Job overview
Reports to: Deputy Principal
Responsibilities: To deliver confidential counselling to students; identify and address students’ social, emotional and psychological needs; offer guidance to staff and parents; and contribute to safeguarding and wellbeing initiatives across the school.
To support the continued review and evaluation of counselling services and collaborate closely with the Senior Leadership Team and wellbeing teams to enhance whole-school provision.
To communicate effectively with families; facilitate referrals to external services; and engage the community through information sessions and workshops.
The Counselling Department
The Counselling Team at BST is a key part of the multidisciplinary Student Support Services team, working alongside pastoral, medical and safeguarding staff to promote the physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing of students, their families and staff. The counselling service supports students across the school, providing high-quality, confidential individual and group counselling to address a wide range of emotional and psychological needs.
The School Counsellor plays an essential role in safeguarding and in promoting the welfare and personal development of children and young people. They work closely with colleagues, parents and external professionals to ensure that students receive holistic, joined-up support.
The School Counsellor contributes to the development and ongoing evaluation of a comprehensive whole-school counselling programme. This includes the use of data and assessment to plan interventions and providing guidance to staff to enhance their capacity to identify and support students’ needs. The service also helps families and students during key transition points and, where necessary, facilitates referrals to external agencies. Together, these elements ensure that the BST Counselling Service strengthens the school’s commitment to excellent teaching and learning by fostering a safe, supportive and emotionally healthy environment for every student.
Key Responsibilities
School Counsellor
To promote a caring and supportive environment where concerns may be explored, thereby promoting positive mental, and social and emotional health at BST.
To be an effective presence around school so as to be aware of the pertinent issues amongst students.
To facilitate the ongoing development of a comprehensive school counselling programme.
To accurately and appropriately use assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counselling services.
To encourage and facilitate the use of student data to drive decision making and to work with the Lead Nurse and members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to address these issues on a wider basis.
To uphold best practice as described by the BACP/UKCP ethical guidelines or equivalent professional organisation, including to ensure that they are properly and regularly supervised.
To continually review and evaluate the service in partnership with SLT and the wider multidisciplinary student support and wellbeing teams to improve the School Counselling Programme.
Counselling and wellbeing
To provide an independent and confidential counselling service to students through individual and group counselling sessions that supports the social, emotional and psychological needs of students.
To consult and collaborate effectively with appropriate staff and parents with regards to the support and development of strategies and interventions for individual students.
To provide support and guidance to school staff enabling them to better identify and support students with emotional health and wellbeing difficulties.
To work alongside the Secondary Senior Leadership Team (SSLT) leaders to ensure an effective programme equipping students with the skills to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle.
To develop bespoke workshop programmes for groups and cohorts of children to support their emotional wellbeing and to arrange and deliver relevant training for staff as and when needs are identified.
To support the transition of students and families to BST.
To guide staff who are experiencing social, emotional and psychological issues towards external support.
To take responsibility for personal professional development, keeping up to date with research and developments.
To play an active and significant role in Safeguarding children and adhere to the school’s safeguarding guidance.
External Agencies and Community Support
To provide recommendations, where appropriate, to external agencies (e.g. counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists)
To support and advise on the transition between school counselling and external counselling.
Consult with parents regarding the counselling services and support available through Coffee Mornings, workshops etc.
How to Apply
Please see attached for the full job description, and kindly submit an application via the link provided in the post.
Closing date for applications: January 4th 2025
The British School in Tokyo welcomes applications from suitably skilled applicants from all backgrounds.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check or International Child Protection Check, and provision of satisfactory background checks for any previous countries of residence.