Job Title: West London Counsellor Salary:£38,782 - 47,374 pro rata per annum Team: Family Support Services Hours: 30- 37.5 hours per week Location:Shooting Star House, Hampton, TW12 3RA and work in the community of North West London About Shooting Star Children’s Hospices We have an exciting opportunity for a counsellor to join our team at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. Shooting Star Children’s Hospices provides specialist care and support to families who have a baby, child or young person with a life-limiting condition, or who have been bereaved. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, we support families across Surrey, north-west London and south-west London from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care. At the heart of what we do are our dedicated staff; their exceptional commitment and professionalism means every family has the opportunity to make every moment count. About the Role We are recruiting versatile and empathetic qualified Counsellors to join our multidisciplinary team supporting bereaved parents including those who have experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of a child (through our Specialist Bereavement Pathway) and those with children who have life limiting conditions.The Counsellor will predominately be supporting families in West London, including Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster. The ideal candidates will be skilled in employing a variety of therapeutic approaches, ensuring that their needs are met in a personalised manner. This might include Trauma informed CBT Systemic counselling Psychodynamic counselling Working with mental health, suicide and self-harm We require counsellors who have a comprehensive understanding of how grief and loss can impact people, and who can be sensitive to these varied reactions. The counsellor needs to be able to support individuals with psychoeducation and flexible support immediately after a child’s death, as well as sets of sessions during the 3 years and 3 months post-death. This requires a flexible approach to the counselling intervention (including place, time and frequency of contact). Families at Shooting Star come from a range of diverse backgrounds and our counsellors need to understand and respect beliefs and practices related to grief, in order to provide sensitive and appropriate support. We welcome applications from counsellors who speak a second Language. We are looking for counsellors who can demonstrate warmth and kindness that will help our families to feel cared for and understood, creating a space for them to process their grief. This work can be challenging therefore applicants must be able to maintain their emotional well-being so that they can effectively support the families without becoming overwhelmed. The ability to cope with and recover from the demands of working with grieving individuals is important to sustain working in this role. Counsellors in our team work collaboratively with colleagues from the wider team from other disciplines and external organisations to provide a comprehensive programme of psychosocial care that empowers and enables families to thrive. What we offer In return you will receive a competitive salary along with a range of benefits, which include: Pension scheme NHS Pension Scheme (for eligible employees) or our stakeholder pension scheme, with up to 7% employer contributions Annual leave 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising with length of service 2 weeks paid sabbatical leave after 5, 10 and 15 years’ service Contractual benefits Generous sick pay scheme Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay Flexible working arrangements Death in service benefits Reimbursed professional membership fees Eye care Employee referral scheme Blue Light discount card Health and wellbeing Employee Assistance Programme Occupational Health Mindfulness sessions Cycle to work scheme Mental Health First Aiders Nutritionally balanced meals at Christopher’s (free for employees) and free fruit at our Hampton site Safeguarding We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff to share this commitment. Also, we are committed to equal opportunities and consider all applicants to be in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and a DBS check. Equality, diversity and inclusion Shooting Star Children’s Hospice is committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that getting things right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence. We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. Our vision is for Shooting Star Children’s Hospice to be a place where people of all backgrounds, groups and communities feel welcomed to work and volunteer. If you wish to apply, please complete the application form and email it to the recruitment team on careersshootingstar.org.uk Please email enquiries to Fiona.rankineshootingstar.org.uk or Tel: 07855272111 Closing Date 07.01.2025 Download the full Job Description