Purpose of the Role
Ratcliffe College are seeking to recruit a self-employed counsellor to provide high-quality, ethical and developmentally appropriate therapeutic support for pupils experiencing emotional, social or mental health difficulties.
The counsellor will operate as an independent practitioner. While collaborating with the school’s pastoral and safeguarding structures, the counsellor will retain appropriate clinical autonomy in order to maximise therapeutic benefit for pupils.
The role contributes to early intervention, ongoing therapeutic support and, where necessary, crisis response.
Responsibilities
The post-holder will offer:
- Therapeutic Provision
- Provide one-to-one counselling and therapeutic intervention for pupils.
- Conduct initial assessments and agree appropriate therapeutic goals.
- Determine, in discussion with the referrer and pupil, whether work is short-term, goal-focused or longer-term in nature.
- Maintain professional boundaries in accordance with the ethical standards of the relevant professional body.
- Work with pupils across a range of needs including anxiety, low mood, friendship difficulties, bereavement, identity development, self-esteem concerns and self-harm.
- Work in a developmentally informed manner appropriate to the age and stage of the pupil.
- Safeguarding and Pastoral Support
- Share safeguarding concerns directly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
- Maintain clear professional records of sessions in accordance with school policy.
- Contribute to pastoral meetings where appropriate.
- Provide feedback to pastoral or SEND teams where required and within the limits of confidentiality.
Collaboration and Communication
- Liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead regarding safeguarding matters.
- Contribute to pastoral discussions only where appropriate and without breaching confidentiality.
- Liaise with parents only:
- With pupil consent where appropriate
- Where safeguarding concerns arise
- Where clinically indicated and ethically justified
- Liaise with external professionals when appropriate and with proper consent.
- Contribute to early intervention strategies and wellbeing initiatives within the school.
Professional Standards
- Work in accordance with the ethical framework and professional standards of BACP, UKCP or HCPC.
- Maintain professional registration. Accreditation is desirable.
- Maintain appropriate professional indemnity insurance.
- Engage in continuing professional development relevant to therapeutic work with children and adolescents.
- Work within the scope of competence at all times.
Supervision
- Maintain regular external clinical supervision in accordance with professional body requirements.
- Provide confirmation of supervision arrangements annually.
- The post-holder is responsible for arranging and funding their own supervision unless otherwise agreed.
- If the school introduces group supervision or clinical leadership arrangements, participation may be expected as part of service governance.
Administration
- Maintain secure, confidential clinical records in accordance with GDPR and professional guidance.
- Provide anonymised termly summary information on caseload patterns, presenting issues and trends.
- Uphold data protection and confidentiality policies.
- Record student attendance or absence at an appointment through the school’s safeguarding system.
Terms of Engagement
- Self-employed, peripatetic arrangement.
- Must be available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Term-time only, with flexible working patterns.
- Appointments allocated via agreed referral pathways.
- The counsellor must hold valid professional indemnity insurance.
- The service model, session length, payment rates and cancellation policy will be agreed prior to appointment.
- The school may, on occasion, request therapeutic input in response to a crisis or critical incident.
Expertise-specific Responsibilities
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist or Play Therapist
- Provide developmentally appropriate therapeutic intervention for younger pupils or those with attachment or early life trauma.
- Deliver therapeutic play, creative or developmentally focused approaches.
- Work closely with the Learning Support and pastoral teams regarding neurodiversity, emotional regulation and behaviour.
- Contribute expertise in early developmental needs, family dynamics and transitions.
- Support the school in identifying pupils who may benefit from early intervention or assessment.
- CBT or Short-Term Intervention Specialism
- Deliver structured, short-term interventions with measurable outcomes.
- Support students presenting with anxiety, panic, school avoidance or stress.
- Provide psychoeducation and practical strategies to improve coping skills.
- Liaise with parents and staff where CBT techniques can reinforce progress.
Integrative Counselling
- Provide relational and longer-term therapeutic support for older pupils.
- Work with complex issues including identity, self-esteem, friendship difficulties, relationship breakdown, self-harm and bereavement.
Ratcliffe College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Enhanced screening via the Disclosure and Barring Service as well as references from previous employers will be required. We welcome applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.