KINERGY

Head of Counselling

Job Description

Job Title: Head of Counselling

Contract:24 hours per week

Salary:£18.95/hour

Responsible to:Management Committee, through the Chair

Responsible for:All staff and counsellors

Nature and ethos of the organisation

Kinergy is a charitable company, limited by guarantee, which provides professional, confidential, low cost counselling services to men and women in Bristol and its surrounding areas who have experienced sexual abuse or rape.

Kinergy employs a Business Manager, a Counselling Co-ordinator, a Community Fundriaser and a Business Administrator, who are directly or indirectly responsible to the post holder.

Kinergy’s counselling is provided by a mix of qualified, experienced counsellors and counsellors-in-training, mainly at its premises in Kingswood.

Kinergy is in partnership with Oasis Talk to provide Level 3 counselling to clients referred under the National Health Service Talking Therapies programme.

As Head of Counselling, the role holder is responsible to the Chair for managing Kinergy on a day-to-day basis as follows:

1.Strategy

  • Working closely with colleagues and the Management Committee to initiate and propose change or developments and to implement and manage such change as agreed by the Committee.
  • Contributing to and overseeing the implementation of Kinergy’s fundraising plan.

2.Personnel and Finance

  • To oversee and be responsible for Kinergy’s employees.
  • To carry out development reviews with staff to help enhance their skills and meet Kinergy’s needs.
  • Promote effective communication and relationships between staff and counsellors.
  • Contribute to an inclusive working environment in which staff and counsellors feel they belong and have a valued role.
  • Ensure effective budget management of the organisation.

3.Counselling and Supervision

  • To lead recruitment.
  • To undertake the induction of new counsellors and to ensure that they are fully supported and work within Kinergy’s ethical framework and agreed practices.
  • To manage Kinergy’s counselling service, in liaison with the Counselling Co-ordinator.
  • Provide both practical and emotional support to counsellors and dealing with and resolving any ethical issues which may arise through either counselling or supervision.
  • Undertake assessments of potential clients and evaluating whether Kinergy’s services are appropriate.
  • Ensure Kinergy has systems in place to maintain client confidentiality, including the holding of data and records.
  • Develop ongoing training programmes to enhance counsellors’ abilities and understanding of their role.
  • Ensure contact with clients on the waiting list is maintained and that post-counselling reviews are undertaken whenever possible.

4.Reports and Liaison

  • Provide the Management Committee with regular performance outcomes on Kinergy’s counselling services and activities.
  • Liaise with external agencies with which Kinergy has contacts or dealings e.g. universities for students or where it is appropriate for Kinergy to be represented e.g. funders, other agencies and organisations.

5.Professional and Ethics

  • Ensure that Kinergy’s counsellors (and, where appropriate, staff) work in accordance with Kinergy’s policies and professional and ethical guidelines, which are in turn in accordance with those of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

KINERGY

Head of Counselling

Person Specification

Applicants will be required to have:

A BACP accredited Diploma or MSc in Counselling;

Is an accredited member of BACP or other professional body

A minimum of five years’ post qualifying experience as a counsellor;

A high level of motivation and commitment to Kinergy’s ethos and a desire to contribute to the ongoing development of the organisation

Experience of staff management;

Experience of conducting initial interviews/assessments (in respect of both potential clients and counsellors);

Experience of counselling supervision;

Experience of working with either sexual abuse and/or mental health problems;

Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written);

Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail;

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to generate effective working relationships with experienced counsellors, student counsellors and professional supervisors;

The ability to work independently and on your own initiative, to prioritise work and to work to deadlines effectively;

Experience of team leadership and of team working;

It is also desirable that applicants have experience of working with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook or similar programmes.

Application process

Please send your CV clearly demonstrating how you meet the Person Specification and a covering letter setting out why you are the right person for the role to:

Deadline for applications

The deadline for applications is 9am on Wednesday,26thNovember 2014

Interview Date

Tuesday, 9thDecember 2014