Lead Counsellor/Psychologist

Lawnswood Campus

Lead Counsellor/Psychologist

£40,203 - £43,988                                                                            Job Ref: LEGO11 

Soulbury - Education Improvement Professionals Scale 4 to 7

52 Weeks Per Year

Required for September 2021

It is an exciting time to join the Lawnswood Campus family as we embark on our journey to become ‘The Leading Light for Alternative Provision in the UK’.

We are seeking an experienced and qualified full time Lead Counsellor/Psychologist with a genuine commitment to therapeutic support to lead the Lawnswood Integrated Therapy Service.  

Lawnswood Integrated Therapy Service (LITS) is a small team of 3 practitioners (1 full time Lead Counsellor/Psychologist, 1 full time Counsellor and 1 Trainee Counsellor) specialising in mental health and well-being from varied disciplines. The LITS endeavours to support young people to work through their issues and discover their own solutions to obstacles that are preventing them living a more satisfying life. For teenagers, this can be very difficult to achieve alone, so we work closely with parents, carers and families, as well as Lawnswood Campus staff to strengthen this process. The LITS team is a team that works at both early intervention and with more specialist, complex presentations.

The Lead Counsellor/Psychologist role is based in Lawnswood Campus in a dedicated suite of LITS counselling rooms and therapy will be delivered both face-to-face and remotely.

Job Objectives:

To provide Counsellor/Psychologist services to Lawnswood Campus.  

This will include:

• to act as a specialist Counsellor/Psychologist to Lawnswood Campus on the needs of young people and their families, and to take a leading role in the delivering of Counsellor/Psychology service
• identifying, assessing and advising on the educational, behavioural and emotional needs of young people and offering advice and support to their families
• the provision of evidence-based interventions for young people and groups as appropriate
• the identification of areas of need and provision in a wider context and the undertaking of appropriate preventative work
• close collaborative working with colleagues in other teams, departments and agencies
• contributing to the service development plan through involvement in or co-ordination of specific working groups, projects or research activity, as agreed with the Lawnswood Campus Deputy Head and Head of Centres/Services

Main Responsibilities:

• to work and be an integral part of each Centre/Service at Lawnswood Campus to identify and address the needs of children and young people, and review and support policy development in relevant areas of the curriculum and school management
• to actively engage in a programme of regular supervision and performance review
• to deliver training to Lawnswood Campus staff as required
• to manage a caseload involving the full range of professional skills and, as necessary, working closely with Centre/Service staff and other agencies
• to maintain close links with the relevant Social Work Units and Strengthening Families Hubs offering consultancy and direct casework activity as required
• to disseminate information and skills to parents/carers, colleagues and other professionals, to improve their understanding and awareness of specific topics
• to prepare reports, research and discussion papers on specific issues and to attend such meetings as required
• to remain aware of current educational thinking and research developments
• to provide specialist input in agreed areas with designated special establishments and other organisations

Skills Required:

An accredited qualification in counselling or psychotherapy recognised by the BACP or an equivalent body, of which there is sufficient theoretical content, clinical placements, skills training and personal development as part of the qualification.  Post qualification (minimum 2 years after accreditation) of working clinically with children or adolescents.

Skills Desirable:

• training and/or experience of working with young people who have experienced developmental trauma
• experience of co-ordinating and facilitating groups for young people
• experience of delivering interventions within the school environment

Lawnswood Campus is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

CLOSING DATE      FRIDAY 30 APRIL,  2021

INTERVIEWS W/C  MONDAY 10 MAY, 2021

To apply, visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/jobs and email completed application form to

Mrs Rachel Bain at rbain@lawnswoodcampus.co.uk    

Website https://www.lawnswood.org.uk/