Senior Counselling Practitioner
ABL Health Ltd
Swindon, SN2 2PN
Salary
£30,000 to £32,000
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
16 September 2026
11 days left
Job description
You will support a team to deliver Person Centred interventions for children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties...
The successful candidate will provide clinical leadership and day-to-day support to the wider team, contributing to the safe and effective delivery of services for children and young people (CYP). The role involves triaging referrals, undertaking comprehensive assessments, providing safeguarding support and developing safety plans for CYP presenting with self-harm or suicidal ideation. The postholder will deliver one-to-one and group therapeutic interventions, maintain accurate and confidential clinical records, use risk assessments to inform decision-making, and ensure appropriate signposting and escalation where required. They will work closely with children, young people, families and professionals, communicating with sensitivity and compassion while ensuring young people feel heard, respected and involved in their care. In addition, the role includes supporting clinical record audits, delivering training, facilitating peer support initiatives, and providing cover and guidance to colleagues to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the service.
This qualification is designed to give learners the knowledge, skills and competencies to provide clinical supervision for counselling practitioners. It is aimed at counsellors who have acquired sufficient client work experience to contemplate the move into a clinical supervision role.
Participants will need to
Have both supervisees and supervisory supervision.
Be working as counsellors under supervision.
This qualification is designed to lead to a role as a clinical counselling supervisor in a counselling agency or in independent practice. Supervision is an ongoing professional requirement for all practising counsellors and those with a recognised qualification are more likely to find employment.
Entry requirements
You must have completed our Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills and Theory, Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People or their equivalents plus have at least one year's post-qualifying experience of supervised client work.
Alternatively, you must have completed our Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling or its equivalent and have at least two years' post-qualifying experience of supervised client work.
Main Duties and responsibilities
- To support the wider staff team with day-to-day risk and clinical support where required.
- To support the service with triaging referrals and assessment of CYP referrals.
- Supporting with more information calls to YP, professionals and families where required.
- To complete comprehensive assessments using the taking into account the childs individuals needs and experience.
- To deliver one-off or short-term therapeutic interventions (121 and group) to children and young people, working independently which may, at times, lone working.
- Providing safeguarding, safety plans, support/signposting for CYP who are showing signs of risk to self; via self-harm and/or suicidal ideation.
- Provide detailed and timely record keeping of YP risk and support given to YP.
- To be able to use risk assessments to understand YP level of risk.
- Delivering training where required.
- Supporting with clinical record audits where required.
- To facilitate peer support with and for children and young people.
- To maintain confidential case notes and records in a timely manner ensuring that these are stored securely using the specified case management systems.
- To support/cover other senior practitioners with tasks to support the team where required.
Communication
- Be able to communicate and engage with children and young people appropriate to individual needs.
- Ensure young people feel listened to, feel in control, and are respected.
- To be able to confidently liaise with parents of CYP presenting with risk to support minimisation of harm to the YP.
- The ability to communicate sensitively and compassionately with CYP and parents.
Skills & Competencies required
- An experienced and qualified mental health practitioner used to a fast-paced environment. (See person specification)
- Experienced in working with children and young people across early intervention / mental health settings and experienced in engaging the whole family.
- Confident in supporting / offering interventions to children and young people presenting mild to moderate risk behaviours.
- Able to build strong therapeutic relationships in a short period of time.
- Positive and proactive to achieve the highest standards and outcomes in engagement with children, young people, their parent/carers and professionals.
- Adept in communication and confident communicating with CYP (Children and Young Peoples), their parents/carers and health professionals.
- Open, respectful, committed to equality and inclusiveness and motivated by new ideas and perspectives.
- A team player.
- Be able to work independently using initiative and problem-solving skills to ensure best outcomes for CYP.
- Be able to manage own diary effectively.
Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role
ABL is an exciting fast-paced, growing community
health organisation. As an experienced, CQC registered, provider of community
health services, we are passionate about delivering evidence based, innovative,
effective and relevant health care services in partnership with individuals,
communities and stakeholders.
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional registration with a recognised National Body (including HCPC, NMC, BACP, BABCP BASW, TRA).
Desirable
- Qualified/Experience to provide regular clinical supervision to counselling team.
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrate 2 years post-qualification experience.
- Confident in triage and assessment of CYP, supporting / offering interventions to children and young people presenting mild to moderate risk behaviours.
- Knowledge of safety factors in management of self-harming behaviours and/or suicidal ideation.
- Knowledge of development in CYP, family development and of transitions
- Experienced in managing a caseload.
- Ability to recognise and respond to concerns about child protection and safeguarding.
- Ability to make use of supervision.
Desirable
- Worked in a service where agreed targets are in place to demonstrate clinical outcomes.
- Experience in quality improvement measures.
- Experience of delivering groups to CYP and parents.
- Experience in delivering training and workshops to CYP and parents / carers.
- Experience in delivering training to professionals.
- Experience in running peer support groups.
- Minimum of 1-year experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team environment
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
3 September 2026
Last checked
5 September 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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