About this role
Job summary
Lead Counsellor (Patient and Family Support Team)
Salary: £37,048 per annum (WTE £46,310 per annum based on 37.5 hours a week)
Hours: 30 hours per week, worked Monday - Thursday
Location: Farnham, Surrey
Are you looking for a job where you can make a real difference? At Phyllis Tuckwell, we pride ourselves on offering exceptional care to our patients and their families and carers.
Phyllis Tuckwell is seeking to appoint a Lead Counsellor to join our Patient and Family Support Team, working across both the Farnham and Guildford sites, with occasional community-based work. The role focuses on providing emotional and psychological support to patients and carers under the care of the hospice, as a core component of palliative care.
A key aspect of this role is leading and supporting a team of counsellors, ensuring a cohesive, effective, and responsive service. The successful candidate will be confident in coordinating workload, offering day-to-day guidance, and supporting the professional development and wellbeing of colleagues. The Lead Counsellor will be expected to bring strong leadership experience, including the ability to manage team dynamics, provide informal support and guidance, and contribute to service improvement and the ongoing development of psychological support within a multidisciplinary team, working alongside the clinical psychologist and other professionals.
Main duties of the job
While involvement in supervision is part of the role, a formal supervision qualification is desirable but not essential, as additional supervision support is available within the service. Experience of, or a good understanding of, working with children and young people is also important, given the needs of the service.
If you would like to feel part of a welcoming and committed team, benefit from strong peer and managerial support, and want to develop your career with excellent training and education opportunities, we would be delighted to hear from you.
About You:
A successful Lead Counsellor will have:
A qualification in Counselling to at least a diploma levelExperience of leading or coordinating a team of counsellors (essential)A certificate in Counselling Supervision CPCAB Level 6 (desirable, not essential)Experience in end of life and grief issuesExperience of working with adults and some knowledge or experience of working with children and young peopleExperience in working with volunteersExcellent communication and interpersonal skillsA good understanding of safeguarding protocols and proceduresThe ability to coordinate workload and support colleagues in day-to-day practiceFlexibility to work across both the Farnham and Guildford sites, with occasional community workExperience of working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, including clinical psychology input where appropriate
About us
About Us:
We are based in Farnham and Guildford, and provide bespoke, compassionate palliative and end of life care for people living with an advanced or terminal illness, across West Surrey and North-East Hampshire.
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture, with the principles of fairness and equality at its core. We are an equal opportunities employer, who values and respects our employees unique knowledge, skills and experiences. We warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community. All appointments are made following a fair and equitable process, based on merit, job requirements and business need.
We Offer:
Excellent Benefits
Six weeks paid holiday plus public holidays (pro-rated for part time staff)Continuation of NHS Pension or Phyllis Tuckwell Group Personal Pension Plan (matched contributions up to 7.5%)Health Cash Plan SchemeEmployee Assistance ProgrammeStaff Benefit SchemeBlue Light Discount Card
Excellent Career Development
Access to learning and professional development opportunities (we have an on-site education team) A Great Place to Work
Equal Opportunities employerFlexible hours and flexible workingSupportive colleaguesClinical supervision and support97% of our staff are proud to work for Phyllis Tuckwell* *Phyllis Tuckwell Birdsong Hospice staff survey 2023
Job description Job responsibilities
POST: Lead Counsellor
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Patient, Family, Carer Team Manager & Safeguarding Lead
JOB PURPOSE:
To provide leadership and line management to the counselling team. The post holder will take responsibility for coordinating the day-to-day function, promoting high standards of professionalism and practice, and contribute to the ongoing development of the service.
The role reports to and will work collaboratively with The Patient and Family Team Manager and Safeguarding Lead to ensure effective delivery of the counselling service. Together they will work with the multidisciplinary team to develop emotional support services to improve the effectiveness of Phyllis Tuckwell in meeting the psychological needs of patients and families, as one of the pillars of palliative care.
The role also includes maintaining a small clinical caseload, providing counselling support to patients and families (including children and young people), and working collaboratively as part of the multidisciplinary team to uphold Phyllis Tuckwells values.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1.0 Professional
1.1 Maintain a high level of knowledge of professional, ethical and regulatory issues relating to counselling practice.
1.2 Deliver safe, timelimited counselling and clinical assessments to patients and families (including children and young people), as part of a maintained clinical caseload, underpinned by a grieftheoretical model.
1.3 Contribute to multidisciplinary team (MDT) working, ensuring the counselling perspective informs holistic care, and work collaboratively with the clinical psychologist and other professionals to support coordinated care. This includes contributing to the ongoing development of psychological support within the service.
1.4 Lead and oversee therapeutic work for adults and children.
1.5 Identify and escalate adult and child safeguarding concerns; manage risk in accordance with BACP (or equivalent), PT policies, GDPR and Caldicott principles.
1.6 Rolemodel ethical practice, confidentiality, and resilience, sharing best practice to foster team wellbeing.
1.7 To have an ability to recognise, evaluate, analyse and problem solve ethical dilemmas, in accordance with the BACP (or equivalent) and organisational guidelines and policies.
