Counsellor - homeless

Job Summary

St Werburgh's practice is a specialist practice for the homeless in Chester. Many patients have complex physical and mental health issues, including substance misuse. We are looking for a counsellor to complement our small existing clinical team with in‑house counselling. The role is challenging but rewarding, part of an experienced team that works with outside agencies to support patients back into mainstream living.

• Offer free and confidential one‑to‑one trauma‑informed counselling to referred individuals with a history of homelessness.
• Respond to client needs, including individual, group or drop‑in services.
• Work in partnership with representatives to support individuals on a pathway to maintaining their own accommodation.

• Delivery of one‑to‑one counselling for clients with complex needs and a history of homelessness and registered at St Werburghs practice.
• Provide accurate information tailored to individual needs and understanding about the counselling process.
• Ensure clients receive a safe, individualised and effective service by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating their care.
• Undertake risk assessments of clients, manage risk and make appropriate referrals to specialist services where significant risk is identified.
• Manage potentially hostile and antagonistic situations caused by distressing circumstances.
• Participate in the maintenance and development of high‑quality trauma‑informed support and care to clients within the service using research evidence, best practice, and expert clinical judgement.
• Keep up to date, accurate clinical records.
• Organise own caseload taking professional responsibility and exercising autonomous judgement with regard to professional practice.
• Work in collaborative partnership with the MARS project and its representatives.
• Ensure ethical and legal standards are maintained including client confidentiality.
• Access and utilise evidence‑based practice in the day‑to‑day delivery of the service by participating in the gathering of assessment data for the purposes of audit research and evaluation.
• Disseminate, implement and apply to practice, evidence and outcomes of best practice, research, audit and other quality indicators.
• Promote quality measures within the Counselling Service in accordance with Hospice policies and practices.
• Participate in relevant Clinical Governance activities within the Practice.
• Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self‑governance in accordance with the BACP and with the Hospice policies and procedures.
• Input all information collected for statistical purposes onto EMIS.
• Research, collate and provide accurate and timely information as required.
• Ensure written and verbal communication is clear, concise, accurate, timely, well presented information and at an appropriate level for this post.
• Work with shared objectives as part of a team.
• Maintain security and confidentiality of manual and electronic data, allowing access to those who are authorised.
• Adhere to the Information Governance Policy that concerns your job role within the Practice.
• Attend security and confidentiality training as and when required.
• Raise concerns with your line manager when necessary.
• Be familiar with Healthy & Safety, Safeguarding, Equality & Diversity policies.

Essential:

• Diploma in counselling.
• Membership of BACP/UKCP/UKATA/NCS.
• Evidence of ongoing development and education in relation to different counselling approaches.
• Evidence of trauma‑informed counselling training.
• Minimum three years relevant post‑qualification experience.
• Experience of working with individuals who have adverse childhood experiences and trauma that have an impact into adult life (including mental health, physical health, and addictions).
• Experience of working with highly emotive material with challenging and complex clients.
• Knowledge of assessment and delivery of trauma‑informed counselling support, applying this knowledge to practice.
• Knowledge of risk assessment and clinical outcome tools such as CORE.
• Awareness of…