Counselling Lead in Bridgend

Location: Flexibility to work across all areas of Cwm Taf Morgannwg, where appropriate

Hours: 18.5 hours per week (working days/hours to be agreed on appointment)

Salary: £40,000 pro rata

Reports to: Cwm Taf Morgannwg Head of Service

Contract: Permanent, in line with funding

THE SERVICE

The aims of CTM Substance Use Service are to engage people who use drugs or alcohol, and their concerned others, to access support to make positive life changes. This includes early intervention, engaging and assessing service users, needle exchange, brief interventions, outreach, training, case management, health promotion and harm reduction initiatives and recovery and aftercare services. Barod services are provided in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory, and professional manner and in a way that demonstrates courtesy and respect for individuals using substances, and sensitivity to their unique personal situations and experiences.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Counselling Lead will be responsible for the development and delivery of a Volunteer Counselling Service, and will be responsible for ensuring that the service is delivered in line with BACP requirements, is high quality and integrated into the wider CTM Substance Use Service. The postholder will work closely with universities and educational establishments to recruit volunteer counsellors, promote the work of Barod, and be responsible for the organisation, allocation, and successful completion of student placements. This postholder will work closely with the Head of Service and Service Manager, relevant stakeholders and the commissioning team to deliver the volunteer counselling service across CTM.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the recruitment and induction of volunteer counsellors
• Support and provide supervision for volunteer counsellors to enable them to undertake their roles
• Ensure that staff are given opportunities to learn and develop in their role
• Use coaching as a vehicle for staff development
• Ensure effective positive working relations with and between stakeholders including staff, service users, partners and commissioners
• Establish links with educational establishments to promote the service and recruit volunteers
• Ensure appropriate design, production and dissemination of campaign and promotional materials
• Monitor and deal with complaints, suggestions, positive feedback, and ensure monitoring mechanisms for reporting to commissioners and external bodies where appropriate
• Develop, agree and sign up to joint working arrangements with partner agencies as appropriate
• Provide the main point of contact for the service
• Assessing and allocating referrals amongst the team appropriately
• Co-ordinate volunteers and service delivery
• Recruitment of new volunteers to the service
• Responsible for the support and supervision of volunteers and students
• Analyse, compile and disseminate information generated by the service in appropriate format as required
• Collate, analyse, monitor and evaluate data and information using the case management system and a range of data sources
• Identify and respond to any unmet need
• Ensure appropriate safeguarding and data protection principles are adhered to in working practice
• Support the planning and delivery of high quality, innovative services which reflect our values and the high levels of ambition we have for the recovery of the people accessing our services
• Participate in internal and external meetings as appropriate
• Cooperate with requests from the Area Planning Board’s (APB) Commissioning team as appropriate
• Positively promote and represent the service in the public/external arena including engaging with media
• Retain and maintain all information (paper and electronic) in line with service level agreed guidelines and statutory protocols, such as GDPR
• Work with Head of Service, Service Manager and HR Manager in relation to staffing matters, including wellbeing, discipline/grievance and complaints
• Undertake other reasonable duties as requested, but which may not be specified within the job description

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Ideally all these requirements must be met by the candidate on appointment. However, in certain circumstances a candidate may be appointed who does not meet a particular requirement, providing that the shortfall can be made good in a reasonable time, and the candidate brings other skills, knowledge or experience which are valuable to the role and the Organisation.

Essential

• Qualification from a BACP approved Diploma in Counselling or equivalent with substantial specialist knowledge, theory and skills of Counselling acquired through diploma/degrees with professional Accreditation.
• Supervisor qualification from a substantial Counselling modality supervision course, as a supervisor for Counselling
• Educated to degree level.
• Flexibility to work at multiple locations.
• Ability to establish and maintain clear boundaries in respect of personal and professional responsibility.
• Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their ethnic, cultural, social backgrounds, their gender, age, religious belief, disability and sexual orientation
• Experience of line management and supervision
• Understanding of working collaboratively within an integrated treatment system.
• Proven ability to network and build professional relationships.
• Experience of working in the substance use field.
• Experience of providing supervision to counsellors.
• Experience of working with adults in either substance use or mental health settings and experience of working with individuals who have experienced trauma.
• Understanding of ACEs and their impact.
• Experience of a trauma informed approach.
• Experience or knowledge of community engagement
• Experience or knowledge of promoting services
• Experience of delivering training in a professional capacity
• Experience or knowledge of managing or working with volunteers
• Experience of co-production

Interpersonal skills

• Ability to problem solve, work under own initiative and able to work under pressure.
• Commitment to Barod values and mission.
• Experience of managing relationships with partner agencies and stakeholders on a day-to-day basis and to agree proposed campaigns.
• Time management skills – excellent ability to plan, prioritise and manage own workload and time in a fast paced, demanding role
• Ability to work autonomously
• Initiative and creativity
• Possesses a ‘can do’, positive attitude.

Other

• Full, current driving licence and use of a car, which is insured for business use is an essential requirement of this role.
• Ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh.