We have filled our supervisor roles for this academic year, but applicants can still send in their CVs if they wish to be considered for future roles that may arise.
Terms
- Salary depending on experience
- Hours of work: 1.5 hours of fortnightly supervision per group
- Available for daytime and/or evening supervision depending on group allocated
- Available for in-person and/or remote supervision depending on group allocated
- Available to attend monthly meetings with Clinical Manager
- Willingness to work outside prescribed hours to manage risk escalations
- Access to TCF subsidised CPD events
- Probation period: 3 months
- Start Date: Immediate
The Counselling Foundation is a modern charity with a well-established reputation in the field of counselling and psychotherapy for over 40 years. Our mission is to deliver affordable psychological therapy, to train psychotherapists and provide services to organisations and the NHS.
We are an organisational member of BACP and our training courses are accredited and validated by BACP. All staff, honoraries, volunteers and therapists in training are thus accountable to the ethical requirements of these organisations and to their complaints procedures.
There are 3 strands to the services we provide:
- Provision of charitable subsidised counselling
- Provision of short-term work to NHS clients, EAP clients and other contracts
- Counselling Training programmes including short personal development courses
The Counselling Foundation is proud of our welcoming culture and commitment to client care. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity throughout the organisation and encourage diversity and difference.
Job Description
We are looking for an experienced clinician who is passionate about provision of care outside the private sector and has the energy and enthusiasm to support us in our growth and innovation in client care.
You will work as part of The Counselling Foundation’s (TCF) supervision team to provide a high and consistent standard of supervision to all qualified and trainee counsellors across the Foundation. You will be required to work with TCF trainees and qualified counsellors working for the charitable counselling service as well as other TCF contracts.
In particular, you will be supervising counsellors delivering one-to-one counselling to clients with complex needs and/or dual diagnosis.
We are receiving an increase in the number of individuals with complex needs referring into our service. Apart from emotional support, many suffer simultaneously from physical, social and financial difficulties thereby exacerbating their problems. This inhibits their ability to cope, often making them vulnerable to crisis. Many have a history of abuse, domestic violence, substance misuse, family and relationship difficulties, poverty, social isolation, homelessness, unemployment and some have a history of offending/anti-social behaviour. In addition, some clients have learning and physical disabilities.
As a supervisor in our service, you will be at the centre of continuing to bring our response to the current mental health crisis to life. You will be supported by the Clinical Manager, Clinical Director and the wider clinical team. Above all, you will be passionate about joining a charitable organisation that embraces diversity and innovation and strives to connect and contribute to our local communities by offering a safe space, providing supportive and emphatic counselling to individuals who struggle to access emotional help.
Accountability
The Clinical Supervisor reports to the Clinical Manager and will work closely with Clinical Director.
Responsibilities
- To support TCF’s objectives of supervision by creating a learning environment combining a balance of support, reflection, challenge and education for all supervisees to develop their clinical skills and competence
- To lead and facilitate at least 1 supervision group consisting of a maximum of 4 supervisees per group
- To lead and facilitate group supervision for 1.5 hours every fortnight throughout the year
- To work with the Clinical Manager/s to support and expedite client allocation and all service delivery targets
- To work with Clinical Managers to manage issues around late or non-payment of fees
- To ensure supervisees manage their clients in accordance with organisational policies e.g., collection of fees, keeping client records etc
- To ensure supervisees carry out clinical work competently in line with TCF guidelines and polices holding the best interest of the client in mind at all times
- To work with the Clinical Managers to manage clinical escalations and risk reporting
- To facilitate case review meetings as needed to provide updates and action plans of at-risk cases together with counsellor and Clinical Manager
- To facilitate monthly peer discussion drop-in sessions groups for counsellors working with clients with complex needs to share learning and explore ethical dilemmas
- To ensure all supervisees adhere to risk management procedures and policies
- To ensure all cases are presented for supervision on a regular basis
- To ensure supervisees are aware of and up to date with TCF clinical policy and processes
