Renal Counsellor

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a skilled and compassionate Band 7 Renal Counsellor to join our multidisciplinary Renal Services team. The post provides specialist psychotherapeutic counselling and psychological support to renal patients, their families and carers across the renal pathway, including dialysis and transplantation services.

About you

We are looking for a qualified and accredited Counsellor or Psychotherapist who has:

• A recognised degree-level qualification in psychological therapy as Counsellor or Psychotherapist
• Accreditation with a recognised professional body (BACP, UKCP, HCPC/HPC or BPC).
• Significant post-qualification counselling or psychotherapy experience.
• Experience of working therapeutically with people living with long-term or chronic health conditions.
• Experience of delivering a range of psychological interventions, including counselling, anxiety management, trauma work and bereavement support.
• Excellent communication, assessment and report-writing skills.
• The ability to work independently whilst contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team.

Working Pattern

This is a 15-hour per week position, ideally worked across Mondays and Tuesdays. Some flexibility may be required to support service delivery, patient need and occasional educational activities. Travel between sites will be required on occasion.

Main duties of the job

About the role

As an expert psychotherapeutic practitioner, you will:

• Provide psychological assessment and counselling for patients with chronic kidney disease, dialysis patients and transplant recipients.
• Support patients, relatives and carers experiencing psychological distress, adjustment difficulties, loss, bereavement and end of life concerns.
• Undertake psychological assessments for living kidney donors and contribute reports to the multidisciplinary transplant team.
• Deliver counselling through face-to-face, telephone and video consultations.
• Work collaboratively with renal consultants, nurses, psychologists, transplant coordinators and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Participate in patient education, staff training, service evaluation and clinical governance activities.
• Provide outreach support across our satellite dialysis units in Hinchingbrooke, West Suffolk and King's Lynn.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

All appointments with a start date on or after 1 October 2026 will be subject to a 12-week probationary period. This provides a structured and supportive period to help you settle into your role, with regular reviews and feedback.

As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver.

This vacancy will close at midnight on the 20th October 2026.

Interviews are due to be held on the 27th October 2026.

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Applicant requirements

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.