Draft Job Description, Part-Time Female Student Counsellor

STUDENT COUNSELLING SERVICE

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Part-time Student Counsellor/Cognitive therapist

Department/Division/Faculty Education Office - Student Counselling Service

Job Family/ Professional Services Level 3b Level:

Salary range: £35,140 - £43,350 pro rata (paid monthly) Appointments are made at the first level of this scale

Hours of work: 21 hours per week (0.6 FTE) 52 weeks per year The post holder will be expected to work until 19.00 hrs one evening a week. The majority of annual leave is expected to be taken out of term time.

Reports to: Senior Student Counsellor Head of Student Counselling

Key Working Relationships: The Student Counselling Service team, Disability Advisory Service team, Student Mental Health Advisor, Senior Tutors, Academic Staff, Hall Wardens, other College staff involved in student welfare and wellbeing, staff at Imperial College Health Centre, Imperial College Student Union, external General Practitioners

SUMMARY OF POST

The part-time Student Counsellor will work with other members of the Student Counselling Service team to provide an integrated, effective counselling service for the students of Imperial College London. The post holder will carry a significant client case load providing psychological assessment and brief counselling to students at the College. The post holder will also contribute to psycho-educational workshops and training on matters related to mental health and counselling, and promote and participate in events promoting the Service and student wellbeing across the College. The Student Counselling Service aims to enable students to enhance their psychological health and personal effectiveness, thus empowering them to optimise their academic accomplishment, College involvement, and personal development. This is achieved through the provision of a variety of psychological services such as assessment, individual counselling, consultation with the College and wider community, and psycho- educational workshops.

The Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service of Imperial College London comprises the Head of Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service, one Senior Student Counsellor, one Senior Student Mental Health Adviser, one Student Mental Health Adviser, eight part-time Student Counsellors, two Study Mentors: Mental Health, a Service Coordinator and two Administrative Assistants. Assistants.

Information about the current Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service can be found at www.imperial.ac.uk/counselling. Information about the College generally is available at www.imperial.ac.uk The Student Counselling Service team has a variety of theoretical orientations. For this post, we are seeking an experienced counsellor preferably with experience and training in a Cognitive therapy, and of working as a counsellor, psychotherapist or psychologist in an educational or comparative organisational context.

The post-holder will be based at the College’s South Kensington campus and will be required to work at other Imperial College London campuses.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To provide assessment and risk assessment for students presenting to the Student Counselling Service

2. To hold a case load of individual clients offering effective and confidential brief counselling (usually up to eight sessions in one academic year) preferably using a Cognitive model of therapy.

3. To signpost students to other support services within College and external agencies as appropriate

4. To provide a service that is sensitive to student diversity, including cultural expectations, disability, issues of gender, religion and sexual orientation

5. To support academic staff and non-academic in their pastoral role with students

6. To facilitate psycho-educational workshops and events on topics related to counselling and wellbeing for staff and students

7. To establish and maintain close links with a wide range of academic and administrative staff and College student support services

8. To adhere to the ethical framework of the appropriate professional body and BACP ethical guidelines

9. To participate in team, clinical and management supervision meetings

10. To contribute to the development of a responsive and ethical counselling service for students of Imperial College London

11. To contribute and participate in events promoting the Service and student wellbeing across the College

12. To maintain records and statistics in line with the Service’s Policy on Confidentiality and Data Protection and to liaise with the Service Coordinator to input data into the Service’s databases including use of CORE PC 13. To maintain and develop professional expertise and knowledge of best practice, and engaging with continuing professional development

14. To attend regular external clinical supervision in accordance with BACP and service requirements

15. To undertake any other duties, commensurate with the grade, that may reasonably be required

The successful applicant will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure to be carried out through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS although possession of a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position. Further information about this process can be obtained from the College’s Human Resources Division or from the Disclosure website – www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and- barring-service

To observe and comply with all College policies and regulations, including the key policies and procedures on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest, Data Protection, Equal Opportunities, Financial Regulations, Health and Safety, Imperial Expectations, Information Technology, Private Engagements and Register of Interests, and Smoking.

To undertake specific safety responsibilities relevant to individual roles, as set out on the College Website Health and Safety Structure and Responsibilities page (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/policies/organisationandarrangements).

Job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and the post-holder may be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating discrimination. All employees are expected to adhere to the principles set out in its Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy, Promoting Race Equality Policy and all other relevant guidance/practice frameworks. PERSON SPECIFICATION

Applicants are required to demonstrate that they possess the following attributes. Imperial Expectations These are the 7 principles that Imperial leaders, managers and supervisors are expected to follow: 1) Champion a positive approach to change and opportunity 2) Communicate regularly and effectively within, and across, teams 3) Consider the thoughts and expectations of others 4) Deliver positive outcomes 5) Encourage inclusive participation and eliminate discrimination 6) Support and develop staff to optimise talent 7) Work in a planned and managed way

Education and Training Essential  Education to degree level and holding a counselling or psychotherapy qualification to diploma or masters level

 Full Accreditation with BACP or BABCP, UKCP Registration or Counselling Psychologist with HCPC Registration or other equivalent professional recognition

Desirable  Additional accreditation/specialism beyond core theoretical model

 Qualification in a Cognitive therapy

 Qualification in online counselling

Experience and Knowledge Essential

 Significant experience of assessment and providing short-term focussed counselling, working psychotherapeutically with a broad range of presenting issues, in a higher education or similar institutional context

 Experience of working with young adults and the issues of this age and stage and understanding of issues facing students

 Experience of crisis management work

 Experience of working with difference, including individuals with a range of different cultures, disabilities, sexual orientations and age

 Experience of working collaboratively as part of a team that offers a range of different therapeutic approaches

 Experience of cognitive therapy work

Desirable  Experience of facilitating psycho-educational workshops  Experience of working within a Higher Educational setting

 Knowledge and experience of the impact of psychological and emotional problems on students’ capacity to learn effectively

 Experience in the use of Clinical Outcome Routine Evaluation (CORE PC)

Skills and Abilities Essential  Demonstrated competence in assessing clients for counselling including risk assessment

 Demonstrated competence in providing brief, focused individual counselling

 Skills in Cognitive Therapy

 Demonstrated competence in working with clients in crisis

 Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, both within the SCS and the College community to enhance the overall quality of the student experience and level of student satisfaction in the College

 Well developed organisational skills, ability to prioritise and meet deadlines

 Ability both to take responsibility and decisions independently and to consult with and refer matters to colleagues when appropriate

 The ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of how the context impacts on therapeutic decisions

 Proven communication skills, both orally and in writing

 Time management and organisational skills

 Competent and confident IT skills

Desirable  Proven skills in designing and delivering training or psycho-educational workshops on topics related to counselling and mental health and wellbeing

 Skills in providing online and/or email counselling

Personal Qualities Essential

 Ability to take the initiative and think creatively especially in terms of the development of the service  Flexibility, including an openness to research and developments within the field which do not necessarily emanate from own models

 Collaborative and facilitative style

 Ability to handle sensitive issues diplomatically and maintain professional boundaries

 Ability to work independently as well as being an effective and collaborative team member

 Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development

 Commitment to the principles and practice of equality and diversity

 Commitment to assessing the effectiveness of the counselling work in a reflective and open manner