referral pathways following assessment for children young people and families requiring other services, including statutory and voluntary agencies

To build relationships through effective communication with other mental health providers including CaMHS and secondary mental health care services, supporting the development of referral pathways and smoother transition of care.

Safeguarding

• Responsible for safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children & young people at all times and operating within local policies and procedures.
• Taking appropriate safeguarding action to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk of significant harm.
• To identify and support families in accessing Early Help Services
• To share appropriate information with parents/carers or other agencies regarding the familys wellbeing and progress keeping within the boundaries of Confidentiality and Information sharing protocols.

A professional and ethical service

To maintain appropriate clinical notes and records on PCMIS and in line with Alliance policies and procedures

To undertake relevant Continuing Professional Development as required for the purposes of continued professional accreditation or registration and as identified through Alliances professional development and Appraisal System

To undertake clinical supervision as per Alliance supervision policy and in line with the appropriate professional body.

To work within Data Protection Act 1998 and Alliance Information Governance policies and procedures

To ensure a safe and secure working environment for self and others and to take action as necessary within Health and Safety and other guidelines

To adhere to all Alliance Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

To promote and value the rights, responsibilities and diversity of people using the Service

This post may require some late evening work to meet service demand.

This job description is designed to identify principal responsibilities only. The post holder is required to be flexible in developing the role in accordance with changes in Alliances organisational objectives and priorities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Minimum Foundation Degree/Diploma in Psychotherapy/Counselling or counselling psychology or recognised training / qualification in a major psychological therapy approach.
• Membership of or registration with an appropriate professional body

Desirable

• Any additional child/young person focused qualification/training
• Accreditation with BACP, BABCP, BAAT, UKCP, BPS or other recognised professional organisation

Experience

Essential

• Experience of providing therapeutic interventions within educational and other community based settings
• Demonstrates an ability to assess and manage risk
• Shows a willingness to work flexibly to meet the needs of both the service and children, young people and families
• Ability to work with an agreed caseload and manage agreed targets and performance measures
• Demonstrates an excellent understanding of children and adults mental health
• Awareness of a range of therapeutic approaches.

Desirable

• At least 4 years post qualifying experience of working therapeutically with children and young people and or their families.
• Experience of working in a mental healthcare setting
• Experience of using a range of evidenced based interventions including the use of Routine Outcome Measures.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Essential

• A clear understanding of LSCP policies and procedures and commitment to the safeguarding of children and young people

Partnership Working

Essential

• Demonstrates an ability to effectively build and manage relationships with referrers both within schools and community
• Demonstrate an ability to contribute and support multi agency support plans to enable positive outcomes for children and their families.
• Demonstrates a consistently positive attitude to working within Alliance
• Demonstrates ability to work collaboratively with children, young people and families
• Has the ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with children, young people and families

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work within a dynamic and developing service
• Demonstration of self-motivation and motivation of others
• Ability to work confidently and competently under pressure
• Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Alliance Psychological Services Limited

Address

Alliance Psychological Services Ltd

24 Yarm Road

Stockton-on-tees

Cleveland

TS18 3NA

Employer's website

https://www.alliancepsychology.com/ (Opens in a new tab)