Counsellor / Psychological Therapist

Integrated Care System; Stockport; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading community health organisation seeks a Counsellor/Psychological Therapist to support weight management services across Stockport. This role involves delivering evidence-based therapeutic interventions and conducting assessments. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you'll help individuals navigate complex mental health issues related to weight. Opportunities for innovation and professional development are provided, in a supportive environment focused on improving well-being.

Qualifications

• Professional counselling/psychotherapy qualifications.
• Minimum 2 years experience in delivering individual therapy.
• Knowledge of weight-inclusive approaches.

Responsibilities

• Deliver therapeutic interventions to adults in weight management programmes.
• Conduct psychological and risk assessments.
• Maintain accurate client records and participate in MDT meetings.

Skills

Communication

Therapeutic Techniques

Cultural Sensitivity

Education

Integrative Psychotherapy Masters

Registered with BACP or equivalent

Job description

You will be theCounsellor/Psychological Therapist for ABL Health and support our WeightManagement Services across Stockport.

ABL Health aims to empowerindividuals and communities towards a healthier future by promoting healthawareness. The Counsellor/PsychologicalTherapist integrates psychological theory with therapeutic techniques to helppeople overcome and deal with problematic life events and mental healthissues. They engage people and theircommunities to help identify barriers whilst empowering them to overcome these.

Main duties of the job

Working under the Obesity and Families Lead, this role delivers therapeutic interventions to adults in targeted weight management programmes. Responsibilities include conducting psychological and risk assessments, delivering person-centred or integrative psychotherapy, and supporting clients through sensitive and complex issues related to weight and behaviour. The post involves maintaining accurate records, contributing to MDT meetings, attending peer supervision, and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams. The role also supports service development through evidence-based practice and continuous professional learning, while ensuring culturally sensitive care and safeguarding responsibilities are upheld.

About us

ABLis an exciting fast-paced, growing community health organisation. As anexperienced, CQC registered, provider of community health services, we arepassionate about delivering evidence based, innovative, effective and relevanthealth care services in partnership with individuals, communities andstakeholders.

Job responsibilities

Role Purpose:

The role isdesigned to provide support to individuals digitally and via telephone.

The role involvesassessment of clients referred and provision of individual therapy sessions.

The role includesensuring the therapeutic support provides a clear, evidence based, effectiveand consistent service for all clients.

The rolewill continuously develop methods and resources that result inimproved/effective wellbeing and behaviours for adults.

This is a demanding job, but you will not be on your own. ABLs highlyexperienced and friendly multi-disciplinary team of Health and Social Careprofessionals, Business Intelligence, Service Development, Governance, Financeand Business Development are there to support. Additionally, existingexperienced delivery teams will work with you to drive the service forward.

Duties and Responsibilities

This post will work under the line management of ABLs Obesity andFamilies Lead. The role provides therapeutic interventions to adults ofdifferent ages accessing targeted weight management programmes.

Key responsibilities will be:

To work effectively andcollaboratively to ensure the successful operation of therapeutic provisionwithin the Therapeutic programme with ABL Health.

To be a part of amulti-disciplinary assessment. To facilitate psychological and risk assessmentsto aid the development of client formulations and care pathways.

Support individuals to discuss andwork through highly complex, sensitive and personal information related totheir presentation. This will include deconstruction of current interactionalpatterns of behaviour and meaning around weight issues and complexrelationships, creating methods for client centred analysis of change, aided bythe use of assessment tools.

To prepare and participatein peer supervision and case reviews with other psychological therapistsregularly across the organisation.

Maintain accurate anddetailed case notes and client records utilising digital systems and databases.

To attend virtual team meetingsand contribute to agendas and discussions.Prepare fully in accordance with service for Multi-Disciplinary TeamMeetings (MDT) and complete relevant paperwork (such as MDT proformas),updating client records as appropriate.

To provide effective individual interventions, with the aim ofhelping clients prepare to engage in the targeted weight management programmeand/or physical activity interventions.

To provide person centred orintegrative psychotherapy, employing methods based upon evidence. To work in ways which are sensitive to andappropriate for the needs of individuals from a wide range of ethnic, culturaland religious backgrounds. Working with interpreters might be required.

To contribute knowledge, skillsand ideas with the aim of optimising the outcomes of targeted weight managementprogrammes and/or physical activity interventions within the limits of onestrained role capacity and competency.

To participate in multiagency meetings as appropriate, safeguardingcase conferences and reviews, etc. providing professional advice on individualcare programme planning and other clinical matters as necessary.

The post holder will be expected to prioritise own workload andensure effective time management strategies are embedded in own practice andthat of others.

To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for allaspects of own work including the management of patients/service users in yourcare.

To read relevant currentliterature and stay up to date with developments and initiatives inpsychological and group therapy for obesity treatment.

Clinical Supervision will beprovided in house by a qualified and experienced psychotherapist and asupervisor and it is independent of line management.

Skills andCompetencies Required

Be an experienced therapist in acommunity health environment, assisting and delivering support to individualsreferred to service.

Experience of working with diverse communitieswithin varied cultural environments.

Adept in communication; A strongcommunicator who adapts the message to fit the needs of the audience.

Qualitydriven; younaturally seek high standards and actively seek to improve them.

Value and remain open to new ideas andperspectives.

Thedesire to make a difference

Weare looking to change the lives and improve the wellbeing of the people inNorthern Lincolnshire.

WORKING PRACTICE EXPECTATIONS

Ethical Practice

Employed psychological therapistsare required to abide by the Ethical Framework for Good Practise in Counsellingand Psychotherapy (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) orequivalent.

Professional Membership and Registration

It is required that employed psychologicaltherapists maintain active membership with a national organisation thatrepresents the field of psychological therapy and people who work ascounsellors and therapists, such as BACP, BPS, BABCP or UKCP. Employed psychological therapists willideally pursue accreditation or registration with one of these bodies; and willcomplete annual continuing professional development and associated proceduresrequired to maintain accreditation and/or registration. All costs associated with professionalmemberships, subscriptions, conferences, continuing education etc., are borneby the psychological therapist.

Liability Insurance

Employed psychological therapistsare covered against malpractice liability by ABL insurance.

Supervision

Employed psychological therapists arerequired to attend supervision at the minimum frequency of 1.5 hours per month and supervision will be arranged inhouse.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional counselling/psychotherapy qualifications and/or IAPT or similar e.g. Integrative Psychotherapy Masters, qualification in Person Centred, Integrative, Psychodynamic or Gestalt psychotherapy or CBT.
• Registered or accredited member of a professional body (such as NCS, BABCP, BPS, BACP, UKCP)
• Knowledge of weight-inclusive approach.

Experience

• Experience of delivering individual psychotherapeutic interventions.
• Experience of facilitating psychological assessments and formulations.
• Able to work in a therapeutic way that responds to a clients needs, including a knowledge of behaviour change approach.
• Experience or training in delivering brief group therapy.
• Minimum 2 years, post qualifying. Experience of delivering individual psychotherapy sessions as well as experience of facilitation of group therapy.

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.

Part-time,Flexible working,Home or remote working