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Sunderland Counselling Service is a is a dynamic and diverse workplace where we are committed to delivering our charitable aims.
If you want to make a real difference and be part of our amazing team check out our latest job vacancies.
"An ethical organisation who cares equally about the staff and the service users. I feel the provisions are brilliant, management are very approachable, they make you feel your opinions matter. I find it a lovely place to be employed"
Feedback from our staff survey 2023
Sunderland Counselling Service is seeking to recruit to the following vacancies.
Clinical Supervisor - Sunderland Counselling Service
Location: Sunderland Counselling Service, 51 John Street,, Sunderland, SR1 1QN
Hours: 0.5 FTE 18.75 hours per week (excluding breaks)
Days: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which may include evening work
Salary: £37,338 pro rata (Comparable to AfC Band 6 with supervisor qualification)
£46,148 pro rata (Comparable to AfC Band 7 with PCE-CfD Supervisors qualification and BACP Accreditation, or equivalent)
Sunderland Counselling Service is seeking to appoint an experienced Clinical Supervisor who will deliver supervision to counsellors and reflective practice to link workers in our staff team. In order to meet the needs of the service, we will require the post holder to provide 18.75 hours of supervision a week equating to two and a half days.
The post holder will act as a Clinical Supervisor for the organisation and will provide counselling supervision for both salaried and volunteer counsellors working within Sunderland Counselling Service, across all counselling services. This currently includes but may not be limited to: Counselling within primary care and Talking Therapies, sexual violence services, occupational health services, hospice services, Children and Young People and services working with life limiting or life-threatening illness.
The post holder will also provide reflective practice supervision for staff in our mental health link work services. This currently includes but is not limited to: Community mental health, listening ear, maternal mental and psychiatric liaison link work services.
We also anticipate the post holder will support the wider team in responding to clinical needs within the service, including but not limited to case management, responding to queries from staff and clients, reviewing waiting list additions, supporting service user feedback and assisting the Clinical Lead in maintaining the service BACP accreditation standards.
We are keen to hear from qualified and BACP accredited supervisors who have significant and varied experience across a range of services.
As part of the Sunderland Counselling Service Supervision team, the post holder will report to the Clinical Lead and provide primarily face to face supervision in Sunderland but may be expected to travel to our services throughout the North East. The post holder will be expected to regularly correspond with therapists and managers to ensure the most effective treatment is offered to clients.
The successful candidate will be entitled to Sunderland Counselling Service benefits such as 30 days’ annual leave (pro-rata), access to our 24/7 employee assistance programme, Cycle2Work Scheme, Group Life Assurance, Group Critical Illness Cover, salary sacrifice, family leave benefits and training opportunities. The employee will be part of a supportive team which emphasises the importance of continuing personal and professional development.
If you would like to have a discussion about this position please contact Marianne Guthzeit, Clinical Lead via email [email protected] or Leanne Davis, Head of Services at [email protected] or via telephone, 0191 514 7007.
All completed applications are to be returned to [email protected] alongside our Equal Opportunities and Diversity Form by 9am on Friday 27th June 2025. Applications received after this time will not be considered.
Please download below:
- Job Description
- Application Form
- GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
- Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document
Psychiatric Liaison Team Link Workers
Contract Type: Fixed term for one year
Contract Hours: 37.5 hours p/w
Salary: AfC Band 5 comparable (£29, 970)
Application deadline: 20th June 2025
Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) is seeking to appoint a link worker to work alongside the Psychiatric Liaison Team at the Sunderland Royal Hospital, in an exciting new pilot project. The service will be set within a unique independent mental health charity, which is acknowledged for its contribution to the community by mental health professionals, health practitioners and local and regional voluntary and statutory agencies.
This new project will provide support to meet the needs of people with mental health problems in Sunderland who present at the Emergency Department at SRH. The project will use a holistic, person centred approach to collaboratively support people to manage emotional, social and environmental stressors within a recovery-based approach.
The post holder will work with individuals following an assessment being carried out by a mental health practitioner within PLT who will direct individuals to the link worker. Work may include direct emotional or practical support, signposting, providing self-help materials, a check in system, identifying a suitable package of specific support and making any necessary onward referrals, while always being led by the individual themselves.
The post holder will work with frequent attenders to PLT through attending formulation sessions/MDT to identify any themes and to support implementation of any plans to prevent re attendance at SRH.
This activity is envisaged as additional non-clinical emotional and practical support to wrap around existing mental health services, to support people while they are waiting for formal treatment, prevent deterioration, maximising treatment outcomes and supporting independence. It is NOT intended to operate as a crisis service or an alternative to crisis services, nor as a clinical intervention and would not take on care planning or case management functions which clearly must be provided by clinical staff.
