Job summary
- Main area
- Counselling
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term)
- Hours
- Part time - 24.5 hours per week (including occasional Saturday working)
- Job ref
- 7607406
- Employer
- Havens Hospices
- Employer type
- Voluntary Sector
- Site
- Havens Hospices
- Town
- Southend-on-Sea
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 AfC competitive salary, pro-rated and dependant on experience.
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Adult Counsellor
NHS AfC: Band 5
Job overview
Join Our Wellbeing Team!
We’re offering an exciting opportunity to become part of our dedicated Wellbeing Team, where your work will have a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and their families. Our team provides a wide range of services including supportive therapies, assistance with accessing benefits and community resources, and psychological, social, and spiritual support.
As a key member of the team, you will deliver counselling and emotional support through one-to-one sessions and therapeutic group work. You’ll carry out holistic assessments, contribute to multi-disciplinary team meetings, and manage your own caseload and referrals with autonomy and professionalism.
If you're passionate about making a genuine difference and working in a compassionate, collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As part of this role, you will work closely with our Care Teams to identify patients, carers, and families who may benefit from psychological support. Strong communication and effective joint working will be essential to ensure coordinated care planning. You will undertake holistic assessments to understand the needs and preferences of individuals, helping them access the full range of therapeutic and supportive services available.
You will participate in regular multi-disciplinary team meetings to review referrals, assessments, and case progress. Emotional and counselling support (up to Level 3) will be provided to an agreed caseload through individual sessions and therapeutic group facilitation.
Working for our organisation
At Havens Hospices, we care for children, young people and adults with complex or incurable conditions. Our specialist Care Teams can support them and their family living throughout illness, death and bereavement in the comfort of their own home and through our hospice services, Fair Havens and Little Havens.
Working at Havens Hospices allows you to give the gift of time to patients and families, creating memories. Although you may not be giving direct care to our patients, your contribution will have an immediate effect on our care services.
In return for your expertise and passion, you will receive a competitive salary package, and most of all, by making the most of every day you work at Havens Hospices you’ll be helping us continue ‘Making every day count’ for those who need us most.
At Havens Hospices we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our employees and patients and expect all colleagues to share this commitment.
We value diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To work closely with Havens Hospices Care Teams to identify patients, carers and families that require psychological support, ensuring good communication and effective joint planning and working.
- To work with patients and families independently within a professional framework and following Havens Hospices policy.
- To ensure that patients and families are aware of the therapeutic supportive services available to them.
- To undertake a holistic assessment of clients presenting with multiple/complex issues, including safeguarding risk assessment, proposed support plan and further actions such as referral to other/specialist services.
- To provide emotional and counselling support (up to Level 3), to an agreed caseload.
- To manage referrals in a timely and appropriate way.
- To work with patients and families using individual, group, or family techniques, involving other members of the multidisciplinary team as appropriate.
- To provide an opportunity for patients and families to explore their emotions safely and creatively regarding life-limiting illness and bereavement issues.
- To frequently communicate effectively with patients and families who are emotional due to distressing situations.
- To participate in multidisciplinary meetings, as necessary.
- To facilitate groups and develop activities in accordance with the needs of the service.
- To work with the Service Lead in the recruitment and support of service volunteers and student counsellors in placement.
- To contribute to service reporting and audits, as necessary.
- To contribute to service outcomes by monitoring and evaluating using a variety of tools.
- To keep records which facilitate communication within the charity following Havens Hospices policy and being mindful of good work practice.
- To adhere to the Service Standard Operating Procedure and highlight any operational variances to the Service Lead.
- To use professional judgement when determining the best course of action including managing safeguarding concerns in a safe and sensitive manner.
- To work closely with the Service Lead and cover essential service tasks for a short period when required to ensure service continuity.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Recognised professional counselling or psychotherapy qualification (Level 4 diploma as a minimum)
- Be a registered member of a recognised professional body (BACP, NCPS)
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Palliative care / bereavement support experience in a counselling capacity
Knowledge and Experience
Desirable criteria
- Experience of facilitating therapeutic groups
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sarah Bunce
- Job title
- Adult Counselling Service Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07970 954230
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