Community Counsellor Required: Horsham, West Sussex

THE ROLE – Full-time (37 hours per week) / Fixed-term contract until 31 October 2023 / Job description and job pack are available to download from our website

YMCA Dialogue is a BACP Accredited service, providing counselling since 1994. Dialogue has built an excellent reputation in the community working closely with partner services, professionals and commissioners. We are deeply committed to meeting the individual needs of the young people we work with as they prepare them to meet the challenges of growing up and moving toward adulthood.

We are looking for a creative and dynamic Community Counsellor to join our fantastic and supportive team across Horsham. You will carry out individual assessments and offer face to face and online counselling and groupwork within the newly commissioned ‘blended’ tier two Counselling Service for young people aged 11-18 with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. You will also work with the project administrator and project manager to ensure high quality delivery of service. The role represents the operational face of the service in community settings and the post holder will be required to support children and young people accessing provision within the emotional well-being pathway.

Your expected working pattern is flexible, and we are open to discussing preferred full-time hours. This role is hybrid and involves a combination of working on site and from home.

WHO YOU ARE – We know that there are great candidates who will not fit everything we have described below, or who have important skills we have not mentioned. If that is you, please do not hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

We are recruiting a qualified counsellor, who has experience working with children and young people, delivering face to face counselling and carrying out assessments with young people to include working with high risk and complex issues. You will have a graduate or post-graduate level Counselling Diploma, or equivalent, and a minimum of two years post-qualifying experience. You will also need to be BACP Registered/Accredited or registered with another recognised professional body (e.g. HPC, UKCP). You will be able to work within the framework of an 8-session model, and carry out individual assessments, offer face-to-face counselling or online counselling and group work to children and young people.

The successful applicant will have experience of managing risk, with effective communication around safeguarding procedures. You will also have experience of multi-disciplinary team working and knowledge of local statutory and voluntary agencies. You will also have experience of using electronic database for case management notes and administrative tasks to include monitoring & evaluation. In addition, you will have a sound understanding of Child Protection & Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding issues and procedures and of Child Developmental processes.

Closing date for this role is midnight on 12 December 2022, with a proposed interview date of 19 December 2022