Wellbeing Children & Young People's (CYP) Lead

YMCA DLG; Hove; Hybrid; GBP 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused organization in Hove is seeking a Wellbeing Children & Young People’s Lead to enhance therapeutic services for young individuals. This role involves managing a team of wellbeing workers, ensuring evidence-based interventions and safeguarding practices. The ideal candidate will have substantial post-qualified counselling experience, strong leadership skills, and a comprehensive understanding of child safeguarding. This position offers a hybrid work model involving both onsite and remote responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Over 2 years post-qualified experience in counselling.
• Proven experience in team management and supervision.
• Knowledge of child developmental processes and safeguarding procedures.

Responsibilities

• Manage and supervise wellbeing workers such as counsellors.
• Conduct assessments and provide oversight for complex cases.
• Lead safeguarding practices and ensure compliance across the service.

Skills

Team management

Counselling skills

Child safeguarding knowledge

Therapeutic practice

Education

Counselling Diploma or equivalent

BACP Registration or Accreditation

Job description

36 hours per week / £36,530 per annum pro rata / permanent / working two days onsite and three days from home, working pattern to be discussed at interview

At YMCA DownsLink Group, 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, building life skills and self-confidence, and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections - guide and shape how we show up for children and young people we support and for each other.

Brighton & Hove Wellbeing service is delivered by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with YMCA DownsLink Group. We offer a variety of support including counselling and psychological therapies to children and young people within Brighton and Hove.

We are looking for a compassionate and experienced Wellbeing Children & Young People\'s (CYP) Lead to support and shape our therapeutic services for young people in Brighton and Hove.

Overview

Overview of key areas of responsibility:

Leadership

• Provide line management support and supervision to wellbeing workers (e.g. counsellors, practitioners, therapists, link workers and trainees).
• Work alongside a team of leads to support the running, development and management of the service.
• Lead induction, mentoring, and training of new staff, trainees, and volunteers.
• Foster a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement across the team.

Core Clinical

• Carry out individual general counselling assessments of children and young people and make appropriate referrals.
• Provide guidance and oversight for complex or high-risk cases.
• Ensure all interventions are evidence-based, child-centred, and trauma-informed.
• Develop and oversee counselling protocols, therapeutic pathways, and risk assessment frameworks.

Safeguarding and Risk

• Lead and give oversight for safeguarding concerns, embedding a safeguarding-first culture across the service.
• Work to ensure all counsellors, staff, and link workers, are trained, confident, and compliant in safeguarding practice.
• Implement robust risk assessment and management processes.
• Monitor safeguarding incidents, identify themes, and strengthen safeguarding practice.
• Liaise with schools, health, social care, police, and other agencies in safeguarding matters.

Service Development

• Work with the Service Manager, Leads and Clinical Leads to strengthen and expand counselling provision, including group work.
• Triage referrals and represent the service in multi-agency triage meetings.
• Promote and develop opportunities for community participation and youth voice in service design.
• Build strong relationships with schools, health services, local authorities, commissioners, and community partners.
• Represent the service at local and regional forums, influencing CYP wellbeing strategies.

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

• More than 2 years post-qualified at graduate or post graduate level Counselling Diploma or equivalent [of two years minimum duration including personal counselling or psychotherapy].
• BACP Registration or Accreditation and/or other eligible Professional Accreditation e.g. UKCP/HPC.
• Strong team-management and line-management experience is required, including demonstrated experience in supervising, developing, and supporting staff.
• A good level of understanding in therapeutic or counselling theory and practice and working to short-term models.
• A sound understanding of child developmental processes, Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding issues and procedures, along with proven experience in safeguarding young children.
• Solid experience in delivering counselling and/or therapy and assessment, along with experience with dealing with complex cases.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary team working, with the ability to work within time-limited frameworks.