Counsellor in Preston

Employer Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Preston Hospital Town Preston Salary £39,959 - £48,117 Per Annum, Pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 21/10/2026 23:59

Counsellor

Band 6

Job overview

We are seeking a compassionate, skilled, and motivated Counsellor/Psychological Practitioner to join our specialist Renal Psychology Service, which sits within the wider Clinical Health Psychology Service at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team supporting adults living with chronic kidney disease, dialysis treatment, kidney transplantation, and associated adjustment and coping difficulties. The post has been developed in recognition of the increasing psychological needs of renal patients and our commitment to delivering person-centred care in line with national commissioning standards.

The successful candidate will contribute to the assessment and delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions for patients experiencing emotional distress related to their renal condition, treatment burden, adjustment to illness, anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, and end-of-life concerns.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will join a supportive and compassionate multi-professional renal service and work closely with the Band 8b Lead and Assistant Psychologist, t o deliver a high-quality specialist psychological service to renal patients and their family, carers, an d the wider renal MDT .

T he post holder will work across a number of inpatient and outpatient clin i ca l areas in the acute hospital setting at R oyal P res ton H ospital , as well as other sites across the LTHTs footprint. This will include working directly on hospital wards and outpatient treatment units (e.g. dialysis units).

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing psychological assessment and counselling interventions to renal patients.
• Delivering evidence-based therapeutic interventions within agreed competencies.
• Supporting patients to adjust to the impact of chronic illness and treatment.
• Working collaboratively within multidisciplinary team meetings and care planning processes.
• Contributing to psychologically informed care across renal services.
• Providing consultation and advice to healthcare professionals regarding psychological aspects of patient care.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records and outcome measures.
• Participating in service development, audit, and quality improvement initiatives.

Working for our organisation

Clinical Health Psychology provides specialist psychological assessment and intervention across a range of physical health pathways. The Renal Psychology Service supports patients across the renal pathway, helping individuals and families manage the psychological impact of chronic kidney disease and its treatment.

The successful applicant will be professionally supported within a well-established Clinical Health Psychology Service and will benefit from regular clinical supervision, opportunities for continuing professional development, and close working relationships with experienced Clinical Psychologists and multidisciplinary colleagues.

What we offer:-

• Regular clinical and professional supervision.
• Opportunities for specialist training and development.
• A supportive team environment.
• Access to NHS pension and employee benefits.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities where service needs allow.
• Opportunities to contribute to service innovation and improvement.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for an individual who:

• Holds a recognised qualification in counselling, psychotherapy, counselling psychology, or a related psychological therapy discipline.
• Is accredited and registered with an appropriate professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP, BABCP).
• Has experience of delivering therapeutic interventions to adults experiencing emotional and psychological difficulties.
• Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Has an understanding of the psychological impact of long-term physical health conditions.
• Is committed to working collaboratively within multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

Experience of working within physical health settings would be advantageous but is not essential.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree / Diploma in Counselling or equivalent as recognised by the BACP, UKCP, or similar professional body
• Accreditation with a recognised professional body (e.g. BACP, UKCP, BCP), regulated by the professional standards authority
• Degree in psychology
• Further knowledge/ experience with relevant certificates in other therapy modalities (e.g. Acceptance & commitment therapy, Compassion focused therapy)
• Supervision qualification or certificate
• Couple counselling training or qualification

Knowledge & Experience

• Post qualification clinical practice experience in counselling.
• Experience of working psychologically in physical health settings and long-term conditions
• Training in NICE approved counselling modalities (e.g. Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression; Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy; Interpersonal Therapy; Couples Therapy for Depression)
• Working with a variety of different client groups.
• Confidence in clinical risk assessment and safety management planning (NG 225),
• Ability to assess and elevate mental health risk and safeguarding concerns where these routinely unfold
• Post qualification clinical practice experience working psychologically in physical health settings and/or with people living with long-term conditions or in palliative care.
• Post qualification clinical experience using NICE approved counselling modality (e.g. PersonCentred Experiential Counselling for Depression; Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy; Interpersonal Therapy; Couples Therapy for Depression
• Knowledge of/training in the principles of Trauma Informed Care
• Knowledge of/training in Psychosocial factors in healthcare
• Experience of multidisciplinary working
• Experience of inpatient ward working from a psychological perspective
• Experience of offering reflective practice or supervision to other colleagues
• Experience Implementing general infection control requirements related with ward-based working and IPC protocols.

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e‑mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e‑mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

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If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.
AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting askworkforce@lthtr.nhs.uk

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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 Tom Rozwaha Job title Lead Psychologist for Renal Psychology Email address Tom.Rozwaha@lthtr.nhs.uk Additional information Dr Lorna Garner, Consultant Clinical Psychologist for Medicines Pathways lorna.garner@lthtr.nhs.uk

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