Counsellor Required: Northampton, Northamptonshire

Full time – Permanent: A job share will be considered

Interview Date: 12 December 2023

The post holder/s will be part of a core team of four counsellors, within the wider Counselling & Mental Health Team, providing support to all students.

In alignment with the BACP Ethical Framework, the post-holder will use high levels of initiative and judgment, possess high-level communication skills and be able to support the management of complex student presentations in a busy service.

They will establish collaborative, collegiate working relationships across the team and have a good understanding of the intersectionality between emotional difficulties, mental health, other disabilities and specific learning differences.

They will be required to provide comprehensive clinical assessments and deliver confidential counselling and drop-in sessions with students seeking help with personal and academic issues.

They will manage an often-complex client caseload in a professional manner, within the boundaries of a short-term counselling model (up to six sessions), which will involve remote and in-person service delivery.

They will be required to provide comprehensive risk assessments and risk management for students via remote and in-person service delivery.

This is a full time, permanent post of 37 hours a week.  A job share between 2 candidates will be considered. Attendance at the Wednesday morning service meeting is a requirement of all post holders.

The post holder may be required to participate in Open Days, Welcome Weekend and other key University events that may be outside the working week.

We want you to be able to carry out your work in a way that best supports UON and our students, but also you as an individual. We understand this may vary between different areas of the university as well as from one person to another. With Smarter Working you can work with increased flexibility, if you would like to, which can facilitate greater freedom and autonomy.

This post is subject to a background disclosure check by the Disclosure and Barring Service before any appointment can be confirmed.

About You

The post holder is expected to have a professional counselling / psychotherapy qualification in counselling theory and practice i.e. postgraduate diploma or degree.  We require a BACP accredited counsellor/psychotherapist (or equivalent registering body), or a candidate who will be eligible for accreditation within the 6-month probationary period, which will be in alignment with SCoPEd columns A & B;

SCoPEd frequently asked questions: BACP members and the SCoPEd framework

We would expect experience of delivering counselling post qualification, especially working with 18+ clients.  You will need to have excellent written & verbal communication skills and a high level of digital literacy.  You must possess sound analytical skills and will be experienced in dealing with sensitive situations and issues and have a good working knowledge of equality and diversity.  You will need to be flexible, innovative and possess good organisational skills.  Be able to work under pressure and deliver a high standard of customer care.

Essential Qualifications 

• Professional counselling / psychotherapy qualifications i.e. postgraduate diploma or degree in counselling theory and practice, OR equivalent experience
• Accredited with BACP (or equivalent registering body i.e. UKCP, which includes a responsibility to maintain accreditation through updating skills and knowledge, and which upholds a code of ethics and a complaints procedure), OR will be eligible for accreditation within the 6-month probationary period in alignment with SCoPEd columns A & B
• Upwards of 500 post qualifying clinical contact hours as a counsellor/psychotherapist
• Evidence of commitment to regular external supervision and continuing professional development (CPD) as required by BACP (or equivalent registering body) to maintain professional registration/accreditation

Department

The successful candidate will be working within the Counselling Service and be part of the wider Counselling and Mental Health Team. The team are located within the Additional Needs branch of Student Services. Further information is available:

www.northampton.ac.uk/student-life/support

About Us

Come to the University of Northampton and you will see that we do things a bit differently.

We are one of the youngest universities in the UK but we are already leading the way in adding value to society, which we call social impact.

We have won multiple awards for our work in this area, among others, but what matters the most to us is ensuring that our students and graduates have the opportunity to make their mark on the world too. That’s why we were the first university in the UK to be named as a Changemaker Campus in 2012. We want to break the mould of what Higher Education can be. This has led us to build a whole new University from the ground up that is designed to reflect the way that students actually learn rather than the way they are expected to learn.

Waterside Campus opened in September 2018. Our commitment to transforming lives and inspiring change is at the heart of all that we do.

Right to Work

All candidates will be asked to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK at interview.

Equality

We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.