Head of Counselling Required: Across Oxfordshire
Salary: £40k-£45k (FTE)
Hours: 24 hours per week (salary will be pro rata based on working hours)
Working pattern: Flexible
About the role
The main focus of this role is to ensure that high standards of clinical provision are maintained and to support the development of Riverside as a supportive, client focussed organisation providing an outstanding service which is transformative for our clients.
Responsibilities
1. Putting clients first: Ensure that Riverside maintains high standards of clinical provision and strive for continuous improvement.
– Ensure that the end-to-end clinical process is robust; from the handling of referrals, through to initial consultation, the allocations process, the management and supervision of clinical work and patient outcomes.
– Encourage and support the clinical team in identifying and implementing opportunities for continuous improvement minimising administrative burden.
– Maintain high standards for counsellors recruited into the service, ensuring they are either accredited by a recognised professional body, or are undergoing an accredited training programme.
– Ensure that Riverside’s clinical service provision maintains the highest ethical standards, complying with the requirements of leading professional bodies and the ethos of the service.
– Ensure that the organisation’s safeguarding policy is understood and adhered to throughout the counselling team.
2. Maintaining and developing Riverside as a supportive, sustainable organisation for all those who work within the service.
– Act as a key member of the Management Committee, ensuring that the service’s nonclinical activities remain aligned with and support the service’s overall ethos and its clinical work.
– Enable the clinical and professional development of counsellors within the service through the provision of high-quality clinical management and supervision with the highest clinical standards and a structured CPD programme.
– Balance resources (number of counsellors / sessions available) with the forecast workload of the service and support the CEO to ensure that the service operates within the budget.
– Support the CEO in creating a supportive and inclusive environment at Riverside where people want to work.
3. Setting direction for Riverside and developing the service we provide
– Support the CEO in developing the Riverside strategy and plan for the organisation reflecting community need, the client voice, and counsellor and operational input.
– Provide a clear view on the current status of Riverside service provision through regular analysis of service statistics and feedback from clients and team members to feed into organisational reporting and reports to funders.
– Develop a broad familiarity with the direction of overall mental health service provision so Riverside remains up to date with the evolving requirements of professional bodies and meets annual BACP accreditation requirements.
4. Act as an effective ambassador for Riverside, developing connections and fostering fruitful partnerships with external organisations and individuals.
– Maintain good relationships with professionals who may refer clients with a focus on attracting clients who might otherwise struggle to access counselling services and ensuring the service reflects client and community need.
– Maintain good relationships with training establishments and professional institutions who may be a source of placement students.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
– Hold a recognised qualification in Counselling, psychotherapy or counselling psychology having completed a training to postgraduate, masters or doctorate level.
– Registration with UKCP BACP BPS BPC or equivalent.
– Significant experience in delivering one-to-one counselling
– Experience in leading a team and of service development and improvement
– Experience and understanding of the psychoanalytic / psychodynamic model of therapy, and an appreciation and understanding of other modalities
– Experience in managing and supporting trainees and qualified practitioners including knowledge of clinical supervision
– A commitment to supporting equity and diversity both for our workforce and our clients
– Experience of leading and motivate motivating teams and creating a positive working environment
– Experience of safeguarding and risk management
– Confident with technology and client management systems
Desirable Criteria
– Experience of working in the voluntary sector
– Understanding of community mental health services
– Understanding of/Clinical experience of group therapy
– Experience of budget management
– Supervisor qualification
– Knowledge of South Oxfordshire
To apply please send cv and covering letter to thalia.jervis@riversidecounsellingservice.co.uk