Associate Counsellors

The BDSIP Counselling Service is looking to appoint a range of experienced counsellors for three different settings in the Autumn Term of 2024.

As part of our growing team, you would benefit from an excellent Associate Counsellor Day rate of £120 per day, which includes monthly group supervision, online and, in some instances, face-to-face CPD and access to clear systems and resources for providing counselling as a BDSIP associate.

We are looking for:

• An experienced integrative counsellor to work one day per week, in an all -through SEMH school for children aged 9 – 16 years, providing four sessions per day for children and/or their parents. The support would be part of a therapeutic package which may require sessions to happen outside of the traditional school day. (RM10).
• An experienced integrative counsellor for a secondary school for children with complex needs in Southwark for one day per week (Fridays), offering four sessions a day with the possibility of an additional parenting support group. (SE5).
• An experienced integrative counsellor to work in a primary school one day per week, offering four sessions per day on a Friday (RM10).

You should apply if you:

• have previous experience of counselling children and where relevant, adults
• have a warm and integrative approach
• have an exceptional range of communication skills including exceptional record keeping
• have a passionate commitment to the emotional wellbeing of your clients
• have demonstrable experience of working within the school environment
• have a working knowledge of the latest research and best practice in relation to counselling children, young people and adults
• have BACP membership/accreditation

What would BDSIP offer you in return?

• access to regular supervision from an experienced supervisor.
• share your knowledge and expertise within a team of associate counsellors.
• collaborate in the development of BDSIP’s strategy to promote counselling in schools which secure the best possible outcomes for vulnerable learners.
• guarantee a commitment to your continuing professional development so your practice is informed by the most current pedagogy.

If your values match ours, we would welcome an application from you.

How to apply

To apply for this post please complete the BDSIP application form.  We do not accept applications via CV.

Completed applications should be sent to info@bdsip.co.uk by 9:00am on Wednesday 9th October 2024.

Interview process

Interviews are currently planned for Friday 18 October 2024. Please advise us at the time of submitting your application if you are not available on this date.  Please also advise us if you have any access requirements.

Further information

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Fauzia Hoque Counselling Service Lead on 07971 111782.

BDSIP is a not-for-profit organisation who provide professional educational services to schools as a trusted partner.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

As an organisation, we value the diversity of our borough and want our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Accordingly, we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those currently underrepresented in our workforce.

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and post holders to share this commitment.

Recruitment process

It is extremely important to us that we attract the best people to join BDSIP. As a diverse organisation serving diverse communities, we are also keen to attract a broad range of candidates for every role. To help us do this, we follow a consistent recruitment process, as outlined below.

Our recruitment procedure is designed to ensure that everyone joining our organisation:

• Has the technical skills, experience, abilities and potential to be outstanding in the role to which they are appointed.
• Is a strong cultural fit – both with regard to how we work together, and to our focus on customer service.
• Understands the nature of BDSIP and is able to make an informed choice about whether it is the right organisation for the next stage in their career.

Our recruitment process is also designed to:

• Be fair and transparent.
• Incorporate a range of recruitment tools, tailored to each role, which allow us to consider candidates ‘in the round’.
• Promote equality of opportunity, supporting BDSIP to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve across all roles and levels of seniority.

As an organisation, we are proud to be leading work with our schools to address issues of race and social justice. We value the diversity of the communities we serve and want our workforce to reflect this. Accordingly, we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, particularly those currently underrepresented in our workforce.

Advertising vacancies and applying for a job

All externally advertised vacancies at BDSIP will be widely promoted, typically in the national press as well as via social media. To ensure potential candidates have a full opportunity to apply, vacancies will normally be advertised for at least two weeks. All jobs will be accompanied by a job description and person specification which clearly set-out the role and the skills and experience we are looking for.

Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates, irrespective of their background.

We will only accept completed application forms – CV’s will not be considered. We do this to support safer recruitment, ensuring we have full and consistent information about every candidate.

Our application form includes an equality and diversity information section. We include this so that we can better understand the diversity of the candidates we attract to apply for jobs, the diversity of shortlisted candidates and of those appointed. If we are not attracting and recruiting a diverse range of candidates this information helps us to understand at what stage in the process we need to adapt our approach.

Shortlisting

The equality and diversity information section of the application form, as well as each candidate’s name, is removed prior to shortlisting so that this information cannot bias the shortlisting process.

When we shortlist for interview, each application is considered against the person specification for the role, with applications which most closely meet the criteria, and which provide the most robust evidence of the relevant experience, skills and abilities, being prioritised for interview. At least two people will shortlist independently for every role to help ensure shortlisting is completed robustly and consistently.

The interview process

Finding and appointing the best candidates is extremely important to us. This is reflected in our interview process, which is designed to explore candidates’ technical suitability for the role and how they might contribute to the culture of our organisation. All interviews will include a face-to-face interview. Most interview processes will also include a range of other activities or tasks designed to test candidates’ suitability for the role. All shortlisted candidates will be given details of this process prior to interview.

Interview panels at BDSIP will always be diverse and will usually be chaired by the person who will be managing the person recruited.