About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced counsellor or therapist with the ability to bring people together, support professional practice and coordinate a busy service.
We are looking for a compassionate and organised Counselling & Therapy Team Leader to provide visible, day to day leadership to our therapy team. This is an opportunity to combine clinical practice with operational leadership, helping counsellors, therapists, trainees and volunteers deliver high quality support to children, adults, carers and bereaved family members.
You will play a central role in ensuring that referrals, waiting lists, clinical allocations, caseloads and team capacity are coordinated safely and effectively. Working closely with the Clinical Lead / Service Manager, you will translate agreed service priorities into clear and practical arrangements for the team, while promoting an inclusive, supportive and psychologically safe working culture.
The role is working 24 hours per week over 3 days.
Main duties of the job
As Counselling and Therapy Team Leader, you will provide accessible leadership and line management to designated members of the therapy workforce. You will chair team meetings, encourage shared decision-making and ensure that agreed actions are communicated and progressed.
You will allocate referrals and clinical work fairly, considering individual need, risk, practitioner competence, capacity and continuity of care. You will also monitor waiting lists, caseload distribution and service pressures, taking appropriate action within your delegated authority and escalating significant or sustained concerns when necessary.
Supporting and developing others will be an important part of the role. You will coordinate local induction arrangements, provide mentoring and practice guidance, contribute to recruitment and selection, and help identify learning and development needs across the team. You will also ensure that appraisals, objectives, wellbeing conversations, attendance processes and development plans are completed in line with organisational policy.
About us
This is a rewarding opportunity to influence the day-to-day quality and responsiveness of our therapy services while continuing to contribute directly to clinical practice. You will support a committed multidisciplinary team and help ensure that people accessing our services receive coordinated, compassionate and professionally sound care.
If you are an approachable and thoughtful practitioner who can balance clinical work, people leadership and service coordination, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Our Staff Benefits Include:
38 days annual leave (pro rata, inclusive of Bank Holidays) Health and wellbeing support Free on-site parking Professional registration fee reimbursement Pension scheme, with NHS Pension transfer options available Enhanced maternity and paternity benefits
Job description Job responsibilities Overall purpose
To provide visible, day to day operational and practice leadership for the therapy team, ensuring that referrals, waiting lists, clinical allocation, team capacity and safe working are coordinated effectively. The post holder will line manage designated members of the therapy workforce, support consistent standards of therapeutic practice and implement the strategic direction set by the Clinical Lead / Service Manager.
This post leads day to day team delivery and professional practice within the agreed service model. It does not hold overall strategic accountability for the service, budget ownership, organisational governance assurance or final authority for major service redesign. These remain with the Clinical Lead or Service Manager.
Key responsibilities Provide accessible day to day leadership to counsellors, therapists, trainees and volunteers within the agreed team structure.
Translate service priorities, policies and agreed developments into clear operational arrangements for the therapy team.
Allocate referrals and clinical work fairly, taking account of need, risk, practitioner competence, capacity and continuity of care.
Monitor waiting lists, caseload distribution and team capacity, take proportionate action within delegated authority and escalate sustained pressures or risks.
Chair regular therapy team meetings, support shared decision-making and communicate agreed actions.
Promote an inclusive, compassionate and psychologically safe team culture.
Line management and workforce support Provide line management to designated paid staff and ensure that objectives, appraisals, wellbeing conversations, attendance processes and development plans are completed in line with organisational policy.
Coordinate the induction and local orientation of new staff, trainees and volunteers.
Contribute to recruitment and selection processes led or authorised by the Clinical Lead or Service Manager.
Provide mentoring, guidance and practice support; ensure any distinction between line management and independent clinical supervision is understood.
Identify learning needs and arrange team-based skills development within the agreed training plan and resources.
Escalate formal employee relations, capability, disciplinary or significant workforce matters to the Clinical Lead / Service Manager and People team.
Clinical practice and professional leadership Undertake assessments and provide individual or group therapy within the post holders competence and agreed job plan.
Support consistent, evidence informed and ethically sound therapeutic practice across the team.
Offer consultation on complex allocation, risk and practice issues, while recognising when advice or decisions are required from the Clinical Lead, safeguarding lead or another specialist service.
Maintain professional registration, continuing professional development and clinical supervision in accordance with the requirements of the relevant professional body.
Support accurate, timely and confidential clinical records in line with organisational policy, professional standards and legal requirements.
Promote equitable access and culturally responsive practice for children, adults, carers and bereaved family members, according to the service remit.
Safeguarding and risk Act as an accessible first point of practice advice for day to day safeguarding and clinical risk concerns within the therapy team.
Ensure concerns are identified, recorded, discussed and escalated promptly in accordance with Trinity policies and local procedures.
