Placement Counsellor Volunteer

We are seeking 10 x Volunteer placement counsellors to start in September 2022 to join our team of 70 therapists in Birmingham. Based at Zellig Building next to the Custard Factory in Digbeth B9 4AT.

Application checklist when applying you need to include 3 things;

1. CV upload- even if basic, we are interested in what you did prior to studying to be a counsellor

2. Covering letter

3. Completion of the word document ‘volunteer counsellor questions’ (this will appear for download as you start to apply)

Applications close August 31st

Induction day for successful candidates is on Wednesday September 28th 

Application & Selection Process

Volunteer Counsellors and Counsellors in training can apply by completing our application form (and other attachments) and sending it back to us by email.

We operate a policy of non-­discrimination.

Applicants will need to:

• Be in the second year of their Diploma or Level 4 Qualification or on a Master’s level or specialist course.
• Complete our application form (and attachments) and return to us as instructed.

Following application there is a selection process. Successful applicants will be asked to:

• This will include a short group exercise, interview, a piece of written work and a psychometric profile.
• The recruitment panel for the interview will comprise of 2-­‐3 people one of which will be the Clinical Lead / Chief Executive Officer.
• Supply copies of any certificates or diplomas they have already completed which relate to their counselling

Following the interview selected applicants will

• Be asked to complete an induction on September 28th 2022 
• Provide a DBS We can provide one if you do not currently have a portable one.
• Be offered a placement subject to satisfactory completion of the induction process &
• Most placements are completed in 10-2 or 2-5pm slots Monday to Friday. We do not provide placements in the evenings or weekends.
• Placement counselling sessions are delivered in person, face to face at our Zellig based Counselling Centre. We do not allow placement counsellors to work online for their first 50 hours.

Benefits for Volunteers

• Placements counsellors can get up to a £720 contribution to their supervision costs by seeing 12 clients in the year. This can be spent with any of the 15 independent supervisors working at our centre.
• Counsellors are assigned clients according to their level of experience and specialisms (following client assessment and careful consideration by our senior counsellors and Clinical Lead).
• The opportunity to accrue counselling, supervision and training hours that will count towards course requirements as well as BACP
• Supportive consultation with the Clinical Lead (see above).
• Annual appraisal
• Our best efforts to proper integration into the team
• Access to extra training as required
• Induction into relevant office procedures
• Honest professional references, should they be required
• To attend team meetings
• Potential opportunities for paid work once qualified.
• Although, not guaranteed, many of our volunteers have gone on to become accredited counsellors who are paid employees or sessional workers at the end of their placement.

Counsellors are required:

• To work within our policies and procedures and BACP
• To maintain a caseload of 2-5 clients a week.This can increase as you progress.
• See clients aged 18+ (unless on a Young People’s qualification) for short term (6 sessions) and longer-term counselling (over 6 sessions).
• To have regular supervision with a supervisor approved by us, agreed by your course provider and financed by yourself- see above for details of accessing free supervision.
• To rebook client sessions. If you need to cancel sessions with clients, unless you are unwell, you will be expected to remake these appointments
• To maintain client details and notes on our system.
• To meet regularly with the Clinical Lead.
• To report any client risk to the clinical lead or in his/her absence, CEO Martin Hogg on mobile
• If something goes wrong with your placement or you are unhappy with any aspect of Volunteering inform us at the earliest ocassion
• To attend casework supervision sessions as per requirements.
• To keep to time commitments as far as is reasonable and to inform the office of any impending lateness or sickness
• To ensure that counselling sessions are booked within our timeline
• Upon leaving the organisation, all counsellors should seek to ‘wind down’ their caseload, reaching planned endings with as many clients as possible. Any others should be transferred to another counsellor in a sensitive and professional

APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON August 31st

No agencies or advertisers please.