Volunteer Trainee Counsellor

Working Pattern: 3 hours per week

Start date: March 2025

Placement duration: March 2025 - July 2026

Application Deadline: Friday 31st January 2025

Salary: Not applicable - this is a volunteer position

The Prospect Trust is a leading Multi-Academy Trust in the South of England, with an aim of providing outstanding education for all learners within a family of local academies. There are currently three academies within the Trust: The Sixth Form College Farnborough, Tomlinscote School and Frimley Church of England Junior School.

Key strengths of The Sixth Form College are:

• ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted
• Achievement of high grades with excellent value added;
• Outstanding teaching by a team of experienced and motivated staff;
• Exceptional levels of support for students both inside and outside of lessons;
• Innovative use of IT to promote learning embedded as a regular part of normal teaching.

The Role:

We are looking to recruit volunteer trainee counsellors completing a Level four diploma or equivalent to work within our established counselling service. Working with 16-19 year old students the placement will start in March 2025. Students using the college counselling service come from a wide variety of backgrounds and the issues brought to counselling are very diverse. We would like counsellors to apply who have an interest in working with young people. Requirements for prospective placement counsellors are:

●      A minimum of Diploma level;

●      A certificate of competence to counsel from your training provider;

●      Be able to offer 3 hours counselling time per week, term time;

●      Be a member of the BACP and hold suitable Public and Professional Liability Insurance.

In return we offer:

●      In house supervision;

●      CPD;

●      Supportive Placement.

If you would like to have a further discussion before applying for this role please contact the HR team on team_HR@prospecttrust.org.uk

Please complete the attached application form and equality monitoring form and email all completed applications to recruitment@prospecttrust.org.uk by 9am, Friday 31st January 2025.

The Prospect Trust takes the control and processing of employee data very seriously and is committed to acting in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation; please read the attached applicant privacy notice which explains how your data is processed.

Prior to the interview, an online search will be conducted by HR, to identify any past or current incidents or issues that might affect your suitability to work with children and undertake this role. Please note this online search will be carried out only on publicly available information and be limited to issues relating to your suitability to work with children and/or in an educational environment. Issues that arise will not automatically be a bar to your employment at the Trust but may be discussed with you at interview. This is in line with statutory guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified applicants, however all disabled applicants who meet our minimum criteria will be invited for an interview.

The Prospect Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people within our care and requires all staff and volunteers to share and demonstrate this commitment. The job description fully sets out the safeguarding responsibilities of the post. Any future offer of employment remains subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including enhanced DBS clearance, a health check and references.