School Counsellor

The Methodist Church in Britain; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development

Career progression

Wellbeing support

Collaboration across Lift Schools

Job summary

Lift Kingsley, within the Lift Schools network, is recruiting a school counsellor to offer confidential individual and group sessions addressing personal, social, emotional and educational concerns. The role includes workshops, referrals to multi‑agency services, case notes and an annual service report.

Based in a school, the post supports safeguarding with close links to the DSL, SENDCO and senior leaders, with no visa sponsorship available.

Qualifications

• Level 4 Diploma in School-Based Child Counselling or equivalent.
• A Levels or equivalent.
• GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Run individual and group counselling sessions for students' personal, social, emotional and educational needs.
• Create a safe, caring environment where students can explore their concerns.
• Deliver workshops and targeted support based on patterns of need in the school.
• Keep confidentiality while following safeguarding and child protection requirements.
• Play an active part in safeguarding and promoting student welfare.
• Work with school staff and other professionals to run an effective counselling service.
• Make referrals to external and multi-agency services, with student consent where appropriate.
• Work with parents and carers when required, within information-sharing guidelines.
• Keep accurate, secure records of sessions and case notes.
• Pass relevant information to the Designated Safeguarding Lead when appropriate.
• Produce an annual report on the service and the issues students present with.
• Identify trends in students' issues and use them to inform support.

Skills

safeguarding knowledge

education system understanding

interpersonal communication

active listening

case notes

organisation

Education

Level 4 Diploma in School-Based Child Counselling

A Levels

GCSE English and Maths

Job description

Lift Kingsley, part of the Lift Schools network, is recruiting a school counsellor to offer confidential individual and group sessions on personal, social, emotional and educational concerns. The work covers workshops, referrals to multi-agency services, case notes and an annual report on the service. The post sits within the school's safeguarding work, with close links to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, SENDCO and senior leaders. Visa sponsorship is not available.

What the job involves

• Run individual and group counselling sessions for students' personal, social, emotional and educational needs
• Create a safe, caring environment where students can explore their concerns
• Deliver workshops and targeted support based on patterns of need in the school
• Keep confidentiality while following safeguarding and child protection requirements
• Play an active part in safeguarding and promoting student welfare
• Work with school staff and other professionals to run an effective counselling service
• Make referrals to external and multi-agency services, with student consent where appropriate
• Work with parents and carers when required, within information-sharing guidelines
• Keep accurate, secure records of sessions and case notes
• Pass relevant information to the Designated Safeguarding Lead when appropriate
• Produce an annual report on the service and the issues students present with
• Identify trends in students' issues and use them to inform support

What’s required

Qualifications

• Level 4 Diploma in School-Based Child Counselling or equivalent
• A Levels or equivalent
• GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of working with children, young people and families

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of current safeguarding practice
• Knowledge of the education system
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Active listening and an empathetic response to students
• Clear, up-to-date case notes and comprehensive reports
• Organisation to manage appointments, prioritise workload and meet deadlines

Other

• Confidence to de-escalate and stay calm in challenging situations
• Non-judgemental, empathetic approach to working with young people
• Resilience, patience and the ability to work independently

Nice to have

• Higher-level qualification in counselling or a related field
• Experience using Google Workspace

What’s offered

• High-quality professional development
• Career progression within Lift Schools
• Wellbeing support
• Opportunities to connect and collaborate across the Lift Schools network