About this role
Job summary
Applications are invited for a part-time 0.70 WTE (3.5 days per week) post as the Lead Counsellor for Parent Counselling Service based at the Evelina London Children's Hospital. Your experience and knowledge of psychotherapeutic counselling with parents of chronically ill / palliative children and bereavement will inform your multidisciplinary team working. Offering dynamic hybrid models of support, you will integrate a range of bereavement models alongside general psychotherapeutic counselling to meet the needs of our diverse communities across our region.
The postholder will lead assessments, and general service development in collaboration with psychology services and paediatric palliative care specialism.
Main duties of the job
Applicants should be BACP Snr. Accred. [eligible] / UKCP Reg. MA / MSc (Level 7) qualified
We are looking for a dynamic individual who will work with the team to lead the service through:
Clinical leadership of assessments, referral pathways and holding a clinical caseload. Operational and clinical supervision to ensure timely referrals, access and safeguarding. Contribute towards the delivery of scheduled Remembrance Services [2 per year]. Developing teaching sessions regarding Bereavement and Working with Parents. Ensure ethical standards are maintained by contributing to service development with GSTT Psychological Services framework.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield and employs around 22,700 staff with over 1 million patient contacts a year.
The Parent Counselling Service comprises of 3 qualified and exercised counsellors / psychotherapists (1.7WTE), admin support located in our paediatric palliative care team. We are a team of practitioners that offer integrative approaches to supporting parents of life limited / threatened and palliative children, alongside bereavement through psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions.
Our innovative and collaborative approach to decision-making and service delivery promotes spaces where we each contribute to the development of services based on service user feedback, reflective practice and models of best practice.
We work closely with colleagues across other disciplines to promote the welfare of parents.
Job description Job responsibilities
Professional qualifications - Applicants should be BACP Snr. Accred. [eligible] / UKCP Reg. MA / MSc (Level 7) qualified Clinical Experience background in mental / physical health care setting with children and / or adults, hospice and / or hospital environments supported by substantial experience in delivering psychotherapeutic interventions. Clinical Skills - Ability to work as an effective member of a multidisciplinary team and to share and encourage good practice through an Integrative approach to psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions. For further details please see formal job description
Person Specification
Knowledge/ Qualifications Essential
Applicants should be BACP Snr. Accred. [eligible] / UKCP Reg. MA / MSc (Level 7) qualified Post registration qualification in appropriate area of speciality or equivalent post qualification experience. Evidence of ongoing professional development including leadership and management training relevant to senior roles BACP Accreditation (with designation MBACP - Accred/Snr Accred), UKCP Registration or HCPC registration as a psychological therapist or practitioner psychologist or Full member of ACP
Desirable
Teaching qualification To have or working towards a masters degree Formal training in supervision
Previous Experience Essential
Counselling skills and evidence of providing bereavement support at all stages of a parent journey Extensive experience of working as a supervised counsellor with adult clients. Experience of providing short-term, targeted interventions Experience of working with groups and group facilitation. Experience of undertaking personal therapy. Experience of working within a healthcare setting (NHS/Private/3rd sector) Experience in overseeing the work of other team members, including allocation of cases, agreeing care plans, etc. Experience in the use of Microsoft Office Programmes
Desirable
Experience of providing supervision Providing therapy in a virtual setting Working within an inpatient setting Experience of using electronic record systems
Skills Essential
Evidence of ongoing professional development Counselling skills and evidence of providing bereavement support Knowledge and expertise acquired through experience working with families who have suffered loss of a child or whose child has experienced a life changing event Ability to managing own workload and workload of others Ability to work using own initiative as part of a multiprofessional team Ability to teach, including giving presentations Evidence of providing leadership Evidence of quality improvement and change management Ability to teach and assess learners Demonstrable ability to communicate effectively in sensitive situations Able to work and deliver to tight timeframes Able to apply findings from research or audit to clinical practice Knowledge of current models of grief, particularly linked to the death of a child. Excellent highly developed verbal, written, interpersonal & communication skills Good basic IT skills and the ability to learn to use new systems
Desirable
Evidence of improving or developing a service
Additional Information Essential
Committed to reflective practice Adaptable and flexible in approach to own work practice. Enthusiastic Ability to empathise and reassure. Diplomatic Awareness of the differing cultures and individual needs of families. Flexible and positive approach to work Good health/attendance record
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 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Address Gassiot House, St Thomas' Hospital
Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7EH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)