Sevenoaks Counselling – Deputy Head of Counselling
CLOSING DATE Monday 12 noon 29th April 2024
Sevenoaks Counselling (SC) is a counselling charity based in Sevenoaks Kent. We were established in 1983 and have been operating in Sevenoaks for forty years, providing a trusted, professional, affordableservice to Sevenoaks and the surrounding area including Kent, Medway, South London and parts of Sussex and Surrey.
We are looking for a deputy to work collaboratively with our Head of Counselling. The post is for 6 hours perweek on 2 days one of which is to be Mondays, with additional hours as needed during HOC absence. £7,800 to £9,048 per annum depending upon experience, plus additional hours in HOC absence paid as overtime.
It is also expected that the post-holder will offer counselling and/or supervision sessions. If they are not a qualified supervisor they will be expected to be working towards completing this qualification. These hours will be paid on self-employed basis and be in addition to the 6 hours/week deputy role.
Self-employed contract, 3+ client sessions per week, blend of F2F at the counselling service in Sevenoaks and phone/online, £25 to £29 per client counselling session depending upon experience plus up to £90/month contribution to supervision (prorated).
Job summary:
Deputy Head of Sevenoaks Counselling Job Description
Overview
As the Deputy Head of Counselling the post holder will:
● Report to the Head of Counselling (HOC) and work collaboratively with them;
● Assist the HOC to lead the service, which seeks to benefit the whole community, in line with SC’s charitable objectives;
● Assist the HOC to manage a team of part-time self-employed professional therapists and a team ofvolunteer administrative staff, particularly to be first line of contact on days worked, and at other times where agreed with HOC, for example in the HOC’s absence e.g. during annual leave or sick leave;
● Work collaboratively with the HOC and Trustees of Sevenoaks Counselling to develop the service;
● Manage students on placement at SC and take a lead in in the recruitment of placement students
● Manage the Children’s and Young Persons (CSY) waiting list/service;
● Manage and delegate maintenance of the building (The Bridge);
● Maintain the professional standards of the service; and
● Assist the HOC and Trustees in representing and promoting the service to external agencies, church and civic leaders, and members of the wider community.
An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
The post holder will be expected to consent to an enhanced DBS check.
Main duties and responsibilities:
1. Leadership & Management
To take a clinical lead for the Children and Young Person’s work;
To take a lead of the service in the HOC’s absence. For example, during annual leave or sick leave;
To assist the HOC in managing a team of approximately 15 self-employed professional therapists;Specifically, to be the first line of contact and provide managerial support to counsellors on days worked, and other days as agreed with HOC;
To recruit and manage students on placement at SC. There is usually one and occasionally two students on placement;
To offer professional counselling, so as to provide an affordable professional counselling service which seeks to benefit the whole local community in line with Sevenoaks Counselling’s charitable objectives.These hours will be paid on self-employed basis and be in addition to the 6 hours/week as deputy;
To assist the HOC in leading and managing a team of approximately 5 part-time administration volunteers;
To meet regularly with HOC and periodically with Chair of Trustees (COT);To attend Trustees meetings as required in HOC absence;
To assist in maintaining records, monitoring and evaluation systems as required and provide information to the Trustees; and
To assist in developing new systems as appropriate with particular emphasis on IT systems.
2. Clinical
To assist in managing the client waiting list, and referring clients to therapists as appropriat
To manage the CYP waiting list and refer clients to therapists as appropriate;
To act as Deputy Safeguarding Officer (together with another member of the therapy team, currently the Family Therapist) and in HOC absence act as Safeguarding Officer;
To provide support for counsellors and support in clinical, professional and ethical decision making as required;
To assist in organising and allocating rooms for therapy at The Bridge; To liaise with Family therapist and CYP therapists as needed;
To assist HOC in receiving and monitoring Outcome measures and the end-of-therapy feedback questionnaires and to be active in improving client satisfaction;
To keep up to date with current external policies and developments in relation to the delivery of clinical services;
To promote whole team working and positive communication;
To liaise with other services where referrals are inappropriate; and
To attend his or her own personal supervision and provide evidence of this to the HOC.