1.8 To work to the principles of clinical governance and risk management, contributing to risk assessments where appropriate and evidence-based interventions.
1.9 To complete all relevant reports, outcome measures and case studies as required by the counselling service and Phyllis Tuckwell.
1.10 To work flexibly on a basis agreed with the PAFS Team Manager and colleagues across service areas, which may include some weekend and evening working as appropriate.
2.0 Managerial
2.1 Coordinate, support and provide leadership to counsellors, qualified volunteers and student placements, ensuring effective case allocation and day-to-day functioning of the service, and maintaining a consistently high-quality and responsive service.
2.2 Support and develop the team through appraisal, performance oversight and day-to-day guidance, working in collaboration with the Patient and Family Support Manager to promote an open and effective communication culture.
2.3 Work collaboratively and in conjunction with the Patient and Family Support Manager to ensure effective service delivery and continuous improvement internally whilst seeking opportunities for new external collaborations that will contribute to the business planning process.
2.4 Liaise with Voluntary Services, external agencies and the Patient and Family Support Manager to optimise resources and develop collaborative initiatives.
2.5 Oversee service evaluation, qualityimprovement projects and the handling of complaints, implementing lessons learned.
2.6 Ensure compliance with PT policies on safeguarding, patient safety, lone working and recordkeeping.
3.0 Training and Development
a) Team
3.1 Share best practice with colleagues, particularly in relation to developing approaches to counselling practice and service delivery and development.
3.2 Help shape and contribute to the strategic development of the counselling service and wider team.
3.3 Contribute to the ongoing development of the counselling service and wider team, including identifying and supporting quality and service improvements in practice and service delivery.
3.4 Develop and facilitate training and development sessions for staff within the hospice and wider settings where appropriate.
3.5 Keep informed of changes in professional practice and participate in continued professional development in compliance with the BACP, or equivalent.
b) Personal
3.6 To attend appropriate meetings and training events updating knowledge and skills in end-of-life care, ensuring that information being supplied and clinical practice is evidencebased, relevant and up to date.
3.7 To maintain own continuing professional development in line with the BACP Register and keep up to date with advances and changes in practice and research.
3.8 To review and demonstrate commitment to developing own learning needs using the annual appraisal process and reflective practice.
3.9 To have regular individual supervision and line management meetings.
4.0 Research
4.1 Maintain awareness of current research and contribute to inter-hospice or collaborative projects where opportunities arise.
4.2 To actively contribute and take part in any quality measuring systems that PT may put in place.
5.0 Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
5.1 Role holders are required to understand their responsibilities in the safeguarding context, ensuring that Phyllis Tuckwell reduces the risk of harm or abuse of adults and children at risk.
You are required to:
adhere to Phyllis Tuckwells Safeguarding Policy (held on the NEST), which supports the local authoritys multi agency safeguarding policy, the law (Care Act 2014) and Mental Capacity Act 2005 (including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards).
inform the appropriate PT professional where there is concern that an adult or child may be at risk of harm, abuse, or neglect.
Phyllis Tuckwell is committed to an Equal Opportunities approach, valuing, and respecting everyone as individuals, with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles, and circumstances.
This job description is underpinned by Phyllis Tuckwells philosophy, culture, and core values, which actively embrace diversity and inclusion and promotes total team spirit.
This job description is current and subject to yearly review in consultation with the jobholder. It is liable to reflect and anticipate necessary changes to support the PT strategy.
Person Specification
Managing work Essential
Able to carry out effective and appropriate assessment and evaluation Ability to manage a busy workload Ability to prioritise service needs and contribute to service improvement within workload management
Using Information and systems Essential
Be in possession of good IT skills word, e-mail and internet usage
Experience Essential
Experience of working within a hospice/ hospital/ medical setting or with the dying and their families / partners / friends Knowledge and understanding of the grieving process Experience of supporting, guiding or developing counsellors in a leadership or supervisory capacity Possess group and family work skills or capable and willing to work towards becoming group and family work trained Experience of leading, coordinating or managing a counselling team and caseload Experience of contributing to service development and improvement within a counselling or clinical service setting
Qualifications Essential
Recognised counselling qualification BACP accredited or willing to work towards accrediation
Relationships and Communications Essential
Ability to deliver teaching or presentations and contribute to staff development within the hospice Good communication and interpersonal skills Experience of working with children and young people Evidence of clear, consise recording of work
Team Working Essential
Leadership skills and attributes Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team with a range of professions and show a commitment to team work Ability to show interpersonal sensitivity to others Ability to work collaboratively with clinical psychologists and other professionals within a multidisciplinary setting
Risk Management Essential
Understanding of policies and procedures relevant to the post Understanding of the emotional demands of working in palliative care on self and team members and how to deal with situations Understanding of psychological and emotional risk within palliative care settings
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.
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 Phyllis Tuckwell Memorial Hospice Ltd
Address Waverley Lane
Farnham
GU9 8BL
Employer's website https://www.pth.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)