B5 Counsellor

Transformationunitgm; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking qualified Counsellors to join their dynamic team in Dorset. This is a fantastic opportunity for passionate professionals to provide impactful mental health support in a flexible working environment. The roles involve delivering counselling through various platforms and facilitating group sessions, all while being part of a supportive and committed team. Candidates will benefit from a range of perks, including generous leave and professional development opportunities. Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to improving lives and making a difference in the community.

Benefits

27 days of annual leave

Flexible working options

Free training and career coaching

NHS discounts

Relocation costs where applicable

Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum of a recognised Diploma in Counselling required.
• Registered with BACP and working towards Accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Provide counselling via digital, telephone, and face-to-face appointments.
• Facilitate groups online or in person.

Skills

Effective communication in written and spoken English

Experience in providing short term therapy

Data input and IT systems competency

Experience in risk assessment and evaluation

Ability to work flexibly

Education

Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling

Registration with BACP

Further training in psychological therapy

Job description

Main area Counselling Grade Band 5 Contract 1 permanent 22.50 hrs and also 6 month fixed term 22.50 hrs contract available Hours

• Part time
• Flexible working

22.5 hours per week (one late shift per week 12:00 till 20:00) Job ref 152-M028.25

Employer Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Bearwood Town Bearwood, Bournemouth Salary £17,982 - £21,889 p.a. Salary period Yearly Closing 20/05/2025 23:59 Interview date 16/06/2025

Counsellor

Band 5

Job overview

We are seeking to recruit registered qualified Counsellors in practice to join our urban team based in Dorset. The urban team covers Poole, Bournemouth & Christchurch.

We have a permanent position available in Poole and a fixed term contract in Bournemouth West( 3 days per week 22.5 hours).

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications to join a highly motivated, professional and committed team. All successful candidates for the permanent post will be expected to train in one of the following NICE Approved Counselling modalities in line with service need; Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) Person Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE CfD) or Couples Therapy for Depression (CTfD).

The requirements for a Band 5 position will be a minimum of a recognised Diploma in Counselling, be Registered with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and be working towards Accreditation.

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to provide Counselling via digital and telephone platforms plus face-to-face appointments including on occasion home visits and working with interpreters. We provide short term time limited treatment. You will be required to facilitate groups online or in person and have excellent administration, IT and communication skills. The successful candidate will work as part of a team, be expected to work flexibly including one evening per week to meet with service demand.

Previous experience of working in an NHS mental health setting, NHS Talking Therapies previously IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapy) service or similar organisation would be highly desirable.

It is essential before applying that you read and meet the job description and person specification.

Working for our organisation

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forwardlooking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people. We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities. Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do, and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities, and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves. Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do [e-mail]

Person specification

Educational Requirements and Qualifications

• A recognised Diploma or Degree in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Psychotherapy or Counselling
• Registration or Accreditation with BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy), BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council), UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy).
• In current practice as a Counsellor
• Further training in a recognised model of psychological therapy
• Qualification or experience in providing group facilitation
• Qualification or suitable experience in the provision of clinical supervision

Skills, Experience and Knowledge

• Fully competent with data input and IT systems
• Experience in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental health and related psychopathology.
• Effective communication in written and spoken English
• Previous experience of working in an NHS Talking Therapy/Primary Care service or NHS setting and working across other healthcare services.
• Experience in providing short term, time limited therapy, including routine outcome monitoring.
• Experience and skills of providing psychological treatment for people presenting with depression and related mental health difficulties.
• To be personally responsible for maintaining self-care to enable safe provision of treatment in a pressurised environment.
• Ability to maintain sustained and intense concentration in a pressurised, target driven environment.
• Capacity to work in situations demanding careful clinical judgement and to maximise the use of clinical supervision with planning and preparation of clinical caseload.
• To work as part of a team and to develop personal, team targets and objectives.
• An ability to work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• An ability to work flexibly to meet the demands of Patient care and service requirements.

Car owner/driver

• Level 2 - Must be a car driver and be able to use own car for official duties when required

At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.

What working for us will provide:

• 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)
• Health and wellbeing services
• Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours
• Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals
• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
• Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust
• Relocation costs where applicable
• Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave
• NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more

Visit our careers website to learn more about our culture, staff stories, benefits, development programmes and opportunities.

What you need to do:

Before applying for this post, please do ensure that you have read the job description and person specification requirements. If you think you have everything we're looking for, then we'd love to hear from you, alternatively if you would like more information about the role please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed. At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.

Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.