Associate Children's Counsellor in Belfast

Location: Belfast and various community venues across Northern Ireland (travel between sites required)

Hours: Sessional

Reports to: Clinical Coordinator

Remuneration and Professional Benefits: £33 per attended session. In addition, Associate Children's Counsellors / Therapists benefit from:

• Contribution towards the cost of regular clinical supervision in line with organisational requirements.
• Regular clinical and managerial support.
• Access to specialist training and continuing professional development opportunities.
• Experience working within one of Northern Ireland's leading specialist trauma services.
• Opportunities to develop expertise in supporting children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual violence and trauma.
• Opportunities to develop skills in creative and integrative therapeutic approaches.
• Flexible delivery across a range of community-based settings.
• Opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation.
• The opportunity to be part of an organisation committed to clinical excellence, trauma-informed practice and child-centred care.
• Meaningful work that supports children, young people and families to recover, heal and thrive.

Background: Nexus has over 40 years' experience enabling positive change for people who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual violence and abusive relationships across Northern Ireland. We support and empower individuals to recover and thrive through the provision of specialist counselling services, group recovery and peer support programmes. We also have over 10 years' experience delivering early intervention and prevention initiatives to children, young people, professionals and communities on topics including consent, healthy relationships, internet safety and child sexual exploitation. Since 2019, Nexus has managed the 24-Hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse (DSA) Helpline, funded by the Department of Health, Department of Justice and Department for Communities. We use lived experience, professional expertise and research to influence policy, practice and service commissioning. Our services are informed by the voices and experiences of victims, survivors, children, young people and families, ensuring the support we provide is compassionate, accessible and responsive to individual needs. Through our work, we seek to create a society that is more informed, compassionate and confident in challenging sexual abuse and abusive relationships. Our people are central to our success. We are proud to have a dedicated and professional workforce committed to delivering specialist, high-quality and sustainable services that change lives.

Job Purpose: As an Associate Children's Counsellor with Nexus, you will join one of Northern Ireland's leading specialist organisations supporting children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual violence and trauma. Nexus provides specialist therapeutic support to children and young people aged 8-16 years, helping them to make sense of their experiences, strengthen resilience, build emotional wellbeing and move towards recovery in a way that feels safe and meaningful to them. We recognise that every child and young person is unique. Our approach is trauma-informed, child-centred and strengths-based, ensuring therapeutic support is tailored to individual needs, developmental stage, culture, identity and lived experience. Therapeutic interventions may be delivered through a range of creative and developmentally appropriate approaches including play, art, music, clay and integrative child therapy. This role provides an opportunity to work within a highly supportive specialist service, helping children and young people find safety, connection, confidence and hope following experiences of trauma and adversity. Nexus is committed to creating a psychologically safe and supportive working environment where practitioners are encouraged to engage in reflective practice, professional development and self-care. We recognise the impact that trauma work can have on practitioners and are committed to providing the support required to sustain safe, effective and compassionate practice.

Why Join Nexus?

• Join one of Northern Ireland's leading specialist trauma services.
• Work within an experienced, supportive and values-driven multidisciplinary team.
• Access regular clinical supervision and professional support.
• Receive specialist training in trauma-informed practice and working with children and young people affected by trauma.
• Develop expertise in creative and integrative therapeutic approaches.
• Contribute to innovative, child-centred and survivor-informed services.
• Make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families.
• Work within an organisation committed to clinical excellence, safeguarding and practitioner wellbeing.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering trauma-informed, child-centred therapeutic support to children, young people, parents, carers and families.
• Engage with parents, carers and guardians to understand the child or young person's needs, strengths, family context and presenting concerns.
• Complete initial assessments with parents, carers or legal guardians to determine suitability for the service and identify therapeutic goals.
• Assess informed consent and capacity to engage in therapeutic work in accordance with relevant legislation and Gillick Competence guidelines.
• Deliver therapeutic interventions using a range of creative and developmentally appropriate modalities including play, art, music, clay and integrative therapeutic approaches.
• Support children and young people to understand emotions, strengthen coping skills, build resilience, improve communication, develop self-confidence and enhance emotional wellbeing.
• Provide safe, confidential and developmentally appropriate therapeutic sessions that are responsive to the individual needs of each child or young person.
• Establish and maintain therapeutic agreements with children, young people and caregivers, reviewing progress regularly through outcome measures and review discussions.
• Maintain effective communication with children, families and relevant professionals while upholding appropriate confidentiality and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Attend and actively engage in clinical supervision and reflective practice.

