SCHOOL COUNSELLOR (HPCSA REGISTERED COUNSELLOR)

Old School Ties; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HPCSA fees covered

Indemnity insurance

Annual CPD budget

Private consulting room

Admin support

Job summary

Ubuntu School in Gqeberha, South Africa, seeks an HPCSA Registered Counsellor to provide mental health support to about 250 learners (Grades 1–10). You will manage a caseload with support, serve as Designated Safeguarding Lead, and contribute to the school's wellbeing strategy as part of the senior management team.

You will work with a retained psychologist for referrals, have HPCSA fees and indemnity covered, and access an annual CPD budget and private consulting space.

Qualifications

• Trauma-informed practice experience is essential.
• Strong records management and safeguarding documentation.
• Experience delivering crisis response and short-term counselling.
• Fluent in English; isiXhosa is highly preferred.
• Registration with HPCSA as a Registered Counsellor is required.

Responsibilities

• Provide short-term individual and group counselling within the Registered Counsellor scope.
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead and liaise with relevant authorities.
• Lead staff training on trauma-informed and restorative practice.
• Design and deliver SEL and prevention programs across grades.
• Chair Student Support and Safeguarding Committee and report wellbeing trends.

Skills

Trauma-informed practice

Staff training

Record-keeping

Crisis response

English fluency

Education

BPsych or equivalent

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling

720-hour practicum

Honours in Psychology not qualifying

Job description

SCHOOL COUNSELLOR (HPCSA REGISTERED COUNSELLOR)

Description

Job Title: School Counsellor (HPCSA Registered Counsellor) – Gqeberha
Location: Gqeberha, South Africa
Designation: Full-time, 2-year contract, Start Date: ASAP
Salary Range: Commensurate with experience, plus school-paid HPCSA fees, indemnity cover and CPD budget
Closing Date: Applications are reviewed as they arrive; the post closes once filled

Ubuntu School

The Ubuntu School offers students an exceptional education and a transformational pathway out of poverty. Our team instills confidence, creative expression, character growth, and social skills through a flexible, evolving, and child-driven learning model. Through a nurturing environment, high-quality instruction, and world-class wraparound support, we provide everything South Africa's most vulnerable children need to thrive.

Position Overview:

A school counselling post with real influence. Ubuntu is looking for an HPCSA Registered Counsellor to bring professional mental health support to our approximately 250 learners (Grades 1–10). You will counsel learners, serve as Designated Safeguarding Lead, build staff capability in trauma-informed practice, and sit on the senior management team, leading the school's wellbeing work. You will be seeing learners from week one, so you need to be able to run your own caseload, but you will not be doing it alone.

What We Provide:

• A retained sessional psychologist for referrals, so you are never left holding a case outside your scope
• HPCSA annual fees and professional indemnity insurance, paid by the school
• An annual CPD budget, with protected time to use it
• Your own private consulting room, and admin support with scheduling and filing
• A written commitment that you will never be responsible for discipline. The counsellor is never the punisher.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Provide short-term individual and group counselling, screening and crisis response within the Registered Counsellor scope, and refer onward when needed
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead: manage disclosures, statutory reporting and liaison with DSD, SAPS, clinics and partner NGOs
• Facilitate restorative conferences and give the Principal written wellbeing input where needed, without disclosing session content or deciding consequences
• Design and deliver a social and emotional learning (SEL) and prevention programme across the grades
• Train and coach staff in trauma-informed and restorative practiceChair the Student Support and Safeguarding Committee and report wellbeing trends to leadership
• Maintain clinical and safeguarding records to HPCSA and audit-ready standards, and work with parents, caregivers and community referral partners

Required Qualifications:

• Current HPCSA registration as a Registered Counsellor (PRC number) in the independent practice category
• BPsych, BPsych Equivalent, or Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling, incl. the 720-hour practicum (a BA/BSocSci Honours in Psychology does not qualify)
• Minimum two years' post-registration practice, including at least one year working directly with children, adolescents or young people
• Trauma experience and strong record-keeping; able to run your own caseload from day one
• Fluent in English; isiXhosa strongly preferred
• Clear criminal record and National Child Protection Register (NCPR) checks
• Not eligible: intern psychologists, student or intern counsellors, and anyone currently registered for supervised practice
• Advantageous: safeguarding/DSL training, school or NGO experience, and restorative practice or SEL experience