TALKING THERAPIES COUNSELLING ASSESSOR – CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS

About the role

At Jewish Care and Jami, we believe that every child and young person deserves access to high-quality mental health support when they need it most. We're looking for a compassionate, experienced and clinically skilled Talking Therapies CYP Counselling Assessor to join our Children and Young People Talking Therapies Service on a part-time basis (20 hours per week, Monday to Friday).

About Jewish Care And Jami

Jewish Care is the largest health and social care charity serving the Jewish community in London and the South East. Every week, our services support more than 12,000 people, delivered by over 1,200 dedicated colleagues across residential care, nursing, retirement living, community support, social work and mental health services. In November 2023, Jami became part of Jewish Care, bringing together two organisations with a shared commitment to providing exceptional mental health support. Together, we offer specialist treatment, therapeutic services, education and community-based support to help people improve their mental health, build resilience and lead fulfilling lives.

About The Service

Our Children and Young People (CYP) Talking Therapies Service provides accessible, evidence-based counselling and psychotherapy for young people aged 11 to 25 experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties. Working collaboratively with families, schools, colleges, universities, GPs and partner organisations, we ensure young people receive timely, person-centred support tailored to their individual needs.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing referrals and enquiries into the CYP Talking Therapies Service.
• Undertaking comprehensive counselling assessments for young people aged 11–25 (and adults where required).
• Assessing clinical need, therapeutic goals, risk and safeguarding concerns.
• Recommending the most appropriate therapeutic intervention and allocating clients to suitably experienced counsellors.
• Managing the counselling waiting list and identifying appropriate alternative support where required.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records, outcome measures and assessment reports.
• Collaborating closely with counsellors, clinical supervisors and multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Liaising with schools, colleges, universities, GPs and external agencies.
• Supporting service development and continuous improvement.
• Participating in the recruitment of counsellors where appropriate.

What We're Looking For

• An experienced counselling professional who combines excellent clinical judgement with warmth, empathy and outstanding communication skills.
• A Diploma or Degree in Counselling or Psychotherapy.
• A specialist qualification in Children and Young People's Therapy.
• At least 450 post-qualification counselling hours.
• Membership of BACP, BACP CYPF, UKCP or another recognised professional body.
• A Level 3 Safeguarding qualification.
• Experience undertaking counselling assessments for children and young people.
• Experience working within a counselling or talking therapies service.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, mental health and referral pathways.
• Excellent written, verbal and IT skills.
• The ability to work independently whilst contributing positively within a multidisciplinary team.

Experience

Experience of the Jewish community, CRM systems and accredited professional membership would be advantageous but are not essential.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of children and young people while working within a highly respected specialist mental health service. You'll join a supportive, collaborative team committed to delivering outstanding care and continuous service improvement, with opportunities for ongoing professional development and clinical support.