Role overview

We are looking for an experienced part time (person centered) counsellor to join our newly established Health team. You will support New Horizon Youth Centre's mission to enable young people to use their strengths to live a life that is safe, full of health and opportunity, and in a home that they deserve. You will play an important role in expanding our counselling service, ensuring a greater number of young people who are facing homelessness or are unsafe have the opportunity to access 1:1 and group trauma focused therapeutic support. You should be confident and flexible to deliver sessions face-to-face in a busy day centre environment, as well as remotely. Previous experience of working with young people is not essential, but you should be genuinely passionate about improving young people's access to health services and providing them with positive interventions to enable them to move forward. The role is based at our day centre in Camden and may involve some travel to other sites in London.

Key details

• Contract type and hours: part-time, permanent contract. 21 hours per week across 3 days.
• Salary: The starting salary for the role is £31,200 pro rata. The salary scale is £31,200 to £34,736 pro rata.
• Location: New Horizon Youth Centre, 68 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JR
• Application deadline: 9am, Monday 14 October 2024 (we may close earlier if there are a high number of applications)

Key objectives:

• To contribute to the daily running of New Horizon Youth Centre’s (NHYC) Health services, ensuring they respond holistically to young people who are facing homelessness or are unsafe.
• To provide high-quality counselling and therapeutic sessions to young people accessing NHYC services.
• To work collaboratively with internal teams and external specialist agencies to provide high quality health services to young people.

Reporting to: Head of Health Services

Main tasks and responsibilities

Young people services

To deliver a counselling programme to young people with multiple needs who access the service. This will include:

1. Providing high quality person-centred 1:1 counselling sessions, in person and remotely.
2. Managing internal referrals and holding a caseload of young people.
3. Planning and delivering additional therapeutic support sessions for young people, including group sessions at the day centre.
4. Working with the Youth Justice, Rough Sleeping, Housing and Youth Work teams to identify new young people who would benefit from the counselling service and enabling appropriate referrals.
5. Collaborating with other NHYC teams to support young people’s move-on into suitable, sustainable accommodation as well as jobs, education, and training opportunities.
6. Manage client onward referrals in cases where a more specialist service is required. This will include liaising with GPs and mental health services amongst others.
7. Continued use of feedback and showing a commitment to a service that is sensitive and responsive to clients’ needs, involving:
   1. Completing assessments and action plans with clients
   2. Ensuring that all relevant work is recorded both in case files and on the NHYC database
   3. Regular reviewing of case files
   4. Ensuring risk management and assessment procedures are followed
8. Contributing to the management and development of the day centre, including daily briefing and debriefing, ensuring that Health and Safety issues are always addressed.

Sharing best practice

To proactively share best practice with internal and external stakeholders in order to maximise the impact of the work of NHYC. This will include:

1. Seeking out and responding to opportunities with specialists and agencies who might offer resources, funding, or individual services relevant to client needs.
2. Contributing to research and innovation projects that ensure NHYC remains a leading organisation within the sector.
3. Promoting and representing NHYC at relevant forums, meetings and events.

Information Management

To produce and maintain accurate and useful information in a range of formats in order to promote effective service delivery and evaluation. This will include:

1. Recording all contacts with clients appropriately and maintaining all relevant files and recording systems.
2. Producing written reports in a variety of formats to meet the requirements of NHYC, external service providers and funders, e.g., project reviews.
3. Inputting and extracting information from client monitoring systems and other accounting and database systems. Utilising other relevant software for the production of reports.
4. Being self-servicing in day-to-day administration, and following team and NHYC’s administrative procedures.
5. Ensuring own information management is compliant with supervisory authorities within the health sector as appropriate.

Reviewing personal performance and development needs

To be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance and identifying and acting upon areas for improvement. This will include:

1. Continuously reviewing own working practices in line with client feedback and current best practice.
2. Reviewing and evaluating own performance to identify strengths and areas for development.
3. Undertaking development and training opportunities and being responsible for obtaining maximum benefit through review, reflection, and practice.
4. Taking a proactive approach to supervision including regular line management supervision, team meetings, team reflective practice and clinical supervision.

Other

To contribute positively and constructively to the development of the teams, service and NHYC. This will include:

1. Following NHYC’s policies, procedures and performance expectations in all functions of the post.
2. Undertaking as required any other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by the Head of Services, Director of Operations or CEO.

Person specification

We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate the following competencies and want to use these to the full in their work.

E: Essential

D: Desirable

Qualifications, experience and track record

1. A recognised counselling qualification at Level 4 or above, specialising in the person-centred modality. E
2. Registered or accredited by a professional counselling body such as BACP or equivalent. E
3. Significant practical work experience in a counselling role, post-qualification, with a focus on trauma. E
4. Experience of working in a high-pressured environment with young people from NHYC’s client group. D
5. Ability to form and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with young people with multiple complex needs. E
6. Ability to engage clients from diverse communities and deliver counselling with cultural sensitivity considering the needs of the whole person. E
7. Ability to create and maintain external partnerships and networks to achieve organisational aims and objectives, including working in partnership to deliver health services to young people. E
   

Special knowledge and job requirements

1. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the BACP ethical framework. E
2. Fluency in other languages reflected in the diverse London communities we serve. D
3. Excellent understanding of the impact of complex trauma on young people, and the experience to work with issues of risk. E
4. Competent in using grounding and de-escalation strategies and techniques. E
5. Experience and knowledge around safeguarding policy and procedures for children and vulnerable adults. E
6. Be able to ensure accurate and concise note keeping, as well as documenting interactions with external agencies where appropriate. E
7. Knowledge of working to performance indicators, including monitoring and reporting on service outputs/outcomes, client tracking, analysing performance information, and identifying corrective action. D
8. A working knowledge of and commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as it applies to a supportive service and in the workplace. E

Additional job requirements

1. Willingness and ability to work outside of normal hours on occasion (within New Horizon’s flexible working arrangements), including work over the Christmas period when required. E
2. Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational requirements. E

Timescales and how to apply

Dates

• Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 14 October (we may close earlier if there are a high number of applications)
• Shortlisted candidates will be informed: 17 October
• Interviews: On or before 22 October

Application process

1. Complete the application form below
2. Upload your CV setting out your career history, education or qualifications, and other key responsibilities or achievements. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME OR INITIALS IN THE DOCUMENT FILE NAME
3. Write a cover letter / supporting statement (no more than 1500 words or 2 A4 pages) covering how you meet all the essential criteria in the person specification. It must not contain your name, address or contact details. This is an important part of your application so must be completed. We recommend you work on this in another text file (such as Word) and copy and paste it into this box when you are ready to submit.

We do not consider incomplete applications.

You will be notified if you have not been shortlisted. However, we are unfortunately unable to provide each individual application with feedback.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss the role, please feel free to email us at recruitment@nhyouthcentre.org.uk or call 0207 388 5560.

Click here to see the job pack in PDF format or the job pack in Word format.