Oncology Counsellor - MV Cancer Services
NHS AfC: Band 6
Main area Specialist Psychological Therapies Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 27 hours per week (Days and hours to be agreed) Job ref 361-CAN-8293577
Site Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Town Northwood Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum pro rata, plus 15% High Cost Area Supplement Salary period Yearly Closing 18/10/2026 23:59
Here at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
Our mission is:
Providing high-quality, compassionate care for our communities
Our vision to 2030 is:
To be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service
Our values - We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do. Our values are:
Include
We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect
We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve
We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Job overview
We are recruiting for a Oncology Counsellor who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
The Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre provides support and information to patients and carers attending Mount Vernon Cancer Centre for treatments such as chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
It is a valuable resource for people affected by cancer and is staffed by oncology trained health professionals, complementary therapists, counsellors, an art therapist and psychologist, and other volunteers with a wide variety of experience. The centre's status is part NHS and part charitable.
The successful candidate will assess patients, plan and implement an appropriate specialist psychological intervention for cancer patients and maintain associated records. You will liaise and provide specialist advice to the wider multi-disciplinary team and provide training to medical and non‑medical staff and students, as appropriate.
You will assist the Lead by taking part in research and audit in the specialist area of cancer counselling. Also, you will act in accordance with, and undertake continued professional development, in line with their governing professional body and in house guidelines
At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include , Respect , and Improve . We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.
Main duties of the job
Use highly specialised therapeutic skills and theoretical frameworks to assess suitability of patients and carers, for psychological interventions.
To autonomously plan and implement a course of counselling (up to six sessions) to meet the individual needs of patients and/or carers.
To plan and organise own caseload.
Able to run therapeutic groups for patients and carers.
To organise and make decisions regarding referrals to other services.
To be responsible for using clinical supervision to facilitate work with patient.
Maintain client case notes and write letters following counselling sessions in accordance with local policy and guidelines for best practice.
Communicate with the wider multi-disciplinary team regarding the outcome of psychological assessment and treatment.
To take part in training to provide specialist training to other staff and/or volunteers.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general & specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
- The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
- New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
- Hertford County, Hertford
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation; our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We understand that finding and starting a new job is an important life decision. If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability, or a life event, such as menopause - so that we can consider your application fairly & to get the best out of you during the selection process, please let us know.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In addition, you will receive a High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of your basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £4,314 and a maximum payment of £5,436 per annum pro rata.
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Qualifications/Training
- B.A.C.P accredited counsellor
- Minimum education post diploma in counselling
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by counselling governing body
Previous Experience
- Post qualification experience in a clinical health setting
- An understanding of cancer patients’ psychological, social, physical and spiritual issues
- Experience of providing two or more distinct psychological therapies
- Experience of clinical work with cancer patients
- Experience of working within a multi-cultural framework
- To have worked clinically within the NHS and have an understanding of its structure
Skills
- Counselling skills- ability to assess, intervene and build therapeutic relationships, in order to work with people affected by cancer.
- Strong communication skills both verbal and written
- Strong communication skills Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work autonomously as well as within a team verbal and written
- Intense concentration for long periods
- To work in possibly highly distressing and emotional circumstances
- Dealing with possible hostility
- Report/letter writing
- Familiarity with the use of computers and IT
Knowledge
- Working knowledge of a variety of psychological therapies
- Specialist knowledge of the practice of psychological therapy with cancer patients
- Awareness of the impact of cancer on the patient, carers and families
- Current Law as applicable to counselling practice and confidentiality
- Quality of life issues
- Understanding of importance of ethics, standards and evidence based practice
- Role of LJMC within the cancer network and wider community
- NHS and its structure
- Awareness of use of complementary therapies with cancer patients
- In depth understanding of cancer and its medical treatments
Other Requirements
- Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion
- Role model our Trust values every day
- Integrity, empathy and self awareness
- Respect for patients confidentiality
- Open-minded approach to people of all cultures and abilities
- Sensitivity to stresses in dealing with cancer
- A good command of English
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material.
When you apply...
Please note we do not offer visa sponsorship for roles unless clearly stated in our adverts. This means even if you have the right to work currently but will require a new sponsorship to work for our Trust your application will not be considered.
Vacancies may close earlier than the advertised closing date where a high volume of applications are received. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out on the opportunity to join the Trust or develop your career with us.
While we recognise that AI can support in drafting an application, you are encouraged to clearly demonstrate your personal skills, experience and behaviours that align with the role, and this is usually best done in your own words. We reserve the right to review all applications for the use of AI tools and where this is inconsistent with our values and standards of behaviour your application may be rejected
All correspondence relating to vacancies will be via the e‑mail address you have provided on your application form. Some servers automatically send e‑mails to your junk mail so please check as well as your inbox.
We are committed to fair, transparent and ethical recruitment. We will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process. All vacancies are advertised on our Trust Careers webpage and NHS Jobs, with applications managed through TRAC. We will only contact applicants through our official recruitment channels and Trust contact details.
Secondments/Fixed term
Where a vacancy is advertised as a temporary position, the duration will be specified in the advert. If the vacancy becomes permanent towards the end of the specified duration, the successful applicant may not be required to re-apply and can be slotted into the role on a permanent basis if appropriate.
If you are an internal applicant applying for a temporary working arrangement, please see the attached notes on secondments.
Committed to our Community
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under‑represented in various parts of our workforce .
We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@nhs.net
We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and our Trust.
We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognizing diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued.
King's Trust Support
If you’re aged between 16 and 30 years-old, you can get FREE employability support from The King’s Trust. The King’s Trust will help build your CV and cover letter, offer advice and top tips for future interviews and support you with research about working in the NHS. Please contact Enquiries.H&SC@princes-trust.org.uk for support.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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.
Name Dr Parm Sagoo Job title Specialist Psychological Therapies Service Lead Email address parminder.sagoo@nhs.net Telephone number 020 3826 2548
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