Colchester Medical Practice are looking for an enthusiastic, committed and accredited primary care counsellor to join our team to provide a counselling service for adults, on a two year fixed term contract. This role can be offered on a full or part-time basis for a minimum of 22.5 hours to 37.5 hours per week. We provide low and high-intensity therapies within the standards of a stepped-care model and require an individual with significant experience of working in primary care and providing brief counselling sessions for patients with depression. Main duties will include; Providing initial assessments, including risk assessments. Offering appropriate short-term counselling or referral on to more appropriate services. Communicating outcomes to GPs/referrers. Working autonomously within professional and service guidelines and to exercise responsibility for governance of their counselling practice. Delivering face-to-face and online remotely. Colchester Medical Practice will offer a service that operates between the hours of 8.00 am to 18:00pm. About the Candidate Applicants should have the following qualifications and experience: Essential: Formal approved qualification in counselling at diploma level. Accreditation with BCP/UKCP/BACP or other approved organisations. Evidence of Continuing Professional Development. Post qualification experience. Applicants must be accredited or working towards accreditation with the BACP or equivalent. Evidence of providing brief effective treatment to adults with a wide range of mild to moderate mental health problems. Desirable: Training and experience in CBT based brief interventions. Experience of working in a primary care setting or IAPT service. Experience of using computerised patient record system and psychometric measures. Skills: Essential: Evidence of ability to communicate and work effectively within the service including orally and in writing Ability to carry out assessments (including ricks assessments) on patients with mild to moderate mental health problems Understanding of mild to moderate mental health problems Understanding of risk assessments and its management within a primary care setting Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with patients and other professionals Ability to manage own caseload and time Ability to cope with with emotionally demanding and stressful situations involved when providing counselling. Good IT skills. About Us Colchester Medical Practice is a well established PCN, delivering excellent care to over 40,000 patients across the city of Colchester. We have four sites (Shrub End Surgery, Castle Gardens Medical Practice, Wimpole Road Surgery and Parsons Heath Medical Practice) and a new Health and Wellbeing Hub, based at our Parsons Heath site. We are well established with a rating of GOOD by the Care Quality Commission. As a practice we employ over 120 colleagues to provide excellent healthcare to patients across Colchester. We offer a range of staff benefits including: NHS pension scheme - The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefits scheme which includes: Life insurance, Family benefits including an adult dependents pension and children’s pension, Ill health benefits and 2 0% employer contribution Proper Pay - Living Wage Foundation Accredited Eye-care vouchers Health service discounts. Annual leave: minimum 33 days FTE. Enhanced maternity & paternity terms Uniform provided for colleagues if required Free use of Holly Health Mental Wellbeing App. Flexible working contracts available upon request. Excellent training opportunities and progression provided. Disclosure and Barring Service Check Please note this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.