Service Quality and Governance:

• Deliver services in accordance with trauma-informed principles that promote safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and respect.
• Comply with all organisational policies and procedures including safeguarding, risk assessment and management, lone working, confidentiality, information governance and health and safety.
• Work in accordance with relevant legislation, professional standards and ethical frameworks.
• Maintain the highest standards of safeguarding for children, young people, families and vulnerable adults.
• Maintain accurate, secure and confidential records in accordance with organisational policies and data protection legislation.
• Promote equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of service delivery.
• Support the collection and completion of outcome measures and evaluation tools in line with organisational procedures.
• Contribute to service evaluation, quality improvement and reporting processes.

Professional Development:

• Participate in ongoing professional and personal development.
• Engage in reflective practice and utilise supervision proactively to support safe and effective therapeutic work.
• Demonstrate commitment to practitioner wellbeing and recognise the impact of working with trauma.
• Attend line management and performance review meetings.
• Keep up to date with developments in research, therapeutic practice and relevant social policy.
• Attend team meetings and training opportunities.
• Complete all mandatory training requirements.

Essential Criteria:

• Minimum Level 5 Diploma in Counselling, Psychotherapy, Play Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy or equivalent recognised qualification.
• Minimum two years supervised clinical practice (minimum 500 hours), including face-to-face, virtual or telephone delivery.
• Post-qualifying experience working therapeutically with children and young people.
• Knowledge of the impact of sexual abuse, sexual violence and trauma on children, young people, families and communities.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, trauma-informed therapeutic practice that promotes safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and respect.
• Experience supporting individuals presenting with emotional, behavioural, social or mental health difficulties associated with traumatic experiences.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrable ability to identify, assess and respond appropriately to safeguarding and risk concerns.
• Aware of the importance of practitioner wellbeing and ability to engage proactively in self-care.
• Registered member of BACP, UKCP, HCPC, NCPS, PTUK, BAPT or an equivalent professional body. Applicants not yet accredited must be actively working towards accreditation with submission expected within six months of appointment.
• Proficient IT skills to support secure recording of client data and service information.
• Working knowledge of CORE-Net or equivalent outcome monitoring systems.
• Access to transport to support regional service delivery.

Desirable Criteria:

• Specialist training in play therapy, creative therapies, child psychotherapy or related approaches.
• Experience working within the community and voluntary sector.
• Experience of multi-agency working with statutory and community services.
• Experience supporting children and young people affected by sexual trauma.

Terms and Conditions: Attendance at a formal induction programme is required. As part of induction, successful applicants will complete mandatory training designed to equip practitioners with the knowledge, confidence and skills required to safely and effectively support children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual violence and trauma. Training will include safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, risk assessment and management, confidentiality, professional boundaries, data protection and organisational procedures. Ongoing participation in mandatory training, supervision and continuing professional development activities is expected. Appointment is subject to satisfactory references and an Enhanced Access NI check. The successful applicant must demonstrate a commitment to Nexus values, trauma-informed practice and child-centred service delivery.

Application requirements: The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced Access NI check. The Access NI Code of Practice is available to applicants on request. Having a criminal record does not automatically prevent a person being employed by Nexus NI. If you are unsure what this is, please consult this website: As per Access NI Code of Practice Nexus NI has a policy on the recruitment of Ex-offenders which is available on request by sending an email to: All information disclosed will be handled in accordance with the Nexus NI policy on Keeping Information Safe which is available on request by sending an email to: A full, clean driving licence is required for this role, as the post involves regular travel between locations in the course of normal duties. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they can meet the mobility requirements of the post. This may be through access to a driving licence and use of a vehicle, or by other suitable means, such as public transport or alternative travel arrangements. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. In line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended in Northern Ireland) and Equality Commission for Northern Ireland guidance, we will consider reasonable adjustments to the selection process and/or working arrangements where a disability affects an applicant's ability to hold a driving licence, provided that the essential requirements of the role can be fulfilled.

This job description is not incorporated into the employee's contract of employment. It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification. It may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments following discussion with the post holder.

To Apply: Please note CV's alone are not accepted. Please visit our website and download the supplementary questions for this role and submit this form along with your CV. Information on how to apply is on our website. Deadlines for applications is Friday 17th July 2026 at 12pm.