The Role
Post: Senior Counsellor
Salary: £54,332 per annum
Grade: FRS F
Salary range: £54,332 - £70,549 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: 4 PM on Thursday 06 March 2025
London Fire Brigade (LFB) is London’s Fire and Rescue Service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world. We are here to make London a safer city.
We employ over 5,500 people, across our operational team (our firefighters), control (our call handlers who answer your 999 calls) and our non-operational team (our teams who work behind the scenes to support our front-line services, including HR, IT, Finance, Procurement, Communications etc.).
An exciting vacancy has arisen in the LFB for a second Senior Staff Counsellor to join our Counselling and Trauma Service on a permanent basis. We provide a comprehensive counselling service covering all areas of work-related and personal issues to the staff of a large emergency service.
Are you a qualified Counsellor or Psychotherapist with accredited or senior accredited status in the BACP or equivalent?
Do you have a qualification and/or proven experience in delivering clinical supervision?
Do you have experience of managing aspects of an established counselling service?
Do you possess the expertise, skills and enthusiasm to join a well-established team?
You will have the skills to develop effective counselling /supervisory relationships with a wide range of staff/staff counsellors from a variety of cultural backgrounds and possess an understanding of the role of counselling in an organisational setting.
Specialist skills in using CBT, expertise in working with trauma related issues and experience in management of a counselling service would be an advantage.
The postholder will be expected to participate in an on-call rota (an on-call allowance will apply to this post).
Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role are detailed in the job description. If you are unable to see the job description, salary range or the full advert, please visit our jobs pages at https://jobs.london-fire.gov.uk/alljobs/ to access the full advert.
We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
Eligibility
Applicants must hold a minimum Diploma in Counselling and be currently accredited by the BACP or equivalent organisation.
Assessment Overview
Stage 1
To apply, please complete the online application, upload a copy of your up-to-date CV and provide evidence to address the following selection criteria:
1. The post-holder must hold a minimum Diploma in Counselling and be currently accredited by the BACP or equivalent organisation.
2. Substantial experience of providing clinical supervision.
3. Experience of managing aspects of a busy counselling service.
4. Understanding of a range of therapeutic modalities and techniques as appropriate for workplace counselling in a large emergency service.
5. Maintaining information and record systems efficiently and developing improvements.
6. Organisational: be able to prioritise and plan own and other workloads to ensure that targets and service requirements are met and to cope with changing demands.
Please note that we will score the evidence you provide based on the competencies listed in the selection criteria above.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend stage 2.
Please ensure you give yourself enough time to complete and submit your application. Late or un-submitted applications cannot be accepted.
Please note any correspondence received from us will be via e-mail and sent to the address you provide on your application form.
Stage 2
Assessment for this role is due to take place mid/late-March 2025. Please be advised that if you are unable to make the scheduled assessment date, we may not be able to make alternative arrangements.
Additional Information
Benefits of working for the London Fire Brigade
• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Flexi-time Scheme (which can result in an additional 12 days annual leave)
• Additional leave between Christmas Day and New Year
• Family (including maternity) leave and emergency support leave
• Flexible working including work from home 60%
• Free access to the Brigade gym
• Use of the Brigade’s Medical Adviser/physios/fitness advisers
• Free counselling
• Season ticket loans
• Join social networks including our Equality Support Groups
• Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff discount scheme including access to Blue Light Card retail and hospitality discounts
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation
In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences which are not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced check will be undertaken on the successful person before an appointment is confirmed.
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