Job title: Catalyst Counselling Coordinator
Organisation: Catalyst is a charity – Supporting wellness together, we promote people’s mental health, physical health and overall wellbeing by providing support to the whole person in Surrey and surrounding area.
Main purpose of job: Triage and assessment of service users for suitability for counselling, allocation of service users into counselling, managing the process of counsellor recruitment and supporting volunteer counsellors.
Department: Catalyst Counselling
Location/Branch: Woking / Hybrid
Role reports to: Clinical Service Manager – Lorraine Balaam
Hours: 21 Hours, flexible across the week but must include the following days as a minimum and open to the number of hours each day:
Monday’s, Wednesdays and Fridays
Length of contract: Fixed Term (initially to 31st August 2025)
Salary: £29680 pa FTE
Key Accountabilities
* To undertake telephone, virtual or face-to-face client triages and assessments (when necessary) for the counselling service.
* To support the Clinical Service Manager with an oversight of the functions and operations of the service so we can offer a robust and professional counselling service.
* To deputise for the service manager at times of service manager absence or workload pressures.
* To support the volunteer counsellors and Clinical Service Manager in relation to the functions of providing the Catalyst Counselling contract and Catalyst policies and procedures that underpin our governance and in line with BACP.
* To support Catalyst Counselling Administrators during peak times and absences.
Purpose of tasks: Client suitability for counselling
* Contacting clients for triage to ascertain suitability for counselling.
* Leaving messages and following up if a client doesn’t answer the call.
* Signposting to another service if beneficial for the client.
* If a client is borderline in terms of suitability for counselling, suggesting alternative support options and calling to reassess again after an agreed period of time.
* Booking client assessments in the diary.
* Updating database following triage call.
* Advising administrator following booking of an assessment.
* Carrying out assessments as required.
* Having oversight of all assessments and oversee client suitability for counselling.
Purpose of tasks: Client allocation into counselling
* Matching client with an appropriate counsellor and allocating clients into counselling slots.
* Manage the process of allocation and supporting the administration team with the process.
Purpose of tasks: New counsellor applications
* Checking placement applications and suitability for placement.
* Management of the application spreadsheet.
* Interviewing new counsellors alongside Clinical Service Manager.
* Managing the on-boarding of new counsellors.
* Preparing College Agreements for signature by Clinical Service Manager.
* Training new counsellors alongside Clinical Service Manager.
* Keeping accurate records of supervision attendances and ensuring supervision groups have appropriate number of supervisees.
Purpose of tasks: Support for counsellors and administration team
* Provide first level support to the volunteer counsellors and the administration team.
General terms of reference:
* Work collaboratively across the organisation to offer support to all main functions.
* Be committed to the role and support Catalyst to be the most efficient it can be.
* Be someone who believes in fairness and conducts themselves with integrity.
* Work flexibly across operational sites, including working from home arrangements in agreement with your line manager, as required which may include evening and weekend work.
* Be motivated to improve personal performance, outcomes, contribution, knowledge and skills.
* Be professional when partaking in Management, Trustee Board and other work related team meetings; appraisals, workforce development and supervision processes.
* Keep abreast of developments in services, legislation and identify good practices where appropriate.
* Contribute to maintaining safe systems of work and a safe environment for all staff on site or working remotely.
* Represent Catalyst at external agencies/meetings and support our values and the culture of Catalyst.
* Assist in ensuring GDPR compliance throughout the service.
* Adhere to health and safety compliance, ensuring timely and accurate record keeping.
* Adhere to confidentiality policy.
* Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade of the post.
This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at a basic level. Please note past drug and/or alcohol or criminality history will not necessarily discount you from undertaking this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications and experience
* Qualified counsellor (minimum Level 4 diploma in Counselling).
* A minimum of one year post qualification counselling experience.
* Experience of working with clients presenting with drug/alcohol and mental health concerns.
* Experience of taking referrals and conducting triage, assessment for counselling.
* Experience of using supervision.
* Identifying and raising safeguarding/risk issues and follow safeguarding procedures.
Knowledge and skills
* An understanding of confidentiality, consent, information sharing, in line with GDPR.
* Knowledge of different counselling skills and evidence-based approaches to supporting people with drug, alcohol issues, mental health and associated complexity.
* An understanding of the issues and needs of the client group.
* Ability to maintain professional boundaries.
* Skills in writing triage and assessment notes.
* Ability to work in an organized manner and work within the administrative processes in place.
* Ability to multi-task and prioritise effectively.
* Ability to maintain safety whilst working in the community.
* Ability to manage own time and to work effectively – setting up systems where necessary.
Information technology
* Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.
* Ability to enter data onto a database as required by the Service.
Personal attributes
* Have authentic attributes of Kindness, Commitment and Integrity.
* Ability to work as a team and support other team members.
* Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with counsellors, supervisors and team members.
* Ability to interact effectively with the client group.
* Ability to maintain Equal Opportunity standards at all times.
* Ability to be robust when working with the client group as well as demonstrate compassion and willingness to go the extra mile.
* Ability to maintain respect for the client group, peers and partners.
* Adaptable to change.
* Confident and open when dealing with the challenges faced by the client group.
* Dynamic and self-motivated.
* Ability to break down stigma and barriers associated with working with the client group.
* Proactive, motivated and energetic.
* Ability to work calmly in a challenging environment.
* Capacity to innovate; work flexibly on your own initiative as well as part of a team.
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