Sunderland Community Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service (SCCYPMHS) Counsellor

Hours:                  Part time

Salary:                  £40,823 per annum (FTE)– with BACP (or equivalent) accreditation and recognised Clinical Supervision qualification

£38,682 per annum (FTE) – with and BACP (or equivalent) accreditation

£31,049 per annum (FTE)- as a qualified counsellor

Contract type:    Permanent (subject to successful 6-month probationary period)

Location:             To work in various community settings, including SCCYPMHS bases

Sunderland Counselling Service is seeking to appoint 2 counsellors to work as a counsellor / therapist with children and young people from 5-18 years old. The post holder will be engaged in the delivery and development of the counselling and training components of the service, and will work with children and young people whose lives are, or have been, affected by events to such a level that it impacts upon their emotional and mental well-being. One post if for 0.8FTE or 4 days. The second post is 0.6 FTE or 3 days. Please ensure that you state on your application which post you are applying for.

The salary for this post is dependent upon qualifications held by the successful candidate(s).  We will offer £40,823 the equivalent of a mid-point of Band 6 Agenda for Change salary, to post holders who are BACP accredited (or equivalent) and counselling supervisor qualified.  Successful candidates who are BACP accredited (or equivalent) only would be paid £38,682 the equivalent of a Band 6 agenda for change entry salary.  We will also welcome applications from those working towards accreditation, in this instance staff will be paid £31,049. We will support all staff in achieving their accreditation status by paying accreditation fees, providing clinical supervision, additional line management support, etc. where required.

All employees’ terms and conditions of employment are provided by Sunderland Counselling Service. This includes 30 days annual leave per year (FTE), pension scheme, access to a free and confidential employee assistance programme.

The post holders will be employed by Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) and work with colleagues across the wider Sunderland Community Children and Young Peoples Mental health Service  (SCCYPMHS) team. These posts will be based in one of our SCCYPMHS bases, but the successful applicant will be expected to travel. The post holders will be expected to offer face to face sessions throughout the Service bases in Sunderland according to service requirements.

We are seeking counsellors with at least 2 years’ experience of working with children and young people in a counselling setting and are qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling. The counselling provided will be predominantly face to face but there may be times when support is offered over the phone or using a video function. The successful candidates must adhere to session limits and models defined by the service.

We require therapists who can complete comprehensive assessments for clients referred to the service to determine their therapeutic and other support needs. The successful counsellors will have a sound knowledge of the legislative frameworks in relation to mental health and child protection. If they hold an appropriate Clinical Supervision qualification they will also be responsible for the recruitment, management and provision of clinical supervision for a team of volunteer counsellors.

If you would like further information about this role, please contact Caroline Gardner, Senior Counsellor on 01915244000

Applications, alongside a completed Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring form, should be emailed to [email protected] by 11.59pm on Sunday, 9th November 2025. Applications received after this time will not be considered.  Applications can also be completed on line using the NHS jobs website.

Interviews will take place on 24th November

Please download below:

• Job Description
• Application Form
• GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
• Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document