Lead Counsellor in Cambridge

Cambridge Cyrenians is looking for an experienced and compassionate Lead Counsellor to help support our expanding counselling provision within the Streets to Home (STH) initiative. The service provides free, open‑ended talking therapy for people with experience of homelessness, as well as for staff across the STH partnership.

For several years, Cambridge Cyrenians has offered volunteer counsellor‑led talking therapy provision, and this has recently expanded across the wider Streets to Home (STH) initiative in Cambridge. The service offers training placements for counselling students who have completed three years of training. The aim is to have 12 trainee counsellors when the project is fully staffed. By providing counselling to people with experience of homelessness, you will be helping to support individuals in moving forward with greater confidence and stability.

The service covers the Streets to Homes partnership, including:

• Cambridge Cyrenians residents and individuals supported by our Older Homeless Outreach Service.
• Jimmy’s assessment centre and their move‑on houses.
• 451 (9‑bed complex needs accommodation).
• Riverside (34‑bed hostel and separate 22‑bed unit).
• Corona House (6 self‑contained female‑only flats).
• Wintercomfort (day centre).
• Street Outreach (support for people experiencing street homelessness).

The counselling service is also available to staff members and their family members on a self‑referral basis.

This is a free, open‑ended counselling service. All counsellors are at various stages of their accredited training and are completing their mandatory training hours with us. Once a client‑counsellor match has been made, communication takes place directly between them. No written reports or case notes are required for the project. Counsellors are expected to work independently where appropriate, while seeking support when needed (e.g. around client risk concerns). They must:

• Record completed hours and basic client demographic information.
• Use their own work email and work mobile.
• Hold student insurance and be signed off by their college as fit to practice.
• Have a DBS check (provided by the project if needed).

Counsellors also engage in external clinical supervision as part of their training. While STH does not provide this, we run monthly peer supervision sessions, which ideally the Lead Counsellor helps facilitate.

All referrals must include an up‑to‑date risk assessment and support plan, completed by support workers prior to assessment. Referrals are assessed jointly by Louisa and the Operations Manager. Louisa holds a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing, is NMC‑registered with 17 years of experience, and is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), Graded Exposure Therapy, Solution‑Focused Therapy and Clinical Supervision.

Our previous Lead Counsellor held a caseload of 4 clients, though this is optional for the new lead.

Key responsibilities

• Promoting trainee opportunities and sourcing new student counsellors.
• Supporting recruitment process and participating in interviews.
• Offering guidance, support and advice to trainee counsellors.
• Matching new clients with trainee counsellors.
• Liaising with referrers to clarify information where needed.
• Leading a monthly counsellor peer support session with Louisa supporting.

Desired skills and experience

• Qualified, experienced counsellor.
• Supervision experience (ideal but not essential).
• Registration with recognised professional body and insured.
• Organised and supportive.
• Team player.

Counsellors are welcome to negotiate invoices with us for their time. Please include your rates in your application email.

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