The post holder will be required to work flexibly from a variety of locations including SRH Emergency Department and the developing Community Hubs across the City of Sunderland.
The post holder will be employed on a fixed term contract of one year which will be subject to a probationary period of 6 months. As this is a pilot project, continuing employment is subject to obtaining ongoing project related funding.
If you have any questions about this role, please contact Alicia Harris, Senior Community Link worker or Toby Sweet (Chief Executive) on 0191 514 7007.
Further information about the role can be found below.
Please note applications for this post must be submitted to [email protected] by 11.59pm on 9th June alongside a completed equal opportunity and diversity form. Applications after this time will not be considered.
Please download below:
- Job Description
- Application Form
- GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
- Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document
Maternal Mental Health Link Worker
Contract Type: Fixed term for one year
Contract Hours: 12 hours p/w
Salary: AfC Band 5 comparable (£29,970)
Application deadline: 20th June 2025
Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) is seeking to appoint a link worker to work within our Maternal Mental Health Link Work service. The service is set within a unique independent mental health charity, which is acknowledged for its contribution to the community by mental health professionals, health practitioners and local and regional voluntary and statutory agencies.
The post holder will be required to work flexibly from a variety of locations throughout the City of Sunderland and South Tyneside, including SCS office base, GP surgeries and other community venues such as Family Hubs. The post holder will also be able to work flexibly and confidentially from home at times to suit client and service needs.
The purpose of the role is to support mothers who are experiencing emotional distress or feeling at a crisis point to find solutions to their current issues and help develop more effective ways of managing their mental and emotional wellbeing, in order to help deliver better outcomes from preconception through to their baby’s 2nd birthday. The service works with women experiencing practical and social difficulties that impact their daily functioning and who present with moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties who may benefit from step-down provision.
The post holder will carry out assessments of need and provide support and guidance to people who are referred into the service via our establish pathways. This may include direct emotional or practical support, signposting, providing self-help materials, a check in system, identifying a suitable package of specific support and making any necessary onward referrals.
This activity is envisaged as additional non-clinical emotional and practical support to wrap around existing mental health services, to support people while they are waiting for formal treatment, prevent deterioration, maximising treatment outcomes and supporting independence. It is NOT intended to operate as a crisis service or an alternative to crisis services, nor as a clinical intervention and would not take on care planning or case management functions which clearly must be provided by clinical staff.
The post holder will be employed on a fixed term contract of one year which will be subject to a probationary period of 6 months, with continued employment being subject to obtaining ongoing project related funding.
If you have any questions about this role, please contact Alicia Harris (Senior Mental Health Link Worker) or Toby Sweet (Chief Executive) on 0191 514 7007.
Further information about the role can be found below.
Please note applications for this post must be submitted to [email protected] by 11.59pm on 20th June alongside a completed equal opportunity and diversity form. Applications after this time will not be considered.
Please download below:
- Job Description
- Application Form
- GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
- Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document
School Counselling Service/Counsellor Position
Hours: two days a week, 15 hours p/w or 0.4 FTE term time only. One day must be a Monday or Thursday.
Salary: £10348.74 per annum. (one post is £5024.34 and the other post is £5324.40 per year)
Contract type: Temporary for 12 months in the first instance with continued employment dependent upon project funding. It is also subject to successful completion of the probationary 6 months period. One post is for maternity cover and will only be for 12 months
Location: Two schools in the Sunderland area
An exciting opportunity has arisen at Sunderland Counselling Service for an energetic individual with experience of working as a counsellor/therapist with children and young people.
The post holders will be employed by Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) and will be working from two School in the Sunderland area during school term time only. One of these is a primary school and the other is a special educational provision. The post holder will be engaged in the delivery and development of the school-based counselling 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. This may involve some group work as well as one-to-one counselling depending upon the needs of the school and will be face-to face work.
The successful candidates will be qualified to Degree, MSc, MA, or Diploma level in Counselling and will ideally possess a recognised Qualification in working therapeutically with children and young people or have significant experience working with children and young people.
We require therapists who can complete comprehensive assessments for clients referred to the service to determine their therapeutic and other support needs.
Terms and conditions of this post are provided by SCS. This includes 30 days annual leave per year, pension scheme and access to a free and confidential employee assistance programme and a health programme.
It would be advisable that anyone interested in the position contact Caroline Gardner Senior Counsellor on 0191 2831656 for an informal discussion about the post. Closing date is 11.59pm Sunday 29th June. Interviews will be around the 3rd July.
Please download below:
- Job Description
- Application Form
- GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
- Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document