School Based Counsellor in Port Talbot

We are currently looking for a School Based Counsellor to join our team. This post is temporary until September 2026, with 30 hours per week for 40 weeks per annum.

Neath Port Talbot School Based Counselling Service (NPT SBCS) is a multi-modality team of therapists comprised of School Based Counsellors, Play Therapists and a Drama Therapist. NPT SBCS is committed to helping Children and Young People (CYP) address emotional and mental health issues so that they may rise through adversity, achieve their potential and lead fulfilling lives. This is achieved through the provision of counselling and child therapy to CYP in Years 1-13 across NPT. Counsellors and Play Therapists provide targeted therapy to CYP in order to address a range of emotional and mental health issues. We support schools in this joint endeavour through consultation, support and high quality in-house training which is available to head teachers, school Governors, teaching and non-teaching staff.

Additionally, the service is passionate about addressing school staff wellbeing due to the well-documented link between staff wellbeing and pupil wellbeing, thorough initiatives such as the School Staff Supervision Service and School Staff Counselling Service.

We are seeking to appoint a dedicated and innovative qualified Counsellor to work with pupils from Years 1-13 across primary and secondary schools within Neath Port Talbot. Some work may also be undertaken outside of school hours and outside the school setting. In addition to providing direct counselling, you will have an important role in delivering group work where needed. You will also run workshops with groups of children and young people and deliver training when required. You will play an integral part in developing the School Based Counselling Service within the authority, including collaborative working with other staff within the Inclusion Service and taking part in multi-disciplinary consultations with schools. Enhancing the skills of school based staff will also be an important element of the post.

We welcome applications from those who hold a Professional Diploma in Counselling and are accredited/registered with the BACP or UKCP or equivalent subject to interview and D.B.S. check. You will join a friendly, lively and innovative School Based Counselling Team who are committed to assisting the LEA in the achievement of increased inclusion and raising educational standards. Committed to the concept of inclusive education, you will have an understanding of the challenges facing education in deprived areas and be a passionate supporter of high expectations and achievement for all pupils.

Welsh language skills are desirable. Applications may be submitted in Welsh; applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Neath Port Talbot Council is totally committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our schools/employees are equally committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all children and young people/vulnerable adults and will take action to safeguard their wellbeing.

The recruitment process for this post will be underpinned by rigorous safer recruitment assessment to ensure that children and young people are protected. This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure (Child/Adult).

On completing the application form, please ensure that you address the elements of the Person Specification. What current team members say about working in NPT SBCS:

• ‘It is certainly true that no day in this job is the same! I have been working as a School Based Counsellor for three years now and find the role is stimulating and highly rewarding. It is a privilege to be able to work with children and young people therapeutically and to be part of a team that is supportive and allows space for individuality and creative ways of working.’
• ‘A day in the life of a school counsellor is rich in the range in client presentations, challenging, rewarding and varied.’
• ‘I am so proud of what we do as a team!’
• ‘The culture of the service is warm and supportive and a place that you feel heard. It is open to individuality with an abundance of knowledge and skills. We come together to help each other to achieve the best outcomes while making good friends in the process.’

Neath Port Talbot Council offers a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates who have a disability and armed forces veterans. In support of employees of Tata Steel who are at risk of redundancy, or have been made redundant in 2024, Neath Port Talbot Council is offering a guaranteed interview for jobs across the Council. Applicants must meet the essential criteria for the post to qualify for this. If you are or going to be affected by the job losses at Tata Steel then we would welcome an application from you. Just make it known on your application form that you are currently at risk of redundancy or you have been made redundant.

At Team NPT, we all work together to serve the people, communities and businesses of Neath Port Talbot. We are committed to providing training opportunities and the professional development of all our employees. We look forward to welcoming you to Team NPT.