Overview
Counsellor – Southend on Sea
Permanent
£12,360
**Please note this is a part-time role, 17.5 hours per week)**
Forward Trust is seeking a qualified and compassionate Counsellor or Psychotherapist to join our integrated healthcare team, supporting adults (18+) affected by substance use needs and complex trauma.
You will play a key role in delivering psychosocial interventions as part of our community addictions services, helping clients achieve meaningful recovery. Using a trauma-informed approach, you’ll provide one-to-one therapeutic counselling and work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure holistic, person-centred care.
This is a rewarding opportunity to join a supportive, multidisciplinary team and make a real difference in people’s lives.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a diverse caseload, delivering approximately 5 client contact hours per day.
- Conduct comprehensive counselling assessments and contribute to client allocations in collaboration with the service Psychologist.
- Maintain and manage waiting lists effectively.
- Provide operational supervision for student counsellors.
- Work with the Psychologist to develop and deliver staff workshops promoting wellbeing and resilience.
- Contribute to service development by sharing knowledge of trauma-informed care and best practice.
What We’re Looking For
Essential:
- Minimum Level 4 Diploma in Counselling or Psychotherapy (or equivalent).
- Registration with BACP (or equivalent professional body).
- Experience delivering trauma-focused counselling (e.g., EMDR, CBT, or other recognised therapeutic models).
- Experience delivering operational supervision.
- Knowledge and understanding of clinical governance and risk management.
- Experience working with a diverse range of clients and presenting issues.
- Ability to work independently and manage a flexible session schedule.
- Understanding of continuity of care, holistic client needs, and community services.
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding and trauma-informed approaches.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Strong IT skills (including Microsoft Office and case management systems).
About Us
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits –
- Flexible working
- Training and development opportunities
- Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
- Season Ticket Loan Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Crisis Loan Scheme
- Electric Car Scheme
- 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata’d for part time employees)
- Access to Blue Light Card
- 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
- Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
- Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
- Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.
To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.
Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work
If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.
