Infertility Counsellor

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a qualified and accredited infertility counsellor to provide therapeutic, implications and support counselling to patients seeking fertility treatment and to donor conceived people and/or donors wishing to register with the Donor Conceived (DCR) register.

The candidate must possess a recognised qualification in counselling, be BACP accredited and be willing to work towards BICA accreditation.  The candidate should demonstrate a knowledge, experience of working with emotional and psychological needs of individuals and couples suffering from fertility difficulties and the experiences of donor conceived people and donors who wish to obtain information from the Donor Conceived Register  (DCR). Applicants will also need to show the skills and knowledge to be able to contribute to assessments of the Welfare on the Unborn Child in accordance with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

This post is a unique specialist role which requires the counsellor to be confident and able to work autonomously and in an independent capacity as well as working closely with the multi-disciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

To provide a service that is sensitive and adaptable to the needs of the individual client - including donors, couple and family before, during and after treatment, taking into account stages of investigation and treatment and other sources of support.

To provide a service that is sensitive and adaptable to the needs of donor conceived people.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a service that is sensitive and adaptable to the needs of the individual client, couple and family before, during and after treatment, taking into account physical health and abilities, form of involvement in assisted conception, stages of investigation and treatment and other sources of support.

To provide the three distinct types of counselling as outlined in the HFEA code of practice  as follows:

Support counselling and therapeutic counselling as well as implications counselling for patients taking part in gametes donation treatments (receiving or donating ovum, sperm or embryo) and surrogacy (surrogate and commissioning couples).

To provide face to face, online and telephone counselling.

To perform Welfare of the Unborn Child assessments

To provide support to donor conceived people and donors wishing to register with the DCR

To attend regular team meetings

To adhere the HFEA, The Hewitt fertility Centre and Trust policies and be up to date with mandatory training and role related competencies.