Volunteer Counsellor Role Specification

Volunteer Counsellor Role Specification

Background

LAWA is a dedicated specialist service led by and for Latin American and other BME women, working together to end violence against women and girls. Our services are conceived in the framework of a rights-based empowerment strategy.

We have been running the only women’s refuge for the Latin American community in the UK since 1987. The refuge is a secure, friendly, women-only safe space for women (and their children) fleeing a violent relationship. We also offer a free one-to-one advice and advocacy service in subjects such as domestic violence, discrimination, personal safety planning, legal remedies, welfare benefits, housing and emergency accommodation, child support, skills development and community integration.

Lawa’s counselling service will be one of the few in London offering a Spanish/Portuguese speaking, gender responsive and including an intersectional approach.

Person Specification

Requirements / Essential / Desirable
Being a Latin American Woman / x
Being fluent in Spanish and/or Portuguese / x
Being a graduated Psychologist/Counsellor or minimum in second year counselling diploma course or on an equivalent level. / x
At least 150 hours of clinical experience. / x
An understanding of the gender responsive approach / x
An understanding of the intersectional perspective / x
Experience conducting group therapy / x
Experience providing workshops / x
Willingness to commit for a one year placement which requires attending one fixed day a week for 4 hours. / x
Commitment to assist twice a month to supervision. / x
Commitment to work with at least 3 clients per week. / x
Commitment to work within agreed guidelines, models, policies and procedures. / x
Willingness to complete the clinical and administrative forms required for the smooth run of the service. / x
Willingness to assist to proposed external trainings / x
Ability to work independently / x
Ability to work as part of a group and to contribute to the development of the other members. / x
Completion of Criminal Record Checks (DBS) & References / x

Volunteer Counsellors Responsibilities:

To provide short term counselling to clients (15 sessions)
To work from a gender responsive, strength based, trauma focused perspective.
To work from an intersectional approach.
To be able to understand the specific needs of each client and, if necessary, to be able to liaise through established conducts, with other Lawa’s services such as advocacy and advice.
To be able to detect and report high risk cases.
To be able to contribute with new perspectives of work based on own experience and own psychological approach.
To assist to supervision twice a month (individual and group).
To contribute actively to group supervision.
To provide a minimum notice of 6 weeks if leaving placement.
To provide a minimum notice of 4 weeks if leaving on holiday.

Volunteer Counsellor Application Form

This form is confidential and all statistics are treated for monitoring and evaluating purposes only.

Personal Details

Name:
Address: / Postcode:
Telephone: / Mobile:
Day of Birth: / N.I Number
E-mail:

Work experience

Please describe briefly any relevant work experience you have (paid or unpaid) starting from the most recent.

Job Position / Responsibilities / Organization and Country / Duration
From / To
Job Position / Responsibilities / Organization and Country / Duration
From / To

Do you have experience conducting group sessions and/or workshops? Please explain.

Qualifications and Training

Please include all qualifications and training undertaken that might be relevant for this position.

Dates / Institution and Country / Level/Grade / Title/Subject

Reasons for applying

Please also tell us what do you know about LAWA and why would you like to commit to volunteer with us?
Why would you like to work for a BME feminist women rights organization?

Please tell us what is your understanding of gender violence?

Please let us know what is your understanding of intersectionality?

Please tell us what do you think are the main difficulties Latin American and other BME women experience in London and how their experiences of domestic violence might be different from the one lived by other women?

Please let us know what is the psychological approach you work with and why do you think it is relevant for working with women that are living or overcoming a situation of gender violence.

Please tell us how you could contribute to provide an optimum counselling service for our users?

Languages

Native language:

Other language / Spoken / Written
Basic / Intermediate / Fluent / Basic / Intermediate / Fluent
1.
2.
3.

Availability

What is your minimum and maximum availability? Please note we ask for a commitment of one year.

Start date: To:

Availability throughout the week (please mark with and ‘X’):

Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM

Current Employment Situation

Part time Not working Student

Full timeI am looking for work Retired

Volunteering

Have you ever volunteered before?YesNo

Have you volunteered for another organisation inYesNo

the last 12 months?

Personal Information – Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form Statistical monitoring

This form will be separated from your other application documents and will be used for monitoring purposes only

Age Group

What is your age group? Please select.

20 – 30 years / 51 – 60 years
31 – 40 years / 60 years +
41 – 50 years
Disability

You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

Do you consider yourself to be disabled? (Please select) / Yes / No
Ethic Origin

Please note that these categories reflect those used in the 2001 Census.

How would you describe your ethnic origin? (If you do not identify with any of the categories listed, please use the “other” categories). Please tick one box.

WHITE / British
Irish
Other white
Please specify if other
MIXED / White & black Caribbean
White & black African
White & Asian
Other mixed
Asian or Asian British / Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Other Asian
Black or Black British / Caribbean
African
Other black
Chinese or other / Chinese
Other ethnic group
Don’t know/not sure
Would rather not state
LATIN AMERICAN / Country:
Generation: /
Religion/Belief / Sexual Orientation
How would you describe your religion/ belief? / How would you describe your sexual orientation?
Christian / Heterosexual
Buddhist / Gay/lesbian
Hindu / Bisexual
Jewish / Don’t know/not sure
Muslim / Would rather not state
Sikh
Other / Gender
None / Female
Don’t know/not sure / Male
Would rather not state

References

If you are applying for posts with service users we will need the details of two people who know you well (not relatives/ family) (the details you provided above about your supervisors are enough, however, if you want you can add other referees in this space); additionally, we might also need to conduct a Criminal Records Check. It is our policy to seek these references and checks in order to protect the safety of our service users.

All the information given on this form is of a confidential nature.

Referee 1
Name
Contact Detail
Relationship
Referee 2
Name
Contact detail
Relationship

Please email your completed application form to:

(Alternatively you can post your application to Volunteer Coordinator,

18 Ashwin St, E8 3DL)

THANKYOU!