Maintain the required level of safeguarding training and support team compliance with mandatory training.
The post holder does not replace the organisations designated safeguarding leadership or hold sole accountability for high-risk decisions.
Quality, data and service improvement Ensure the team completes agreed outcome measures, activity recording and data collection accurately and within required timescales.
Review operational information with the Clinical Lead or Service Manager and highlight emerging themes, gaps, pressures and risks.
Contribute practice expertise to audits, evaluation, pathway review and improvement work.
Lead delegated, time limited improvement projects within agreed scope, resources and governance arrangements.
Implement approved changes and provide feedback on their impact on clients, staff and service delivery.
Partnership working Work closely with the Clinical Lead or Service Manager, Clinical Psychologist and other professional and service leads.
Liaise with hospice teams, hospitals, primary care, schools, social care, mental health services and community partners where this supports safe and coordinated care.
Provide information, advice and education within the post holders competence and delegated remit.
Represent the therapy team at agreed internal and external meetings, reporting back and escalating matters requiring strategic decision.
Limits of delegated authority May make day to day decisions about referral allocation, caseload coordination, meeting arrangements and deployment within the agreed service model.
May address routine operational issues and agree short term adjustments within approved policy and resources.
Must seek approval for changes to service scope, establishment, budget, policy, strategic partnerships, eligibility criteria or material redesign.
Must escalate serious incidents, significant safeguarding concerns, unresolved clinical risk, sustained capacity problems and matters with organisational or reputational implications.
General responsibilities Work in accordance with Trinity policies, values, statutory requirements and relevant professional codes.
Complete mandatory training and participate in supervision, appraisal and continuing professional development.
Protect the health, safety, dignity and confidentiality of service users, colleagues and volunteers.
Undertake reasonable duties consistent with the purpose, level and scope of the role.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Recognised diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification in counselling or psychotherapy, or an equivalent recognised therapeutic qualification. Current registration as a counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), with ongoing eligibility to practise. Evidence of continuing professional development and regular clinical supervision in line with BACP requirements.
Desirable
Additional leadership, management, supervision or practice education qualification.
Experience Essential
Substantial post-qualification experience of undertaking assessment and delivering therapeutic interventions within the post holders competence. Experience of assessing and responding to clinical risk, safeguarding concerns and complex presentations, including appropriate escalation. Experience of supporting, mentoring, coordinating or supervising counsellors, therapists, trainees or volunteers. Experience of coordinating referrals, waiting lists, caseload allocation and competing service demands. Experience of contributing to audit, service evaluation, outcome measurement or quality improvement.
Desirable
Experience within palliative care, end-of-life care, bereavement, children and families, or hospice services. Experience of line management, including objectives, appraisal, wellbeing, attendance and development conversations.
Knowledge Essential
Sound knowledge of BACP ethical requirements, professional boundaries, confidentiality and the distinction between line management and independent clinical supervision. Sound knowledge of safeguarding adults and children, clinical risk management and escalation responsibilities. Understanding of information governance, accurate clinical record keeping, equality, diversity and culturally responsive practice.
Desirable
Understanding of the needs of people affected by life-limiting illness, loss and bereavement.
Skills and Abilities Essential
Able to provide visible, compassionate and accessible day-to-day leadership while working within delegated authority. Able to allocate work fairly, balancing client need, risk, practitioner competence, capacity and continuity of care. Strong communication, facilitation, collaborative leadership and conflict-resolution skills. Able to chair effective team meetings, support shared decision-making and ensure agreed actions are communicated and followed through. Able to analyse service data, activity, outcomes and feedback to identify pressures, gaps, risks and improvement opportunities. Able to work effectively with multidisciplinary colleagues and external partners across hospice, health, education, social care and community settings. Able to organise workload, exercise sound judgement, maintain confidentiality and escalate matters appropriately
Values and Personal Approach Essential
Demonstrates compassion, respect and sensitivity when working with people affected by serious illness, dying, death and bereavement. Committed to inclusive, equitable and person-centred practice. Promotes a psychologically safe culture in which staff, trainees and volunteers can raise concerns, reflect and learn. Collaborative, calm and accountable, with the resilience to manage competing demands and emotionally complex work. Committed to Trinitys values, policies, professional standards and continuous improvement.
Other Requirements Essential
Able to work flexibly across the Linden Centre, community and hospice settings, as required by the role. Willing and able to complete mandatory training and maintain the required level of safeguarding training. Able to meet any pre-employment checks required for the role, in accordance with organisational policy.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Trinity Hospice
Address Low Moor Road
Blackpool
Lancashire
FY2 0BG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.trinityhospice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)