Counsellor MHST

Job overview

The Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHSTs) are looking to recruit a creative, innovative, enthusiastic qualified counsellor ( Band 6) to our team in Weymouth, Portland and West Dorset. The post is advertised as a full time position (37.5 hours a week). However part time would be considered

The Mental Health Support Team in Schools is part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health  Service (CAMHS) within Dorset Healthcare and you would be joining a team of committed  professionals from a range of backgrounds and with a wealth of experience. Learning and  development is promoted and encouraged, and we have a number of trainee staff working with us at  all times.

Our base is in Weymouth but you would be expected to travel to work across the whole of the Weymouth, Portland and West Dorset area as required. You should have a full driving license and access to a car for work purposes.

Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.  Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service are able to present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.

Main duties of the job

You will be working within education settings offering counselling intervention to children and young  people presenting with mild to moderate mental and emotional health needs.  You will also work alongside colleagues both within the team, and within educational settings, to  promote whole school approaches to good emotional wellbeing, which may involve small or large  group interventions, staff training and work with parents, carers and families.  You will maintain live registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) or British Association of  Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and to adhere to all relevant codes of practice and guidelines  for professional and chartered psychologists.

You will co-ordinate and deliver individualised care packages / programs for children and young  people and evaluate these programs, ensuring high standards of practice in accordance with national  guidelines and trust policy. You will demonstrate the ability to make appropriate decisions with regard to the confidentiality of  clients and their families taking into considerations the risks to clients, self and the wider public

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification.  When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application.  However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidate’s individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience.  If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety.  If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [email protected]

This is a fixed term role and for those with current NHS service, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only.  Please obtain permission to be released on a secondment before submitting an application.