Therapist

Job description

We’re looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Therapist to join our Young People’s services in Bromley and Ealing.

£, per annum, working hours per week.

Want to feel in control of your career? You’ll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits, award‑winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren’t token gestures – we’ve thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing : helping to transform lives every day.

Our Benefits

• Annual leave increasing up to days with length of service
• Free DBS (take this out if BSW advert)
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training
• ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme for – confidential support
• Online wellbeing resources
• A generous pension – we will contribute up to % and life assurance cover up to £, (T&Cs apply)
• Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff’s commitment and contribution

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Anerley Station Road and Horn Lane are innovative young people semi‑independent accommodation services. Anerley Station Road is based in one site in Bromley and Horn Lane is spread across two neighbouring sites in Ealing, both services support a broad range of service users including Looked After Children, Care Leavers, Unaccompanied Asylum‑Seeking Children, as well as other young people being referred in for multiple support needs.

The services work closely with statutory services to provide wrap‑around support for each customer within the service. Support is provided by a large and skilled workforce with specialist roles.

We are recruiting for an experienced counsellor / psychotherapist to join the team who will lead in facilitating therapeutic groups and individual counselling / therapy for customers across the two locations spending hours a week at each service.

The post holder will support the staff team in developing their psychological understanding and raising awareness in the emotional impact of working with young people, whilst leading on creating and maintaining a therapeutically informed programme for the team to deliver Psychological Informed Environment in the service.

The Therapist will work with young people to improve engagement with support services as well as providing in‑depth sessions with young people with the desired outcome of the young person having a clearer insight into their own emotional wellbeing.

The post holder will have a creative approach to engaging young people including group and individual therapy and will tailor their interactions to each young person (this could involve using any approach which might be easier for the young person to engage with: self‑expression, mindfulness, art, creative writing etc.).

Key information and documentation will be kept up to the required standard as expected between a therapist and a client and the post holder will adhere to all relevant legislation that governs these professional relationships.

The post holder will work flexibly across the service and will use technology were appropriate to ensure time is effectively used across the service provision.

What you’ll do

• Adopt and implement a Psychological informed Environment in the service.
• To support the team in carrying out holistic assessments on appropriate support plans, and comprehensive risk assessments in full consultation with service‑users, their families / carers, and other agencies.
• To liaise with the multi‑disciplinary team working collaboratively to ensure that full information is given (in case of risk) to enable a robust assessment of service‑users.
• Lead on staff team debriefs following any serious incidents, develop workshops to assist staff in managing stress and wellbeing in the workplace and advise the manager on supportive interventions for the team as a whole
• Lead on team reflective practice sessions but also other creative activities for the team to aid reflection, insight, and best practice.
• To ensure recovery focused support plans are reviewed, evaluated, and amended in accordance with changing needs, presenting risks and individual preferences to promote recovery with an attitude of ‘positive risk taking’.
• To provide recovery focused support to achieve personal goals / aspirations in partnership with service‑users, family members and statutory agencies. To work with service‑users on a one‑to‑one basis to achieve positive outcomes within a given service timeframe.
• Provide structured support and guidance to other front‑line staff in their area of expertise, building capacity and skills within the team, and contribute to the relevant internal specialist forum.
• Lead on external relationships with Mental Health professionals, including the Recovery team, maintaining excellent relationships with them.
• Develop and maintain links with key agencies and service providers in the local community.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the empowerment of service‑users and a strong interest in co‑production and promoting people’s rights.
• Knowledge and practical experience of using person centred tools to support recovery and development of service‑users.
• To lead groups and activities – offering a range of appropriate therapeutic, psycho‑educational and recovery focused interactions and activities including art / dance / movement therapy
• Undertake administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive service‑user records to professional standards.
• To adhere to Look Ahead’s Policies and Procedures.
• To adhere to the Code of Ethics of the recognised professional body (UKCP, BACP etc.)
• To engage with external individual supervisor.
• To engage with peer supervisor with other therapist within the organisation and any development meeting regarding the role within the organization.
• To engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills.
• To advocate assertively to statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure that service‑users needs are met
• To maintain good relationships with all involved professionals and agencies.
• To maintain good liaison with the service‑users’ immediate community and family.
• To build up and maintain contact with a full range of community workers.
• To attend and participate in staff meetings (if appropriate), meetings with other professionals and in supervision and training as required.

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• To stay up to date regarding development and research in the mental health field, in housing support and in welfare benefits.
• To treat all information – both verbal and written – in accordance with Look Ahead’s policy on confidentiality.
• To exercise responsibilities under the current Health & Safety legislation and Equal Opportunities Policy as laid down or amended by Look Ahead Housing Association.
• To always act in accordance with the aims, philosophy, and practice of the project.
• To undertake any other duties consistent with the basic objectives and duties of this post.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

About you

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage service‑user involvement
• Approachable and open behaviour
• Prefers working as part of a group or team
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
• Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
• Is confident with high levels of self‑esteem
• Is respectful, articulate, and sensitive in style of communication
• Is essentially service‑user‑focused
• Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can‑do attitude
• Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours

What you’ll bring – Essential

• Degree level qualification in counselling or psychotherapy
• Minimum of years experience in working with young people or other specialist social care services
• Demonstrable experience of support work with people with support needs.
• Experience of providing individual therapy and an understanding of risk management.
• Demonstrable experience of engaging young people with complex needs / challenging behaviour

Desirable

• Knowledge of group therapy and an understanding of risk management.
• Experience of working with vulnerable people who are undergoing a period of crisis
• Bring expertise in specialist areas such as dual diagnosis, substance misuse, hoarding or therapeutic interventions.

About us

Look Ahead is a leading, not‑for‑profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co‑design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

Our Values

• We focus on Excellence and innovation.
• We are Caring and Compassionate.
• We are Inclusive and Trusted.
• We work in Partnership and are One‑Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.