Senior Counsellor

University of Cambridge; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Generous annual leave

Hybrid working

Auto-enrolment pension

Job summary

The University of Cambridge is seeking a Senior Counsellor (Access and Wellbeing) to lead daily service operations within the University Counselling and Wellbeing Service. You will balance a busy caseload with line management and staff development, supporting risk management around self-harm and safeguarding duties.

Accreditation with a UK regulatory body (e.g., BACP, UKCP, BABCP or HCPC) is required. The post offers hybrid working alongside generous leave and pension benefits.

Job description

The University Counselling and Wellbeing Service (Student Support) is a dynamic, high-demand service driven by our mission to support and empower students in fulfilling their academic and personal potential.We are at an exciting stage of the service's development. Following a transformative Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan (2022-2025) at the Collegiate University, we are recruiting to a number of roles to support our service's work and objectives under a new Student Support strategic plan (2026-2029). As part of an integrated Student Support Department, we work in partnership with the Mental Health Advice Service, the Harassment and Violence Support Service, and the Accessibility and Disability Resource to offer students joined-up support. These services contribute to a wider stepped care approach at Collegiate Cambridge, working in partnership with College Health and Wellbeing teams who support students in their College community.We are seeking to appoint a highly-motivated, experienced professional in the field of counselling and psychotherapy to the new role of Senior Counsellor (Access and Wellbeing). The Senior Counsellor (Access and Wellbeing) plays a crucial operational role within a high-demand student support service, supporting the diverse needs of Cambridge's student population. The role holder will join the Senior Management Team of the University Counselling and Wellbeing Service, reporting to the Head of Counselling and Wellbeing, and working alongside two Deputy Heads of Counselling and Wellbeing.The Senior Counsellor's key contribution will be as a first point of contact for daily service operations, ensuring the day-to-day processes of delivering a high volume of appointments runs efficiently and effectively. The successful candidate will also provide line management and professional development support to staff in the Wellbeing Service, alongside maintaining a caseload of students, support our data-driven approach to service access and improvement, and actively participate in the service's work responding to risk where it arises, including concerns related to self-harm, suicidality and/or safeguarding duties.Please note that this post requires accreditation (or registration, where this confers an accreditation-level standard) with your appropriate professional regulatory body in the UK, such as BACP, UKCP, BABCP or HCPC.We particularly encourage candidates from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background to apply for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level within our University.Benefits of working at the University of Cambridge include:Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;Generous annual leave allowance;Flexible and hybrid working opportunities;Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family friendly schemes (e.g. workplace nurseries);An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;Schemes to support with relocation / the provision of accommodationThe interview date for the post is Monday 9th November 2026Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.When applying, please upload your CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification in the Further Particulars.If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact [e-mail] quote reference AW50965 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.Apply online