Student Counsellor

The post-holder will be responsible for coordinating and delivering a wellbeing and counselling service to learners in line with the Access and Inclusion Strategy and the whole college approach to Mental Health.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver professional, ethical counselling support to learners across campuses, including assessments, one-to-one interventions, crisis support, and drop-in sessions.
• Support learner wellbeing by promoting positive mental health strategies in collaboration with the Advice, Guidance and Learner Support Team.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to provide expert advice on counselling provision and mental health approaches.
• Design and deliver workshops, group sessions, and wider mental health promotion activities throughout the academic year.
• Plan, deliver, and continuously improve counselling services, maintaining accurate records and evaluating performance against operational targets.
• Supervise and mentor trainee counsellors, supporting placement opportunities and professional development.
• Contribute actively to team objectives, share best practice, deliver staff training, and engage in ongoing professional development.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications:

• BACP/COSCA registered and accredited counsellor (or potential to re-register in short timescale)
• Diploma level Counselling qualification
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development

Desirable:

• Evidence of specialist training and experience in counselling/adapted therapeutic work with learners with complex support needs and learning disabilities, or evidence of actively working towards a recognised qualification in this area, supported by relevant practical experience.

Demonstrable knowledge of

• National priorities for education;
• Understanding of legislation in relation to Wellbeing and Mental Health
• Further Education Access & Inclusion agenda
• Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting

Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team;
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills;
• Confident in the use of ICT, including working knowledge of MS Word and Excel;
• Ability to work with discretion and maintain the confidence of learners and staff;
• Ability to communicate and deal with staff at all levels; and
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the requirements of the service.

Experience:

• Experience of working in a Mental Health service
• Experience in crisis intervention
• Experience of working in an educational setting
• Experience of working as part of a team to deliver objectives and targets;
• Experience of developing and maintaining a range of internal and external partnerships;
• Experience of working with a diversity of client groups and a wide range of clients of all ages and backgrounds