Counsellor on Placement Portsmouth

Place2be; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established charity is seeking dedicated Counsellors on Placement to provide essential emotional and therapeutic support to children and young people in schools. This rewarding role offers the chance to make a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of students. You will work closely with children aged 4-18, conducting one-to-one sessions that contribute to their emotional development. The organization provides comprehensive training, supervision, and professional development opportunities, making it an ideal stepping stone for those aspiring to build a career in counselling or psychology. Join a passionate team committed to making a difference in young lives.

Benefits

Regular supervision

Tailored training workshops

Comprehensive induction programme

Continuing professional development workshops

Qualifications

• Fully qualified Counsellor or studying towards a relevant qualification.
• Experience working with children is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional support to children aged 4-18 in schools.
• Conduct one-to-one counselling sessions with children.

Skills

Counselling

Therapeutic Support

Child Psychology

Communication Skills

Education

Diploma in Counselling (Level 4 or above)

Degree in Counselling or Psychology

Job description

Thank you for your interest in a Counselling Placement at a Place2Be partner school!

We are currently recruiting for September 2025 Counsellors at Ark Charter Academy PO5 4HL on Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Thank you for your interest in a Counselling Placement at a Place2Be partner school! Click this link to view a map of our placement schools: Placement Map
• We recruit for Counsellors to start in school in January, April, or September, in line with school term times. Please note the recruitment and onboarding process can take 2-3 months.
• Please note that not all schools will have placements available, but we will try our best to match you to a convenient placement.
• Please only apply for one vacancy as multiple applications are rejected on the system. If successful upon interview, you will have the opportunity to discuss your location preference.
• All successful applicants will need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check that is enhanced, checked for children’s and adult’s barred list, and registered on the Update Service.

Counsellors on Placement provide emotional and therapeutic support to children and young people aged 4-18 in Place2Be partner schools. As an organisation that has adopted the BACP ethical framework of good practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy, counsellors working within the organisation are dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of the children they work with.

• Place2Be provides high-level support to counsellors on placement through regular supervision, tailored training workshops, and offers a well-recognised clinical placement.
• We provide a comprehensive induction programme, and clinical supervision is undertaken at the end of each day.
• We need you to be available for a minimum of one day per week to work in a therapeutic capacity with up to 3 children offering one-to-one counselling.
• Placements are term-time only and run for one academic year. There are opportunities to stay with us beyond one year.
• You will have the opportunity to attend up to six optional workshops throughout the year, recognised as continuing professional development time.
• Sessions spent with children count as clinical hours towards professional accreditation and are recognised by the BACP and UKCP.
• A placement is an excellent stepping stone into a job opportunity and career with Place2Be; over two-thirds of our clinical staff were once Counsellors on Placement.
• We have places available in our projects in both primary and secondary schools nationwide.

Counting your hours

All clinical hours gained on placement can be used towards accreditation with bodies such as BACP and UKCP. However, if you need to gain clinical hours for your course, we strongly advise checking with your course tutor whether child hours are accepted before applying. If your course does not accept child hours but you would like to gain counselling experience working with Children and Young People, you can still apply for a Place2Be placement as a second placement.

Diversity and Inclusion

Place2Be is committed to equal opportunities and anti-discrimination practices, and we positively encourage applications from all sections of the community. We are particularly interested in attracting applications from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

Additionally, for our clinical roles, we are especially keen to attract male candidates to reflect the diversity of the partner schools and communities we serve.

About You

You will be a fully qualified Counsellor, Therapist, or Clinical Psychologist, or studying towards one of these professions at the following levels:

• Diploma in Counselling (Level 4 or above). If you are in your first year, you will have completed a full academic year Certificate Course in Counselling or the equivalent of 9-12 months.
• Degree, MSc, or MA in Counselling, Counselling Psychology, or Psychotherapy. If you are in your first year, you will have relevant experience of direct work with children.

We are always looking for suitable counsellors on placement, so if you believe you have what it takes to thrive in this challenging, rewarding environment, please apply. View/download the full Job Description and Person Specification on our website for further details.

Please ensure you only apply for one vacancy. This is just your location preference, which can be changed later.

About Us

Place2Be is the leading children's mental health charity providing in-school support and professional development to improve the emotional wellbeing of children and young people, families, teachers, and school staff. The charity supports a school community of around 243,000 children and young people across 500 UK primary and secondary schools.

Our services include counselling, creative work, and play, focusing on early intervention as part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) system. We also train around 1,200 Counsellors on Placement each year, building their skills through practice in our partner schools, and offer professional development programs for school staff to foster mentally healthy schools and communities.

Our work is supported by our Royal Patron, HRH The Princess of Wales, and we are a founding charity partner of Heads Together. We collaborate with various charities and organizations to improve outcomes for children and families. Our core values are perseverance, integrity, compassion, and creativity, guiding us in supporting some of the UK's most vulnerable children and families.