Counsellor Required: Sheffield, Yorkshire

WhereToTalk; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Bluebell Wood Hospice in Sheffield is seeking a qualified counsellor to support children, young people and families affected by life-limiting conditions. You will provide ethical counselling, maintain notes in The Care Database, and work under the Family Wellbeing and Counselling Coordinator to ensure safe, responsive care in line with BACP requirements.

You will handle a balanced caseload, deliver sessions in person or remotely, and collaborate with hospice staff and external partners while

Qualifications

• Qualified counsellor registered with BACP with child-focused experience.
• BACP accreditation or actively working towards accreditation.
• Experience responding proactively to safeguarding concerns.
• Experience of providing bereavement counselling to children.
• Ability to analyse data and produce performance reports.
• Commitment to ethical and evidence-based practice.
• Legally entitled to work in the UK.
• Willing and able to travel across geographical regions to meet needs.

Responsibilities

• Hold a balanced caseload and facilitate therapy sessions in person or remotely.
• Work autonomously within professional, national, organisational and local policies, with referrals as needed.
• Maintain accurate, confidential notes and appointment schedules using The Care Database; monitor attendance and provide reports.
• Raise safeguarding concerns with manager or Safeguarding Lead and handle data per GDPR requirements.
• Develop therapeutic relationships with children, young people and family members using preferred contact method.
• Collaborate with hospice colleagues, volunteers, service users and external organisations; signpost when needed.
• Maintain supervision, CPD and development portfolio, contribute to research and training on trauma, bereavement and grief.

Skills

BACP Registered Counsellor

Child-specific training

Safeguarding experience

Bereavement counselling children

Data analysis skills

Professional development

UK work entitlement

Driver with vehicle

Education

Qualified counsellor with BACP registration

Tools

The Care Database

Job description

Counsellor Required: Sheffield, Yorkshire

Counsellor Required: Sheffield, Yorkshire

Bluebell Wood Hospice

If you’re a qualified counsellor who supports children, young people and families with compassion, sensitivity and respect through trauma, bereavement and anticipatory grief, while valuing each person’s unique experience, this could be the role for you.

As a Bluebell Wood Counsellor, you will provide professional, competent and ethical counselling to children and adults affected by life-shortening conditions, palliative care or end-of-life care. Working under the direction of the Family Wellbeing and Counselling Coordinator, you will help ensure that therapeutic support is safe, responsive and delivered in line with BACP requirements.

What you will do

You will hold a balanced caseload and facilitate therapy sessions in person or remotely according to client need. You will work autonomously within professional, national, organisational and local policies, remaining mindful of the limits of your competence and recommending specialist referral where needs are more complex.

You will maintain accurate, confidential notes and appointment schedules using The Care Database, monitor attendance and cancellations, and provide service data and reports as required. You will raise concerns promptly with the appropriate manager or Safeguarding Lead and handle information in line with data protection and GDPR requirements.

You will develop effective therapeutic relationships with children, young people and family members using their preferred method of contact. You will communicate and work in partnership with hospice colleagues, volunteers, service users, statutory and voluntary organisations, external stakeholders and multidisciplinary services, signposting appropriately where the primary need is not bereavement or anticipatory grief.

You will maintain professional practice through monthly individual clinical supervision, ongoing CPD and a relevant development portfolio, with a strong commitment to self-care. You will also contribute to research, service development and professional networks, and support colleagues through guidance and training on trauma, bereavement and anticipatory grief.

This is a snapshot of the role, not an exhaustive list. Please download the full job description and person specification for more detail.

What you will need:

We are looking for a qualified counsellor registered with BACP who has specific training in working with children and post-qualifying experience in a related area. You will be committed to safe, ethical and evidence-based practice and able to work independently while recognising when specialist referral is required.

You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling you to build trust, communicate sensitively and work authentically with children, families, colleagues and external professionals. You will demonstrate strong professional credibility, take responsibility for your actions and decisions, and apply sound judgement when assessing needs, managing risk, responding to safeguarding concerns and deciding when specialist referral is required. Experience of providing bereavement counselling to children is essential; experience within a palliative care setting is desirable.

You will be IT literate, including confidence using Microsoft Office, and able to analyse service data and produce performance reports. You will maintain expert knowledge through recent professional development and understand how to assess the support needs of children and young adults in a racially and culturally diverse population.

• Qualified Counsellor registered with BACP.
• Specific training in working with children.
• BACP Accreditation, or actively working towards accreditation.
• Experience of responding proactively to safeguarding concerns.
• Experience of providing bereavement counselling to children.
• Ability to analyse data and produce performance reports.
• Expert knowledge within own profession, underpinned by recent professional development.
• Fully committed to the aims and objectives of Bluebell Wood Hospice and accountable for own actions, decisions and development.
• Legally entitled to work in this country.
• Willing and able to travel across our geographical regions to meet the needs of children, young people and their families.
• Car driver with access to a vehicle.

What else you need to know:

Completion of a health assessment relevant to the role.

An Enhanced DBS check.

All offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Why join Bluebell Wood?

At Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, we’re committed to ensuring every baby, child and young person with a life-limiting condition can access specialist palliative care whenever and wherever they need it. Supporting families across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, North Derbyshire and parts of North Lincolnshire, we provide a wide range of expert services tailored to each family’s needs, including respite care, symptom management, counselling, therapies, home visits and end-of-life support. Delivering this vital care costs around £6.7 million each year, yet only around 17% of our income comes from government funding, meaning we rely heavily on fundraising, donations and community support. That’s why every role at Bluebell Wood matters.

In this purpose-driven role, you’ll help supporters feel recognised and connected through thoughtful, authentic stewardship, reliable administration and accurate records that enable fundraising activity across Bluebell Wood.