Team: Family Support Services
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.
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 living in Surrey and South West London, in our specialist counselling rooms at our Guildford and Hampton hospice.
Systemic counselling
Psychodynamic counselling
Working with mental health, suicide and self-harm
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).
We welcome applications from counsellors who speak a second Language. It is essential that you are a car driver, with your own vehicle.
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. 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
Generous sick pay scheme
Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay
Flexible working arrangements
Reimbursed professional membership fees
Employee referral scheme
Blue Light discount card
Health and wellbeing
Employee Assistance Programme
Occupational Health
Cycle to work scheme
Mental Health First Aiders
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. Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.
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.