
Role: - Lead Counsellor
Reporting to:
The Chief Executive overall, and to the Operations Manager in respect of Annual, and other leave, requests.
Key Responsibilities:
• Administering the counselling department to ensure the delivery of quality, timely, ethical professional counselling services to Well Woman clients.
• Ensuring compliance with funder requirements (as defined in the SLA) in service delivery. Promoting awareness of those services, and overseeing their ongoing development.
• Supporting Well Woman’s two staff counsellors.
• Serving as the Designated Liaison Person (DLP) in respect of reports to Tusla
The Ideal Candidate:
• Will demonstrate a strong, practical awareness of how publically-funded services are delivered, and will be aware of the professional and business realities around delivering services in line with funder and contractual requirements.
• S/he will be able to work independently and will co-ordinate all of the practical, staffing, policy and administrative aspects of the counselling service.
• S/he will have a minimum of three years of experience, post-accreditation, in working in a professional counselling environment.
After 12 months (subject to funding, and depending on satisfactory performance in the role), there is potential to promote the Lead Counsellor to Head of Counselling Services.
Service delivery, policy development and staff administration:
The Lead Counsellor –
• Will have had experience in a senior or Lead Counsellor role for at least 2 years. Experience in overseeing a publically-funded counselling service, and delivering services to contractual requirements, will be an advantage
• Will have a strong, commercial customer-service ethos
• Will provide an agreed amount of counselling hours each week to Dublin Well Woman Centre clients (with some of the contracted hours being devoted to administration)
• Will provide a number (varying) of information or ‘Process’ calls to patients attending for EMA services, and will monitor levels of demand for these calls across the three clinics, ensuring balanced distribution
• Will interview and assess applicant counsellors
• Will be responsible for overseeing the team of two counsellors, including responsibility for induction of new counsellors, development (team and individual), inter-team communications, disciplinary issues, holding periodic team meetings, as well as one-to-one meetings with individual counsellors)
• Will build links with Well Woman’s medical and nursing teams, to support referral of patients and clients between these professional disciplines
• Will monitor training needs of counsellors, and identify appropriate resources to meet those needs (in line with individual Annual Training Allowances)
• Should ideally have experience and qualifications as a Supervisor in order to provide Case Management supervision to the team of Counsellors
• Will liaise with other professional bodies where appropriate, including holding quarterly meetings with other Lead Counsellors / Heads of Counselling in similar organisations
• Will assist in the development and communication of relevant Well Woman policies & procedures
• Will ensure the Chief Executive is briefed on matters of interest or concern in the delivery of Well Woman’s counselling service
Administration and Service Promotion:
The Lead Counsellor –
• Will work within the ethos and philosophy of the Dublin Well Woman Centre
• Will monitor the demand for crisis / unplanned pregnancy counselling services, and post-abortion counselling services, and plan necessary resources in order to meet demand
• Will prepare monthly statistics and will feed these in, within agreed deadlines, to the Finance Manager (who uses them in monthly management accounts, and in preparation of statistical returns for our funder).
• Will also prepare 6-monthly narrative reports on the operation of pregnancy-related counselling services, for our funder.
• Will monitor the demand for general counselling services, and liaise with the Chief Executive and Operations Manager around the future of this service
• Will record details of usage of the General Counselling service
• Will promote the Crisis / Unplanned Pregnancy counselling service including meeting with GPs, 3rd level Organisations, professional and women’s organisations. This will include liaising with the Social Media, Communications and Research Co-Ordinator in creating content for Well Woman’s social media channels
• Will keep updated with Practice & Procedures
• Will oversee quality of service delivery, including preliminary investigation of any complaints from clients.
• Will liaise with external bodies – such as the CPP, and / or researchers – as appropriate and as agreed with the CEO
Note:
Garda Vetting is a condition of employment in this role.
The successful applicant must be a fully accredited member of IACP or IAHIP (or an equivalent body).
Salary and Terms & Conditions:
Salary will be pro rata, based on a full-time salary of €64,350 (equates to €33 / hour). In addition, Well Woman will underwrite costs of monthly counselling supervision.
Upon completion of a probation period (ordinarily 3 – 4 months), an Annual Training Allowance and Study Leave are provided for.
Working Hours and Place of Work:
The role is structured on a part-time basis, in recognition of the likelihood that applicants may have their own counselling practice.
The Lead Counsellor will work between our Pembroke Road and Liffey Street clinics. The role is offered on a part-time basis, 21 hours / week across 4 days, Tue – Fri:
Tuesdays 9 am – 3.30 pm (1/2 hour break 1 pm to 1.30 pm)
Wednesdays 9 am – 2.30 pm (1/2 hour break 1 pm to 1.30 pm)
Thursdays 9 am – 2.30 pm (1/2 hour break 1 pm to 1.30 pm)
Fridays 9 am – 2.30 pm (1/2 hour break 1 pm to 1.30 pm)
Approximately 4 hours of the above are reserved for administration; the balance is to be used for client hours. From time to time, and with the agreement of the CEO and / or Operations Manager, additional administration hours may be allocated.
The role is advertised on the basis of a one-year contract, open to renewal. Applicants are asked to note that this role is contingent on continued HSE funding to support the service.
To apply:
Send a Letter of Application outlining your experience and qualifications, and CV, for the attention of Alison Begas, Chief Executive, at info@wellwomancentre.ie, stating ‘LEAD COUNSELLOR ROLE’ in the subject line.
Deadline for receipt of applications: Close of business, Tuesday, 17th May 2022. Interviews will take place during the week beginning 23rd May.