Counselling and Therapy Team Leader

Trinity hospice; Bispham; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days annual leave

Health and wellbeing support

Free on-site parking

NHS Pension transfer options

Job summary

Trinity Hospice is seeking a Counselling & Therapy Team Leader to provide accessible leadership and line management to designated therapy staff, including counsellors, therapists, trainees and volunteers. You will chair team meetings, coordinate referrals and caseloads, and ensure safe, effective service delivery while upholding professional standards.

You will work with Clinical Lead/Service Manager to translate priorities into practical arrangements, supervise staff, support recruitment and

Qualifications

• You will hold a recognised therapy or counselling qualification and professional registration where required.
• You will provide line management and supervision for the therapy workforce.
• You will coordinate referrals, waiting lists and capacity within a safeguarding framework.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible, day-to-day leadership to the therapy team and chair team meetings.
• Allocate referrals and manage caseload distribution with attention to risk and continuity of care.
• Monitor waiting lists, service pressures and governance, escalating where needed.
• Support recruitment, induction, mentoring and professional development across staff, trainees and volunteers.
• Deliver individual or group therapy within competence and contribute to evidence-informed practice.
• Contribute to quality improvement, audits and pathway reviews within a defined scope.

Skills

Leadership

Therapy practice

Coordination of referrals

Team mentoring

Clinical governance

Safeguarding

Communication

Education

Recognised therapy or counselling qualification

Professional registration/accreditation

Tools

Clinical supervision tools

Job description

Are you an experienced counsellor or therapist with the ability to bring people together, support professional practice and coordinate a busy service?

We are looking for a compassionate and organised Counselling & Therapy Team Leader to provide visible, day-to-day leadership to our therapy team. This is an opportunity to combine clinical practice with operational leadership, helping counsellors, therapists, trainees and volunteers deliver high-quality support to children, adults, carers and bereaved family members.

You will play a central role in ensuring that referrals, waiting lists, clinical allocations, caseloads and team capacity are coordinated safely and effectively. Working closely with the Clinical Lead / Service Manager, you will translate agreed service priorities into clear and practical arrangements for the team, while promoting an inclusive, supportive and psychologically safe working culture.

About the Role

As Counselling & Therapy Team Leader, you will provide accessible leadership and line management to designated members of the therapy workforce. You will chair team meetings, encourage shared decision-making and ensure that agreed actions are communicated and progressed.

You will allocate referrals and clinical work fairly, considering individual need, risk, practitioner competence, capacity and continuity of care. You will also monitor waiting lists, caseload distribution and service pressures, taking appropriate action within your delegated authority and escalating significant or sustained concerns when necessary.

Supporting and developing others will be an important part of the role. You will coordinate local induction arrangements, provide mentoring and practice guidance, contribute to recruitment and selection, and help identify learning and development needs across the team. You will also ensure that appraisals, objectives, wellbeing conversations, attendance processes and development plans are completed in line with organisational policy.

Alongside your leadership responsibilities, you will undertake assessments and provide individual or group therapy within your professional competence and agreed job plan. You will promote consistent, evidence-informed and ethical practice, maintain accurate and confidential clinical records, and offer consultation on complex allocation, risk and practice matters. You will recognise when issues require advice or decisions from the Clinical Lead, safeguarding lead or another specialist service.

You will act as an accessible first point of practice advice for day-to-day safeguarding and clinical risk concerns within the therapy team, ensuring that concerns are identified, recorded and escalated promptly in accordance with Trinity policies and local procedures. You will also support compliance with safeguarding and mandatory training requirements.

The role will contribute to quality improvement by supporting accurate activity recording, data collection and outcome measurement. You will help identify emerging themes, service pressures, risks and gaps, contribute to audits and pathway reviews, and lead agreed improvement projects within a clearly defined scope.

About You

You will hold a recognised therapy or counselling qualification, together with relevant professional registration or accreditation where required. You will be committed to maintaining your continuing professional development and clinical supervision in accordance with the standards of your professional body.

You will bring:

• Experience of therapeutic practice and the confidence to undertake assessments and provide individual or group therapy within your competence.
• The ability to provide supportive, visible and inclusive day-to-day leadership.
• Experience of coordinating referrals, caseloads or service capacity.
• Sound professional judgement, particularly when considering risk, safeguarding and complex allocation decisions.
• The ability to support, guide and develop staff, trainees and volunteers.
• A commitment to evidence-informed, ethical and culturally responsive practice.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and partner organisations.
• A clear understanding of professional boundaries, confidentiality and the distinction between line management and independent clinical supervision.

You will work closely with the Clinical Lead / Service Manager, Clinical Psychologist and other professional and service leads. You may also liaise with hospice teams, hospitals, primary care, schools, social care, mental health services and community partners to support safe and coordinated care.

You will represent the therapy team at agreed meetings, share relevant information and professional advice within your area of competence, and ensure that matters requiring strategic decisions are reported and escalated appropriately.

Scope of the Role

This role is responsible for the day-to-day delivery and professional practice of the therapy team within the agreed service model. Overall strategic accountability, budget ownership, organisational governance assurance and final authority for significant service redesign remain with the Clinical Lead / Service Manager.

Why Join Us?

This is a rewarding opportunity to influence the day-to-day quality and responsiveness of our therapy services while continuing to contribute directly to clinical practice. You will support a committed multidisciplinary team and help ensure that people accessing our services receive coordinated, compassionate and professionally sound care.

If you are an approachable and thoughtful practitioner who can balance clinical work, people leadership and service coordination, we would be delighted to hear from you.

For an informal discussion, please contact [e-mail]

Our Staff Benefits Include:

• 38 days annual leave (pro rata, inclusive of Bank Holidays)
• Health and wellbeing support
• Free on-site parking
• Professional registration fee reimbursement
• Pension scheme, with NHS Pension transfer options available
• Enhanced maternity and paternity benefits

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