- To alert the Clinical Director of any issues or concerns about counsellors in relation to competency or possible complaints
- To complete reports for all supervisees and participate in the assessment process for trainees if required
- To be familiar with all training handbooks, curriculum and course content
- To attend monthly Supervisor meetings
- To engage in ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) relevant particularly to working with clients with complex needs
- To adhere to BACP’s Ethical Framework
- Willingness to conduct clinical assessments for clients new to the Service
Person Specification
- Significant post-qualifying experience as a counsellor/psychotherapist and supervisor
- A strong understanding and experience of working with people who have experienced chronic and complex mental health problems including trauma (physical, psychological or social), addiction, substance misuse, certain psychiatric conditions
- A strong knowledge and experience of working with trauma-informed practice and how it can successfully be used as an intervention
- Highly developed skills in assessing risk and a working knowledge of managing complex risk assessment in practice
- Highly experienced in carrying out assessments of client support needs, including risk assessments
- Experience of both time-limited and longer-term psychotherapeutic work
- Experience of delivering in-person and remote therapy and supervision
- Knowledge and understanding of different modalities e.g.psychodynamic, person-centered, poly-vagal theory, DBT, trauma informed stabilisation work
- Up to date knowledge of developments in the psychotherapy field and of relevant national policy
- Willingness to work out-of-hours to manage clinical risk
- A good understanding of Safeguarding and risk management for both children and adults.
- Experience of working in partnership with key workers, care co-ordinators, community services, GPs, psychiatrists and third-party agencies/charities/other services
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Excellent record keeping in regard to points discussed with the supervisees and administrative skills that are required for management of the group within the organisation
- Good Microsoft office skills and general technology skills, or the willingness and ability to learn within a short period of time. Comfortable to learn and work within a digital environment
Desirable
- Completed a Level 7 or equivalent qualification from a BACP-accredited counselling training programme
- Diploma–level or equivalent qualification in clinical supervision
- BACP/UKCP/NCS accredited
- Competence as a supervisor working from a psychodynamic orientation with groups and individuals
- Additional Qualification eg DIT, CBT, EMDR, DBT, CfD, group work
- Experience of developing and delivering therapeutic group work.
- Knowledge, skills and ability to assess the complex needs of drug and alcohol users and formulate action plans to identify how these needs can be met
- Experience of working with trauma using a three-phased approach – stabilisation, processing and integration
Communication skills & experience
- Excellent people skills including an ability to motivate, manage, mentor and support counsellors and trainees and to challenge performance when appropriate
- Excellent at building and sustaining respectful, emphatic, non-judgemental and productive working relationships across all supervision and other groups
- Ability to work as an effective and supportive team player within a management team
- Ability to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to adjust communication style to different audiences
- Ability to adapt working style to people and groups from diverse backgrounds and cultures
Organisational and leadership ability
- The appointee should be able to command the personal and professional respect of staff
- They should have an understanding of the dynamics of organisations and of small and large groups
- They should be able to relate sensitively to others, share in and facilitate the working of groups
- Excellent capacity to contain anxiety, manage staff and delegate appropriately is essential
- Sensitivity to understanding the issues of working within an organisation including financial, commercial and other issues that need to be considered when delivering a training course in a competitive environment
Capacity for reflection and evaluation
- Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
- The appointee will be expected to contribute creatively to reflection on the nature and development of clinical work in a changing society
- Openness to learning from feedback and understanding the dynamics of an organisation where supervisees are both in training and providing the therapeutic services of the organisation
Personal Attributes
- Possess a calm, consistent manner and proven ability to contain emotional distress within a clinical environment
- A team worker who is adaptable and versatile with a positive and confident attitude
- Ability to demonstrate a respect for punctuality and responsiveness to deadlines
- Ability to be comfortable working with change and within change management processes
- Ability to remain solution-orientated
- Ability to work well in a fast paced, challenging environment
