School Counsellor

7.5 hours per week – term-time only / £33,795 per annum pro rata / permanent / working pattern to be discussed at interview / the role will commence at the beginning of September 2025.

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Established in 1996, Dialogue School Counselling is a BACP accredited school counselling service covering Sussex and Surrey.

We are recruiting for qualified counsellor or therapist with experience of working with primary age children to join our team and deliver our service at Peacehaven Heights Academy from September 2025.

We are seeking candidates who are passionate about making a difference to lives of the children and young people they work with. You will have a keen interest in and experience of working with children of primary age.

Key responsibilities

·       You will provide an ethical, professional counselling service at Peacehaven Heights

·       Run a suitable appointment system flexible to the needs of the school, offering students appropriate assessments and counselling appointments

·       Manage the tight time boundaries of the role and the often complex and varied workload

·       You will establish good professional working relationships with key school staff. This will include discussion of referrals, waiting lists and appointments, managing a session timetable within the school day and agreeing a process for students coming to and from sessions

·       Carry out initial clinical and risk assessments and establish appropriate referral pathways with other services where appropriate. Continually assess risk throughout each student’s counselling

·       You will be required to undertake assessments with parents/carers and counselling sessions, complete all associated admin and attend regular clinical supervision and line management meetings

·       Follow YMCA Dialogue safeguarding procedures; to know who the School’s Designated Safeguarding Officer/s is and how to contact them when a safeguarding concern arises

·       Work at all times within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and maintain individual membership of the BACP (or other professional body such as HCPC)

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable.You may be just the right candidate.

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

• You will have counselling or psychotherapy qualification minimum Level 4 and ideally Level 6, with 2 years’ post qualifying experience in individual counselling or therapy with children preferred, to include working with risk issues
• You will have a BACP Membership; BACP Registered or Accredited. Or other professional body e.g. HCPC
• You will also have a sound understanding of child protection and vulnerable adult safeguarding issues, policies, and procedures
• You will be confident in identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns and have experience of working in a school setting
• You will have a keen interest in working with children and will be familiar with using creative therapeutic approaches, along with experience of working in a school setting
• You will have a professional, flexible attitude with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to manage your time well

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this post, please contact Sashka.Dunlop@ymcadlg.org. Should you require any assistance with our application process, please email us at Recruitment@ymcadlg.org

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 8 June at midnight

Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.