Senior Counsellor Required (Royal TrinityHospice): London
Responsible to: Head of Patient and Family Support
Salary Band: AfC Band 7 £49,036 – £55,049 (inclusive of HCA) pro rata
Hours: 30 hours (0.8 WTE)
We have an exciting vacancy for a Band 7 Senior Counsellor to join Royal Trinity Hospice’s Patient and Family Support Team. Our team of specialist palliative social workers and counsellors provide a wide range of psychological support to patients with progressive, life-limiting illness. This support, including direct patient work and bereavement counselling is offered to the patient, their friends, family members and/or young adult and children.
If you are looking for a new opportunity and are passionate about delivering great psychological/emotional support and care, then this could be the perfect fit for you. We offer great training, support and development to our staff throughout their career with us in addition to an attractive benefits package.
Responsibilities of a Senior Counsellor
- To provide psychosocial assessments and therapeutic interventions (counselling and/or emotional support) to patients and their families/friends, including children and young people, who are experiencing complex and acute levels of psychological distress (pre and post bereavement) using a range of counselling methods, approaches and techniques while functioning at level 3 of the NICE psychological framework. Service provided at home, on the inpatient unit, and in the outpatient clinic (face to face, telephone or video call).
- To provides support to patients and families who are currently on the in-patient unit at RTH.
- To provide crisis interventions when appropriate. To ensure that families and carers where possible are able to access short term psychological support/counselling services at the time of impending death and in bereavement.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of therapeutic interventions for individuals, families/friends and groups, drawing upon different models, including one-to-one work, family work, group work and activities.
- To provide psychosocial education to staff, stakeholders, patients and families/friends about coping skills, hospice and palliative care as well as how to support children and young people.
- To provide the inter-disciplinary team (IDT) with an understanding of the real and perceived unmet social, emotional and economic needs of patients and families/friends and to participate in developing the understanding and skills of staff and volunteers in the provision of psychological support at Level 1 and 2 (NICE guidelines).
- To provide psychological consultancy in IDT meetings and on an ad hoc basis to ensure the best quality of service for clients.
Skills and experience required
- Relevant professional qualification, BA, MA, Dip Counselling/Clinical Supervision.
- Registration with a professional body (BPS, UKCP, BACP, HCPC)
- Experience in working therapeutically with adults, families, and/or relevant qualification working with children and young people.
- Impeccable assessment and psychological intervention skills
- Hospice, Palliative Care or Oncology experience
- Enthusiasm and a flexible attitude to work
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a wider team
Benefits
- We match Agenda for Change/NHS terms and conditions for maternity, paternity and long-term sickness pay
- Length of service for those joining directly from another CQC regulated organisation (NHS, social care, hospice) is recognised in annual leave, maternity, paternity and long-term sickness pay
- A pension scheme is offered with employer contributions of up to 7.5% or a continuation of your existing NHS pension
- A generous 27 days annual leave increasing to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years, plus bank holidays (any bank holidays worked will be given back in lieu)
- Cycle to work scheme and interest-free season ticket loans available
- Free eyesight test for DSE users and a contribution towards the cost of glasses
- 25% store discount in Trinity shops
- Life assurance cover
- Lots of opportunities to attend exciting and high-profile events e.g. a staff lottery to attend our regular biannual Gala dinner; participating in Royal visits, and the annual summer garden party
- Regular ballots for donated free tickets and prizes
- Access to courses of free counselling on the phone or face to face