School Counsellor

YMCA DOWNSLINK GROUP; Shoreham-by-Sea; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

YMCA Downslink Group is seeking a qualified counsellor or therapist to join their team at Shoreham College. This part-time role involves providing a professional counselling service to children and young people, managing appointments, and ensuring adherence to safeguarding procedures. Ideal candidates will have relevant qualifications, experience in schools, and a passion for supporting young people's wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 4 counselling qualification, ideally Level 6.
• 2 years’ post-qualifying experience in individual counselling with children preferred.
• Experience in a school setting and understanding of safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide ethical, professional counselling service at Shoreham College.
• Manage appointment system and establish good working relationships with school staff.
• Conduct clinical assessments and maintain safeguarding procedures.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Child protection knowledge

Creative therapeutic approaches

Education

Counselling or psychotherapy qualification Level 4

BACP Membership

Job description

7.5 hours per week – term-time only / £33,795 per annum pro rata / permanent / one day per week-any day Monday to Thursday, excluding Friday/ the role will commence at the beginning of September 2025.

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Established in 1996,Dialogue School Counsellingis a BACP accredited school counselling service covering Sussex and Surrey.

We are recruiting for qualified counsellor or therapist with experience of working with children and young people to join our team and deliver our service at Shoreham College from September 2025. Shoreham College is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 16, and we have been providing the college counselling service here since 2017.

We are seeking candidates who are passionate about making a difference to lives of the children and young people they work with. You'll have a keen interest in and experience of working with children and young people of primary and secondary age.

Key responsibilities

· You will provide an ethical, professional counselling service at Shoreham College

· Run a suitable appointment system flexible to the needs of the school, offering students appropriate assessments and counselling appointments

· Manage the tight time boundaries of the role and the often complex and varied workload

· You will establish good professional working relationships with key school staff. This will include discussion of referrals, waiting lists and appointments, managing a session timetable within the school day and agreeing a process for students coming to and from sessions

· Carry out initial clinical and risk assessments and establish appropriate referral pathways with other services where appropriate. Continually assess risk throughout each student’s counselling

· You will be required to undertake assessments with parents/carers and counselling sessions, complete all associated admin and attend regular clinical supervision and line management meetings

· Follow YMCA Dialogue safeguarding procedures; to know who the School’s Designated Safeguarding Officer/s is and how to contact them when a safeguarding concern arises

· Work at all times within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and maintain individual membership of the BACP (or other professional body such as HCPC)

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable.You may be just the right candidate.

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

You will have counselling or psychotherapy qualification minimum Level 4 and ideally Level 6, with 2 years’ post qualifying experience in individual counselling or therapy with children preferred, to include working with risk issues

You will have a BACP Membership; BACP Registered or Accredited. Or other professional body e.g. HCPC

You will also have a sound understanding of child protection and vulnerable adult safeguarding issues, policies, and procedures

You will be confident in identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns and have experience of working in a school setting

You will have a keen interest in working with children and will be familiar with using creative therapeutic approaches, along with experience of working in a school setting

You will have a professional, flexible attitude with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to manage your time well

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this post, please [e-mail] you require any assistance with our application process, please email us [e-mail]

CLOSING DATE:Sunday 8 June at midnight

Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions.We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role

An inclusive workplaceWe are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

AccessibilityIf you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns.Successful applicantsare required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including theChildren’s and Adults’ barred lists)check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.