Child & Youth Counsellor

The Child and Youth Counsellor will be the first point of contact for children and young people aged 4-18 years old and will be responsible for comprehensively assessing the needs of this client base

PIPS Charity is now offering the opportunity for a Child & Youth Counsellor to join our team, supporting the aims, work and policies of PIPS Charity. (open to consider suitable job share 

PIPS Charity delivers Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Support Services, Counselling and Therapies across Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland.

The organisation began, and very much remains, a community led organisation with a strong grass roots led ethos to suicide prevention and self-harm. PIPS Charity provide many services, offering Counselling and Complimentary Therapies, home visits, one to one sessions and support groups.

Our aim is to meet the demands and needs of families and individuals in our community.

The Role

The Child and Youth Counsellor will be the first point of contact for children and young people aged 4-18 years old and will be responsible for comprehensively assessing the needs of this client base.

The successful candidate will deliver face to face, safe and confidential counselling sessions on a flexible basis to meet the needs of the clients, promoting and managing effective communication with clients and related agencies, whilst maintaining boundaries of confidentiality.

They will attend monthly individual/group clinical supervision to support this service, contributing as a member of the Care Team.

Main Duties and Responsibilities will include

· Assessing the counselling suitability needs of young people, aged between 4 and 18, who have been referred to PIPS, and assisting them to define goals, plan actions and promote change;

· Selecting appropriate therapeutic intervention, in conjunction with the client, and making decisions regarding referrals, as well as being able to provide appropriate therapeutic intervention, to include short term one-to-one counselling (remotely or face to face) and crisis intervention

Qualifications

Level 4 Diploma in Counselling and Level 5 Diploma or above in Working with Children and Young People OR be working towards Level 5 Diploma or above.

Experience

Essential:

· Counselling experience

· Evidence of having completed minimum 100 hours clinical supervised practice hours

Desirable

· Evidence of working with young people between the ages of 4-18 years old in a counselling setting or similar with an understanding of child development and awareness of issues impacting on children and young people

Professional qualification in Play Therapy, Drama Therapy or Music Therapy at Diploma level or above, or similar 

· An understanding of equal opportunities issues

· Experience and ability to assess, manage and work therapeutically with crisis, risk and complex presentations

· Knowledge of safeguarding requirements and policies, in accordance with current NI legislation

· Experience of liaising effectively with voluntary and statutory bodies