Talking Therapies Counsellor

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust; Bury; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Counsellor (NHS AfC Band 6) for their Bury-based Talking Therapies service. The role involves delivering high-quality, evidence-based counselling to adults with mild to moderate anxiety and depression, in-person or remotely, within a supportive team.

The post requires substantial counselling experience, professional accreditation, and post-graduate diploma level qualifications.

Qualifications

• Accreditation by BACP/UKCP/HCPC/NCPS
• Diploma/Advanced Diploma in Counselling or post-graduate diploma level
• NHS Counselling experience and involvement with IAPT training (e.g. IPT, DIT)

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist brief structured counselling for adults 18+ with mild to moderate anxiety and depression.
• Deliver counselling in-person in community venues or remotely.
• Assess suitability for talking therapies and determine referrals as needed.
• Conduct safeguarding and risk assessments where required.
• Maintain records according to Trust policies and service protocols.
• Support team cohesion and participate in service development and improvement.

Skills

Communication

Risk assessment

Safeguarding

Organisation

Documentation

Education

Diploma in Counselling

Advanced Diploma in Counselling

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

All our live jobs are listed here. If you can't find the job or role you're looking for, please do check back or register your interest for jobs so we can keep you posted.

Main area Counsellor Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working
• Compressed hours
• Other

37.5 hours per week (different working hours dependent on service need.) Job ref 311-F1005-26

Site 3 Knowsley Place Town Bury Salary £39,959 - £48,117 PA, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 04/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 03/11/2026

If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our#PennineCarePeople

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Counsellor to join NHS Bury Talking Therapies. The successful candidate will deliver high-quality, evidence-based therapy to adults in need of psychological treatments for mild to moderate anxiety and/or depression. The role offers the opportunity to join a friendly and supportive team committed to delivering excellent patient care and continually improving the services we provide.

You will join a friendly and supportive team within a wider service that shares a culture of compassion, collaboration, and care for both colleagues and patients. Our core service hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm; however, as a service committed to promoting diversity and supporting work-life balance, we offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible to help staff balance their professional and personal commitments.

This post is offered at 37.5 hours per week, although part-time hours may be considered for the, considering both the needs of the successful applicant and those of the service. As part of our commitment to improving access to psychological therapies, there is an expectation that the post holder will contribute to the delivery of some appointments outside of core hours to meet the needs of our patients.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated clinician seeking to develop their career within a supportive, forward-thinking and ambitious NHS Talking Therapies service.

Main duties of the job

To provide effective counselling for mild to moderate anxiety and depression in line with Talking Therapies evidence based practice.

To work as a member of the team and contribute to good team cohesion.

To undertake safeguarding and risk assessments where required.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post.

NHS Bury Talking Therapies is a well-established and service with a strong reputation for teamwork, and clinical innovation. We are committed to ensuring that people can access timely, effective psychological therapies and are proud of our collaborative culture, where staff are valued, supported, and encouraged to develop their skills and interests.

We are committed to supporting staff development and offer a range of training and continuing professional development opportunities. The post holder will have access to regular clinical supervision, peer support, and ongoing learning opportunities to further develop their therapeutic skills and knowledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will contribute to the ongoing development of the service, working in line with the values of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. Working collaboratively with colleagues, they will help shape and enhance service delivery to ensure equitable access to evidence-based treatments for people across Bury's diverse communities. They will contribute to a culture of continuous learning, clinical excellence, and person-centred care, working closely with colleagues to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical

• Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service
• To provide specialist brief structured counselling service for adults (18+) with mild to moderate anxiety and depression. This will normally be individual counselling but may also include group work where appropriate and requested by Line Manager.
• Therapy will be delivered in-person in community venues or remotely.
• To assess clients presenting with multiple and complex issues regarding suitability for talking therapies e.g. treatment of depression, anxiety, phobias, childhood trauma (physical / sexual / emotional abuse), complex bereavement/loss issues.
• To select appropriate therapeutic treatment and make decisions regarding referrals e.g. If another intervention is more appropriate, or referral requires secondary care intervention.
• To assess risk of harm to client / self / others / property and take action as appropriate. This may involve breaching client confidentiality in interest of client or others safety e.g. Safeguarding Children or Adults, acts of terrorism, etc. This will be assessed in line with Primary Care Mental Health Services risk assessment policies.
• To organise and manage a counselling workload and plan appropriate brief interventions
• To maintain appropriate records according to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust policies and Service protocols as directed by Line Manager
• Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.

For a more detailed Job Description please refer to documents attached to advert.

Person specification

Professional accreditation

• Accreditation BACP / UKCP /HCPC / NCPS
• Diploma / Advanced Dip. in Counselling
• Qualifications and experience to post-graduate diploma level
• Specialist IAPT training e.g. IPT, DIT, Couples Counselling, Counselling for depression

Experience

• Substantial counselling experience or equivalent
• Receipt of regular supervision as per CPC / BACP / UKCP / NCS guidelines
• Qualified employment in the NHS as a Counsellor

Knowledge

• Awareness of NICE guidance in the treatment of common mental health problems
• Understanding of the stepped care model
• Knowledge of evidence-based treatments and management of common mental health problems in Talking Therapies
• An understanding of equality and valuing diversity
• Awareness of NHS protocols
• Experience of using other counselling / psychotherapy models
• Experience / training mentoring student Counsellors
• Awareness of medication used in the treatment of common mental health issues.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to effectively communicate with people on complex matters.
• Assessment of suitability of clients for evidenced based treatments for common mental health problems
• Risk Assessment and management skills AND Ability to identify Safeguarding issues of children and adults
• Good organisational skills
• Maintain written and electronic records to high standards AND Experience of using a computer literacy including the ability to use Microsoft office products
• Up to date knowledge of Counselling
• Evidence of contribution to service development and improvement in previous roles

Work related circumstances

• Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
• Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

We are committed to the ‘Pledge to Flex’ initiative as flexible working is a day one right for all colleagues. “We can work flexibly, doing whatever work pattern fits our needs, regardless of the type of role we’re in. As a modern and model employer, flexible and less than full-time working isn’t a barrier to progress in the NHS – it is commonplace.” This policy brings this part of the People Promise to life. It will provide you with the information you need, support you to have conversations and take steps towards working in a way that suits you best.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovate, and improve.

If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 716 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.

Please note:

• We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. If you have a disability or long‑term health condition and need extra time or adjustments to complete your application, please contact us as soon as possible. We will ensure you are not disadvantaged where a reasonable adjustment is appropriate.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

We may close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, please apply as soon as possible.

Name Rossella Nicosia Job title Team manager Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0161 716 2222 Additional information

Please contact Kate Kubacki should you not be able to reach main contact : [e-mail]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust 225 Old Street OL6 7SR Telephone [phone]

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

Pre-Employment Checks

To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with NHS Employment Check Standards. These include:

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

All applicants external to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history andreferences.

If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.

The Recruitment Team will coordinate with you and the hiring manager to confirm a start date. You’ll be booked onto a Trust Welcome Session and receive your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.