School Counsellor

Bury Grammar School is seeking to appoint a motivated, experienced and qualified School Counsellor to work alongside our Pastoral and Health Teams and provide specialist counselling support to pupils.  The role will focus on pupil well-being, resilience and emotional health within school and will support the pupils’ specific needs by addressing individual challenges through 1:1 counselling sessions.

Job Purpose

To provide support to the Senior Mental Health Lead to:

·        Provide high-quality counselling to pupils experiencing a wide range of emotional problems.

·        Provide support, guidance and advice to parents as well as colleagues and professionals in school.

·        Support with the effective identification of pupils needing pastoral input through triage and use of the referral systems internally and external to the school.

·        Contribute to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare and personal care of children and young people.

Hours of Work

This role is offered over two days per week when the School is in session during term-time. Attendance is required at School for any INSET days or similar which may fall on the days immediately prior to the start or at the end of term.  The contracted hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm.

Due to the nature of the work, telephone calls and email exchanges may occasionally be needed out of hours to ensure the welfare of pupils.

Hours worked outside normal contracted hours will be paid as overtime.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

·        To be responsible for the confidential counselling interventions to pupils as needed.

·        To be responsible for advice and support to staff.

·        To be responsible for maintaining appropriate and confidential records including updating CPOMS and any other school system.

·        To undertake triage assessments.

·        To complete high quality referrals to external agencies as required.

·        To liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Senior Mental Health Lead on a frequent basis.

·        To provide regular audit information such as numbers, age range and types of problems to the Senior Leadership Team and Governors.

·        To have a thorough knowledge of the Mental Health provision locally and nationally.

·        To continually review and evaluate the service.  To undertake any other duties that may be reasonably deemed part of the role.

The successful candidate will:

·        Show proven experience of working with children and in a busy school environment.

·        Assess the level of need of pupils in order to supply them with the appropriate emotional guidance and support or to refer them on to other agencies.

·        Provide individual counselling and support for pupils whose assessed needs require specific intervention.

·        Undertake preventative action work in order to alleviate problems and to promote positive mental health.  This provision to be flexible to meet need outside the school day in some cases.

·        Provide guidance and support within the school to staff to a level which enables them to work effectively with pupils with problems.  This may involve delivering whole school training sessions at Inset or specific workshops as part of our commitment to continuous CPD.

·        Continue to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided and assess further developmental need.

·        Work collaboratively with members of the Pastoral and Health Teams to support and meet the needs of pupils, developing management strategies for pupils with problems or in need.

·        Work alongside the Senior Mental Health Lead to ensure that pupils know about the School’s counselling service and provide resources to explain the support service.

·        Record all relevant details associated with case management, ensuring that this information is easily accessible to appropriate agencies as needed while maintaining pupil confidentiality.

·        Be able to demonstrate awareness of all relevant legislation such as Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), Working Together to Safeguard Children (WT) Safeguarding, Health and Safety and in line with School policies, ensure compliance at all times.