3. Training
To maintain his or her own training in accordance with the BACP or UKCP requirements and show evidence of this to the HOC; and
To be present at each training event run by the service for external counsellors to assist in ensuring smooth running.
4. Policy/Service Improvement & Development
To support HOC in requiring and encouraging a professional standard of work by Sevenoaks Counselling therapists;
To assist in writing, reviewing, updating and ensure staff compliance with policies and procedures relating totherapeutic work and the service, as necessary, including those for safeguarding (in liaison with a Safeguarding Officer); and
To assist HOC to introduce and carry through service developments, in liaison with the Trustees and all therapists and volunteers.
5. Financial, Building and Contents
To assist HOC in maintaining appropriate procedures for receipt, recording and safe-keeping of fee income from client sessions, courses, donations and other income;
To assist HOC to ensure that both administrative staff and therapists comply with data recording procedures; and
To organise or delegate buildings and grounds repairs and maintenance reporting back to the HOC as required.
6. External Representation
To assist HOC and trustees in promoting the work of the service in the community – delegating as appropriate – and publicise it at medical centres, counselling agencies, mental health organisations, churches, andschools and other agencies in order to enhance funding;
To help to arrange the Open Public Meeting in liaison with the HOC and Trustees;
To be present at the annual Open Public Meeting and any other external events as required; and
To assist in ensuring the Sevenoaks Counselling website is regularly and appropriately updated.
7. Recruitment
To assist the HOC in monitoring the need for and recruitment of new therapists and to manage the interview process for student placements in liaison with the HOC; and
To provide appropriate induction training for placement students in Sevenoaks Counselling policies and procedures. openings will be coming soon
Deputy Head of Sevenoaks Counselling Person Specification:
Qualifications:
Essential:
BACP, ACC or UKCP membership and registered on a PSA voluntary accredited register.
Diploma level qualification
Desirable:
BCAP, ACC or UKCP accreditation
Qualification in supervision
Degree or Masters qualification in Counselling
Qualification in working with children and young people
Skills and Competencies:
Essential:
Competencies in working with young people
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to communicate effectively in public and in private with a range of people in formal and informal settings
Ability to work with and be sympathetic to therapists, counsellors and volunteers from different models of working and professional backgrounds and to assist in ethical decision making.
Ability to cope with stressful interpersonal situations while maintaining a high degree of professionalism
Good organisational skills, including balancing caseload, allocating clients, collecting data, filing systems and general time management
Good IT skills, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentation making, email and internet
Willingness to assist in developing policies
Solid clinical and theoretical knowledge of a variety of models of counselling
Knowledge of a wide range of therapeutic and counselling strategies
Good working knowledge of ethical polices eg BACP Ethical Framework and ACC Ethics and Practice.
Desirable:
Confidence in giving presentations
Previous Experience Required:
Essential:
Good IT skills, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentation making, email and internet
Willingness to assist in developing policies
Solid clinical and theoretical knowledge of a variety of models of counselling
Knowledge of a wide range of therapeutic and counselling strategies
Good working knowledge of ethical polices eg BACP Ethical Framework and ACC Ethics and Practice.
Desirable:
Experience in working with children (-11 years)
Experience of delivering supervision
Management experience
Experience of delivering presentations
Experience of delivering group work
Experience of working in the voluntary sector
Experience of working with volunteers
Experience of staff and volunteer recruitment
Experience of policy development
Special Attributes:
Ability to work flexibly and use his or her own initiative
Passion for the service and serving the community
Motivation towards personal and professional development
Motivation towards developing services
Personal Qualities:
Ability to assist in leading a team of therapists balancing individual ways of working with the aim of the service
An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010
FOR AN APPLICATION FORM PLEASE EMAIL info@sevenoakscounselling.org.uk