The Marie Trust

1. Job Title
Job Title Counsellor (Female)
Responsible to Lead Counsellor
Base The Marie Trust
Hours 21hours per week
Salary £24,250 (pro rata)
2. Job Purpose
To provide a specialist therapeutic face to face counselling service to people affected by homelessnessin order to reduce psychological distress and support clients’safety, health and development. This involves working with people who have complex needs at specified low threshold homelessness services venues, managing a specialist caseload of clients and maintaining electronic case notes. The post will involvespecific responsibility for working with vulnerable women who have complex needs and who may have experience of sexual trauma and/or sex working.
3. Duties and responsibilities
  • Carry out one to one counselling with clients.
  • Manage an ongoing case load.
  • Undertake assessments of clients’ needs, signposting and referring to appropriate agencies as required.
  • Liaise/meet with individuals and organisations as and when required.
  • Promote Marie Trust services to other professionals/organisations and the public.
  • Maintain accurate records of clinical work and provide appropriate statistical returns as required.
  • Fulfil requirements relating to clinical supervision and continued professional development in order to maintain professional accreditation with a recognised professional agency (i.e. BACP/COSCA)
  • Be aware of and comply with the policies, procedures and service standards of the organisation and BACP/COSCA’s code of practice.
  • Participate in any other activities as agreed with the Lead Counsellor
  • Carry out other duties and tasks that might reasonably be required

4. Person Specification
Essential criteria
  • Recognised professional qualification to diploma level or equivalent
  • Training in psychodynamic counselling/psychotherapy and competency in working within this theoretical framework
  • Membership and registration with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)/equivalent or able to achieve this in the immediate future
  • Ability to effectively deliver therapeutic work with people who are affected by homelessness, trauma, mental ill health, substance dependence and other significant support needs
  • Specific knowledge of gender-specific issues that apply in working with women affected by homelessness
  • Experience of working therapeutically with women who have complex needs
  • Ability to practise therapeutically in environments that may have significant limitations
  • Highly developed interpersonal skills and sufficient sensitivity and empathy to enable the management of situations where there may be significant barriers to acceptance and trust
  • Ability to offer specific professional expertise in a consultancy capacityto other staff as required
  • Ability to make use of clinical supervision
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Ability to manage time effectively
  • Effective oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to work effectively with colleagues
  • Ability to work flexibly within high pressure settings
  • Ability to carry out lone working
  • Ability and willingness to undertake training in Mentalisation Based Treatment (MBT)

Desirable Criteria
  • Counsellor/Psychotherapist accreditation with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) or equivalent
  • Experience in working with people affected by homelessness and/or trauma
  • Training in suicide intervention
  • Training in Mentalisation Based Treatment (MBT)
  • IT skills

5. Supervision
  • Attend monthly individual supervision
  • Attend regular meetings of the counselling team
  • Attend clinical and other staff meetings as required

6. Physical, mental emotional and environmental demands of the job
Physical
  • Sitting for long periods of time
  • Lifting and arranging furniture in venues as required
  • Using IT equipment
Mental demands
  • Intense concentration during client assessment and therapy settings
Emotional demands
  • Working with issues that can be distressing
  • Potential impact of counselling clients affected by trauma (e.g. vicarious trauma etc.)
  • Demands of providing therapy to individuals with multiple presenting problems/complex needs.
  • Working with self-harm and suicidal ideation
  • Managing therapeutic work with people who may be actively using substances and whose behaviour maychallenge service providers
  • Non-attendances and challenges in engaging clients

7. Health and Safety
  • Take reasonable care for the health and safety of self and others who may be affected by acts and omissions related to your work
  • Work sensitively and proactively to support client safety particularly where a client may be at risk of harming themselves/others
  • Co-operate fully with the management of the Marie Trust and other partner providers with regard to any duty or requirement imposed on them by the relevant Health and Safety legislation to allow that duty or requirement

A genuine occupational requirement applies under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010.