Riverside Counselling

We are looking for a Clinical Lead for our Young People's Counselling Service

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Job Description for the Clinical Lead for Young People at Riverside Counselling Service (RCS)

Deadline for applications and interview date:

Deadline: 12:00 on the 12th April 

Interviews:  to take place week beginning 19th April.

Short listed candidates will be asked to present their ideas on how they would develop the young people’s work at RCS.

Start Date:

It would be helpful if the successful candidate is able to start as soon as possible although we fully appreciate that strong candidates may be required to give notice.  

How to apply:

A letter of application stating how you meet each of the job specification criteria and a CV emailed to: amanda.cofek@riversidecounsellingservice.co.uk

Background: 

Riverside Counselling Service (RCS) is a BACP accredited service and a registered charity that has been providing affordable counselling to the local community since 1989 based in South Oxfordshire.   RCS offers counselling to adults, and young people from the age of 12.  We currently have 50 volunteer counsellors who are either fully qualified or on placement with us from reputable training institutions, offering approximately 200 sessions of counselling in Henley, Didcot, Berinsfield and Wallingford each week.  The young people’s part of the service provides a high quality and accessible counselling service for young people aged 12-18 in the local community, who may otherwise be unable to access support due to lack of provision, or due to socio-economic circumstances.  We are a psychodynamically informed service but welcome counsellors and psychotherapists from a variety of modalities. For more information about RCS please visit our website:  www.riversidecounsellingservice.co.uk

Overall Objectives for the Young People’s work at RCS:

  • To provide a psychodynamically informed counselling service for young people primarily between the ages of 12 and 18 years, but also supporting young adults up to the age of 25 years.
  • To meet clinical need through the provision of high quality, therapeutic interventions including offering regular weekly 1:1 sessions to young people. 
  • To liaise with community and statutory services working with young people to increase community engagement and accessibility.
  • To increase the reach of services, such as through the provision of groups for young people and parents.
  • To build resilience in families through support for parents of young people. 
  • To support the development of necessary skills and competencies and build capacity of counsellors specialising in working with young people through developing professional relationships and networks and in the provision of training and continuing professional development.

Overview of job role:  

The role of the Clinical Lead for Young People at RCS is to hold clinical responsibility for the young people’s part of the service and oversee the delivery of clinical services for young people age 12 -18 with some direct clinical work with individuals and groups.  They will work closely with the RCS Director & Clinical Lead to ensure sustainable growth and development of the young people’s part of the service.  They will co-ordinate trainings, with support, to meet competences to work with young people.  They will ensure the implementation of the service’s policies and procedures that are required for the delivery of an ethical, safe, efficient and professional service.  RCS actively encourages creativity and autonomy within the service.  

Accountable to:

The Director & Clinical Lead for RCS and the Trustees

Hours:  Up to 15 hours weekly on a flexible basis (there may be the opportunity to increase hours when further funding is secured)

Rate: £30 per hour.  To support the wellbeing of our clinical team we advocate 8 weeks holiday a year.  

Job specification:

Affiliation to: 

BACP (Accred) UKCP, ACP or BPC.

Essential Criteria: 

  1. To have a demonstratable depth and breadth of training at post-graduate level or equivalent and have substantial specialist knowledge of adolescent development and experience of working with 12 – 18-year-olds in a statutory or voluntary sector setting.
  2. To have a rigorous commitment to the core principles and practices of working with young people, maintaining, and supporting the development of high standards of clinical practice.
  3. To have a vision for the young people’s part of the service and the ability to think and plan strategically
  4. The ability to fulfil a leadership and management role within an organisation which supports both placement and qualified counsellors.
  5. Training or experience in thinking psychodynamically about an organisation.
  6. Substantial experience of assessing a diverse client group for counselling and an awareness of the criteria for suitability to work with young people in a community-based counselling provision.
  7. Substantial experience of working with safeguarding issues and an awareness of relevant policies and procedures in relation to Safeguarding and Child Protection.
  8. Experience of supervising clinicians working therapeutically with young people.
  9. An interest in and willingness to develop skills in teaching/training.
  10. Car driver/ability to travel between venues in South Oxfordshire.

Desirable Criteria:

  1. Experience of teaching and/or offering training and consultation to a range of organisations and professionals working with young people.
  2. Broad awareness of differing clinical modalities.

March 2021