Student Counsellor/Child Psychologist

Purpose of Job

The Student Counsellor provides Whole School leadership in mental health and wellbeing, including promotion, education, training, initiatives, resources, policies, and procedures. They will work very closely with the SIS DSL team.

This vitally important whole school role is central to the promotion and protection of the wellbeing of our whole community as well making sure that we give the best possible support to students with identified mental health needs.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• Play a key role in setting a culture within the school that promotes openness and understanding to normalise mental health and its fluctuations throughout life.
   
• Work with key staff to support and champion activities that promote safeguarding and wellbeing across the school.
   
• Work closely with DSL team and all Pastoral/Safeguarding Leads, Learning Support Leads and Nursing Team across the school.
   
• Lead the School Counselling Service
   
• Contribute to the development of robust policies and procedures related to the safeguarding and wellbeing of all students; connect different policies and processes to ensure they are working together to support wellbeing.
   
• Work closely with the Director of Teaching Learning (the whole school CPD lead) to ensure that all safeguarding training is complete and up-to-date for new and existing colleagues
   
• Work closely with the DSL team to share best practice and strengthen provision at SIS.

Identify Need and Monitor Impact of Interventions

• Assist in identifying needs, determining potential risks and co-ordinating support or referral to ensure students have timely access to effective mental health support when needed

• Support the ongoing development of enhancing systems and processes that identify student needs

• Monitor impact of interventions by seeking feedback from and giving feedback to staff, students and parents, to ensure those experiencing poor mental health get the support they need to be able to engage in all aspects of school life and participate in lessons and extra- curricular activities.

Targeted Support and Referral

• Support/supervise key staff in providing interventions for students with identified mental health and wellbeing needs

• Work in partnership with local mental health professionals and providers to ensure the needs of students are known, understood and met; make and support effective referrals to these services

• Collaborate with Safeguarding and Pastoral Leads in complex individual student case conferences and parent/guardian meetings as appropriate

Staff Development

• Facilitate development of staff awareness and knowledge of potential mental health and wellbeing difficulties students may experience; provide training internally and identify critical externally-provided training to ensure that all staff can recognise mental health concerns and understand how to respond

• Contribute to internally-led safeguarding training and arrangement of externally-provided training

Effective Engagement with Parents and Guardians

• Develop positive relationships and work jointly with parents and guardians from a range of backgrounds and in a range of situations (including when relationships are difficult or a parent/guardian/student is distressed) using a range of strategies to successfully engage them in mental health and wellbeing

• Support and/or signpost relevant evidence-based resources for parents and guardians so they can develop skills and strategies to support both their child and themselves

• Lead and contribute to parent workshops to enable increased understanding of mental health and wellbeing issues that their children may face and early signs of these, share potential support strategies and emphasise that looking after mental health and wellbeing is the responsibility of all members of the school community

• Develop strategies to engage parents and guardians in promoting a culture of wellbeing within and outside school hours

Supporting Student Voice/Curriculum and Learning

• Support student groups across the school to enable opportunities to express their views and influence decisions

• Assist staff in promoting wellbeing and developing resilience through the curriculum

• Highly motivated and positive individual that is passionate about positive mental health and wellbeing
   
• BA or MA in (Mental Health Support, Educational Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Counselling backgrounds considered)
   
• Experience in working with young people
   
• Empathetic individual who can work alongside others in a compassionate and non- judgemental manner
   
• Committed to their own ongoing learning and development
   
• Clear communicator who can work alongside stakeholders in many different contexts
   
• Understanding of relevant legislation and good practice within the realm of Mental Health Support Services
   
• Relating knowledge of a range of therapies and interventions that promote improved mental wellbeing to support individual students
   
• To have an understanding of safeguarding in any setting
   
• Ability to reflect on professional practice and determine with other areas of improvement and further development needs
   
• Awareness of data protection, child protection, confidentiality legislation
   
• Appropriate references.

Education is an ever-changing service and all staff are expected to participate constructively in school activities and to adopt a flexible approach to their work. Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified. The post holder will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from the line manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description. This job description may be amended at any time following discussion between the line manager and member of staff, and will be reviewed annually during the appraisal process, and will be varied in the light of the business needs of the school.

How To Apply

Interested and qualified applicants shall send their updated CV and application letter via: 

jobs@sandfordschool.org