JOB DESCRIPTION Position: Responsible to: Accountable to: Hours: Salary Band: Base: Senior Counsellor Head of Wellbeing Director of Patient Care 22.5 hours per week 25,464 Pay Point 19 (pro rata) Gravesend JOB SUMMARY: Leading and developing a counselling service for adults and young people, both pre and post bereavement. RESPONSIBILITIES: Professional Duties: To provide the leadership and strategic development to enable the Counselling Team to offer high quality counselling and bereavement care to the patients and families under the care of the ellenor. To be involved in the training and education of staff at the ellenor and external organisations as appropriate, on counselling and bereavement issues. To ensure that all ellenor counsellors have access to high quality CPD in order to ensure fitness to practice in-line with BACP guidelines. To provide a counselling service to clients under the care of ellenor - of all ages. This will be at both the Dartford and Northfleet sites (or client s homes in certain circumstances). To receive referrals from across ellenor s services and from other sources as deemed appropriate. To have full responsibility for managing a caseload as appropriate that may include adults and young people. To assess referrals and place as appropriate with counsellor or befriender or alternative resource. To arrange and manage assessment of prospective clients as necessary. 2017 Senior Counsellor JD 1
Where necessary, to ensure clients are referred on to services that potentially may more appropriately meet their psychological or spiritual needs. To line manage the employed counsellors and volunteers, ensuring regular appraisals and provide mentoring to encourage individual development. To co-ordinate the work of the counsellors to ensure close co-operative working with other members of the MDT. To develop a co-ordinated service which meets the needs of the client group and to identify gaps in the service and bring this to the attention of the Head of Wellbeing. This may include seeing clients in their own home. To work with other members of the team to recruit, train, supervise and co-ordinate the volunteer counsellors. To look at the bereavement care offered by the organisation in line with national and network guidelines and current research to ensure the best service is available within the current resources. To support the Wellbeing Service with services of remembrance and other family days. To organise CPD training events for counsellors. To participate in business planning and setting objectives for the service. To ensure the whole team completes the necessary records and collates data as requested. To advise on policy and procedure for the Wellbeing Service and update and audit as required. To participate in audit and research as appropriate. To participate in budget setting and to be responsible for monitoring the service against budget. Carry a client caseload and provide a counselling service in line with BACP Ethical Framework. Assess the suitability of counsellors for their own clients. Organise caseload and maintain records using electronic patient records, ensuring minimum data set information is collected and collated. Along with the other members of the Wellbeing Service, to ensure all the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings have a regular attendance of a psychosocial professional. To receive regular supervision in line with BACP recommendations. (This would be funded by the organisation within an agreed financial framework). To offer regular group clinical supervision to our Counselling Team. 2017 Senior Counsellor JD 2
Training and Development To ensure all counsellors and volunteer counsellors practice in an evidence-based manner and that they maintain their own personal professional development in line with professional guidelines. To organise and attend CPD training events for volunteers. To ensure the Counselling Team attends necessary statutory training. Where appropriate to work with other team members to provide education and training to staff, volunteers and external organisations if requested. To work with other members of the Wellbeing Team to provide a regular carer s support programme. Audit and Research To actively contribute and take part in any quality measuring systems that the hospice may put in place with regard to the area of your expertise. To be aware of new developments in palliative care. To participate in nursing and inter-disciplinary audit projects. To participate in the hospice Clinical Governance programme. General To be aware of the philosophy of the ellenor and to behave as a fit representative. To abide by the organisation s general confidentiality policy. To be aware of guidelines stated in staff handbook and all relevant policies and procedures. To undertake bi-annual performance review when personal development plan will be discussed. To attend statutory and specialised training when required. At ellenor we are committed to creating and managing a safe working environment for all our staff, visitors, volunteers and patients. All ellenor employees are expected to know, understand and deliver their Safety Responsibilities. All ellenor employees may be set at least one Safety Objective by their manager or supervisor which must be delivered if they are to meet their objectives. 2017 Senior Counsellor JD 3
Ideal Person Specification Factor Qualifications Experience Essential BACP/UKCP registered Diploma or higher in counselling >450 counselling client hours Palliative care experience Confident public speaker Experience in setting and managing professional boundaries Experience of working with families Experience of developing new services Desirable BACP Accreditation (or working towards) Managerial experience Specific training related to palliative care An understanding of the needs of carers at end of life Knowledge An understanding of bereavement theory Bereavement counselling experience Skills An understanding of the needs of volunteers Experience in teaching/training Experience in provision of clinical supervision Leadership skills Experience of working with volunteers Qualifications related to teaching/training Qualification in supervision Personal Attributes Good sense of humour Team player Other Car driver Enhanced DBS disclosure 2017 Senior Counsellor JD 4
Postholder s Name.. Postholder s Signature Date. Manager s Name Manager s Signature.. Date This Job Description will be regularly reviewed 2017 Senior Counsellor JD 5