Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist

Job Description:

Job Title: Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist

Salary: Up to £40,000-£45,000 pro rata (plus bonus package)

Working Pattern: 3 days per week or full-time

Benefits: 28 days annual leave (pro rata)

Location: South East / South West London

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist to work predominantly within fostering services and, where required, residential services. The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will play a central role in delivering high-quality therapeutic support to children and young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs.

As a Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist, you will deliver therapeutic interventions to children and young people, provide consultation and guidance to foster carers and professionals, and contribute to the development of therapeutic practice across services. The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will work closely with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders, including local authorities, schools, and families.

Key Responsibilities of the Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist

Therapeutic Practice

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will:

• Deliver therapeutic interventions directly to children and young people
• Provide one-to-one counselling and psychotherapy sessions
• Undertake therapeutic assessments, formulation, and crisis interventions
• Conduct monthly therapeutic consultations with foster carers
• Support foster carers through therapeutic guidance, psychoeducation, and advocacy
• Prepare children and young people for longer-term therapeutic or psychotherapeutic interventions

Strategic and Service Contribution

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will:

• Contribute to the development and embedding of therapeutic practice across services
• Provide specialist therapeutic consultation to staff and carers
• Review and evaluate therapeutic input and outcomes for children and young people
• Liaise with commissioned therapists and external clinicians where appropriate

Team and Multi-Agency Support

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will:

• Work with foster carers and residential staff to support therapeutic care planning
• Lead or support:
• Initial and ongoing therapeutic assessments
• Regulation 28 assessments
• Support planning and therapeutic risk assessments
• Provide reflective practice sessions or clinical consultation where appropriate
• Attend professional and multi-agency meetings as the Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist
• Offer therapeutic consultation to external networks, including education providers and birth families

Training

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will:

• Design and deliver therapeutic training and workshops for carers and professionals
• Contribute to professional development programmes focused on therapeutic childcare and trauma-informed practice

Project Work

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will:

• Undertake project work to support wider services, including:
• School-based therapeutic work
• Bespoke therapeutic interventions with birth families
• Specialist therapeutic projects supporting children and young people

Reporting

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist will:

• Produce timely, high-quality therapeutic reports and assessments
• Provide monthly summaries of therapeutic work delivered
• Ensure accurate analysis, clear documentation, and professional record keeping

Requirements

Essential

The Young People's Counsellor or Psychotherapist must:

• Be a qualified Counsellor or Psychotherapist with current professional registration
• Have proven experience delivering therapeutic interventions to children and young people
• Demonstrate substantial experience providing therapeutic work to children and young people with SEMH needs
• Have experience working therapeutically with parents and carers in multidisciplinary and multi-agency contexts
• Possess strong knowledge of trauma-informed and structured therapeutic approaches (short- and long-term)
• Have applied knowledge of:
• Child and adolescent development
• Complex developmental trauma
• Sexualised behaviour
• Neurodiversity
• Demonstrate excellent therapeutic assessment and report-writing skills
• Have experience of effective multidisciplinary team working, including safeguarding and therapeutic risk planning
• Be confident in managing high-pressure, complex, and emotionally demanding situations
• Demonstrate a flexible, resilient, and collaborative working style

Desirable

• Qualification in clinical supervision