Clinical Lead - Counselling / Mental Health

Are you a qualified and experienced counsellor or psychotherapist looking to make your next career step, or take on a new challenge?

Role Overview

WPH Counselling are looking to recruit an effective, highly motivated and confident Clinical Lead to join their highly skilled team. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic counselling service and will have clinical supervision provided. The candidate will need to hold a minimum of Level 5 or equivalent in counselling/psychotherapy and will have significant and demonstrable experience of working successfully with individuals in a therapeutic or support setting. The Clinical Lead will also hold professional membership and be accredited with the BACP.

We are keen to find the right candidate for this role, and are looking for applications from individuals who are passionate about helping others, and achieving good mental health outcomes for all. The Clinical Lead role will be a blend of delivering direct counselling services to clients, and supporting WPH counsellors and the senior management team with Clinical expertise for the organisation.

This is a part time role currently at 27 hours per week, with a salary of up to £33,500 FTE per annum (pro-rata), dependent on skills and experience.

Company description

WPH Counselling and Education Service is a charity providing a BACP-Accredited counselling service to the people of Walsall. Although the charity is relatively small, we have big ambitions to improve the mental health of people living across the borough.

WPH provides free, caring, confidential counselling to individuals from an attractive base in Walsall and outposts across the borough, including schools & external venues.

Job description

Reporting directly to the Service Director, the Clinical Lead is a key role within WPH and the senior management team. This role requires a supportive and knowledgeable clinical manager, with professional and compassionate leadership skills, who has a commitment to providing effective, therapeutic counselling support to clients.

Leading the WPH Counselling practitioners and working closely within the WPH Senior Management Team, the Clinical Lead will assist in the growth of the service, contribute to the recruitment, appraisal, and continuous professional development of staff, and ensure the activities of WPH counsellors are ethical, safe, and effective.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Clinical Lead and Team Management

· Co-ordination, oversight, and clinical management of counselling services both at the Haven and external venues, in line with contracts and policies to maintain, develop, and implement optimum experience for clients.

· To line manage employed and voluntary counsellors, including recruitment and selection of counsellors, holding regular professional development meetings, and ensuring counsellors meet thresholds for annual salary reviews.

· To support staff as required with clinical guidance to help them provide safe, effective, and ethical practice.

· To support and manage students undertaking counselling training, including student recruitment and selection, induction and reviews, assessment of clients, support check-ins, and reports as necessary.

· To, when required, assess clients to determine if they meet WPH Access Criteria for support, and signpost as needed if not appropriate. To work with clients referred internally from other WPH counsellors, clients requesting a change in counsellor, or clients that could benefit from working with this Clinical Lead.

· To identity, support and monitor counsellor’s training and development needs, including discussing training at regular professional development meetings, facilitating peer supervision, and encouraging counsellors to widen their skills and experience.

· To fulfil the role of Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO), working closely with the Service Director, and take an active part in carrying out and improving WPH’s safeguarding procedures for clients and staff.

· To plan and implement ways of assuring ethical and effective practice, including sampling client notes, reviewing policies and procedures and quality assurance.

· To ensure the counselling service is in line with BACP Ethical Framework, and lead on maintaining WPH’s BACP Accredited status, including submissions for re-accreditation.

· To maintain own Accredited membership of BACP and practice in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Senior Leadership and Management

· To work closely with Service Director and Administration Manager as part of the management team to ensure the business complies with all relevant current legislation, BACP ethical guidelines and principals, and the ethos of the organisation.

· In partnership with the Service Director and Administration Manager, assure optimal service delivery to clients and to maintain the well-being of the wider staff team.

· Reviewing and updating operational process and procedures as required to ensure effective clinical oversight of the service.

· To attend, contribute to and participate in meetings with commissioners and funders (where appropriate), and work closely with the Service Director to closely monitor KPI’s against delivery targets.

· To actively participate in and lead (where appropriate) management and staff team meetings.

· Act as a point of contact for employees unable to access their direct line manager at any given time.

· Other duties as directed by Trustee Chairperson or Service Director commensurate with and appropriate to the position held.

Counselling - Caseload

· Provide therapeutic counselling to adults in person, over the phone and virtually (online). To assess, contract and regularly review with clients the frequency and evolving goals for counselling. To work towards planned and negotiated endings, and ensure monitoring and feedback is maintained as part of the ongoing sustainability of the service.

· To work with clients requiring an interpreter, using the principles above.

· To manage and maintain a diary of clients, including scheduling dates ahead.

· To maintain appropriate records of counselling in line with legal, ethical, and organisational constraints, whilst practicing safe, secure storage to ensure client confidentiality in line with Confidentiality Policy.

· To work within the level of own competences and to abide by the organisational Code of Ethics and all WPH policies and procedures

· To comply with all statutory health and safety regulations and WPH policies and procedures during all counselling sessions and all work-related activities, including taking appropriate steps to ensure own safety by adhering to lone-worker policy

· To compile full reports for both internal and external usage as required.

· To represent WPH at internal and external meetings/events as appropriate, maintaining confidentiality and professionalism.

· To stay informed of developments within the field of counselling.

· To attend monthly supervision with an independent supervisor to discuss clients load and clinical lead role.

· Take on additional responsibilities commensurate with the position and as agreed with Service Director/Chair of Trustees.

Professional Development

· To attend and lead meetings as required. This will include actively participating in one-to-one review meetings with the Service Director, as well as attendance at peer supervision for counsellors, administration meetings and staff team meetings.

· To complete professional training as appropriate, including mandatory training.

About You – Person Specification

Qualifications

Qualified to Level 5 or higher recognised counselling or psychotherapy qualification (For those qualified pre 2015 – Level 4 or higher)

Preferred – additional specialist training and knowledge, including emotional wellbeing mental health difficulties in CYP and adults.

Preferred – Clinical Supervision qualification or relevant experience.

Desirable – a management qualification and/or a Safeguarding lead qualification.

Requirements

Accredited member of the BACP

Enhanced DBS disclosure (can be applied for on appointment)

Live within commutable travelling distance of The Haven and venues across Walsall.

Evidence of commitment to professional development

Flexibility with working patterns including ability to work evenings if required (The service is currently open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening).

Experience

Demonstrable and significant experience of working successfully with individuals in a therapeutic

or support setting.

Capacity to interact therapeutically with individuals with emotional wellbeing difficulties.

Preferred – Experience of working with interpreters.

Preferred - Previous management experience in a similar role, or equivalent, including managing staff.

Desirable – Previous experience in a Safeguarding Lead role

Skills, knowledge, and personal attributes

Experience of assessing adults and vulnerable people.

Strong and passionate leadership skills, with the ability to lead and direct others.

Able to work effectively both independently, and as part of a team.

Strong Customer Service Skills with excellent communication skills, including a high standard of written English.

Be self-motivated and well organised, with exceptional attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Confidence using a computer, with sound technical skills including experience of using Microsoft Office packages including Outlook, Teams, Excel & Word.

Desirable – knowledge of working in the voluntary sector and meeting contract and funding requirements

Job Type: Part-time

Salary: Up to £33,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Walsall: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Application question(s):

• How many years of experience do you have? Please summarise your experience in relation to this role.
• What qualifications and/or registrations/accreditations (i.e. BACP accreditation) have you achieved that meet the requirements of this role? Please refer to the person specification.

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 19/02/2023
Reference ID: Clinical Lead - Counselling / Mental Health