Wirral Counselling services

Student Placement Counsellors  

Details:  

• Based in Schools around the Wirral
• Part Time  
• Providing support to young people through 1:1 counselling, and possibly groupwork, as part of a Wirral comprehensive, sustainable mental health and wellbeing service for young people within faith and non- faith secondary schools and alternative education settings.

• This role is suitable to students working towards a Counselling degree.

Key Skills:  

• ‘Keeping the child at the centre’
• By achieving the highest standards of safeguarding, whether through direct care provision or support activities to the children and young people who come into contact with our services, or by appropriately reporting concerns about any child or young person
• Experience of working with young people aged 11-18
• Experience of working in partnership with schools and other agencies
• Experience of working with creative approaches
• Experience of delivering groups (desirable)
• Confident and good communicator
• Ability to engage and build a good rapport with young people
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Proficient IT skills
• Driver essential (visiting schools across Wirral)

What you can expect:  

• Providing a high level of professional childcare and practice using appropriate interventions that are outcome focused and evidence based that is delivered to the service specification, utilising relevant legislation, professional regulations and Action for Children policy and procedures
• Completing assessments making appropriate recommendations, which may require liaison or referral of complex cases to the Manager and ensure all case work and management information is recorded accurately and uploaded within the required timescales
• Delivering high level of professional services to children and families and keep up with changes in social work practice to ensure knowledge and skills are up to date with relevant legislation and thinking re best practice, using appropriate interventions that are outcome focused and evidence based
• Leading and delivering a range of activities, including training, participation events, recruitment, social activities and support groups etc.
• Attending a range of regular meetings including statutory reviews, planning meetings, disruption meetings, etc providing high quality reports, internally and externally, representing Action for Children, demonstrating professionalism and our core values, in terms of approach, advice and positioning
• Maintaining and developing effective working relationships with internal colleagues in the wider organisation and external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children, young people and their families
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with service users and their families and where necessary to encourage and promote involvement to achieve positive outcomes.
• Delivering preventative measures and 1:1 brief interventions (e.g. Person Centred, CBT, brief solution focused therapy) for young people identified with specific mental health needs.
• By carrying out initial risk assessments and agree a contract and plan with each service user.
• By promoting positive mental health to improve self-esteem and wellbeing and to reduce escalation of mental health difficulties, and, enhance existing Wirral HSIS services.
• By improving self-esteem, confidence and decision making skills.
• By assessing, monitoring and reviewing progress of work with young people in relation to agreed plans.
• By recording and maintaining up-to-date files, utilising agreed systems and procedures.

• By following Action For Children’s Safeguarding Child Protection Framework

What we can offer:  

• Valuable counselling experience to contribute towards a qualification

Action for Children does what’s right, does what’s needed and does what works.  

We are Action for Children Wirral Counselling Service, working in partnership with Wirral schools. We will listen to your thoughts and feelings and help you to express and explore them.

You decide what to say and do – no problem is too big or small. We are here for you.

When you experience strong and powerful feelings it can affect your emotional well-being. Early intervention can help to reduce stress and anxiety. It is then possible for you to learn new coping skills, increase your confidence and feel more positive about your life.