Talking Therapies Counselling Assessor – Children and Young PersonsNHS

Job summary

The Talking Therapies CYP Counselling Assessor will play a key role within Jewish Care and Jamis Children and Young People Talking Therapies Service, supporting young people aged 1125 to access the right therapeutic support at the right time. Working 20 hours per week, the postholder will be responsible for managing referrals, undertaking specialist counselling assessments, assessing clinical need, risk, safeguarding concerns, and therapeutic goals, and recommending the most appropriate intervention. The role involves working closely with young people, families, counsellors, clinical supervisors, and external professionals to ensure safe, effective, and person-centred support. The postholder will also contribute to waiting list management, service development, and maintaining high standards of clinical practice and record keeping.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a compassionate and experienced Talking Therapies CYP Counselling Assessor to join our Children and Young People Talking Therapies Service. You will be the first clinical point of contact for many young people accessing support, carrying out assessments and helping them begin their therapeutic journey. Working with counsellors, families, schools, healthcare professionals, and community partners, you will help ensure young people receive the right support at the right time. This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced counselling professional with strong clinical judgement, excellent communication skills, and a passion for improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Job description

Help young people access the right support at the right time. At Jewish Care and Jami, we believe that every child and young person deserves access to high-quality mental health support when they need it most.

We're looking for a compassionate, experienced and clinically skilled Talking Therapies CYP Counselling Assessor to join our Children and Young People Talking Therapies Service on a part-time basis (20 hours per week, Monday to Friday).

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping a young person's therapeutic journey by carrying out specialist assessments, managing referrals and ensuring they are matched with the most appropriate counselling support.

About Jewish Care and Jami Jewish Care is the largest health and social care charity serving the Jewish community in London and the South East. Every week, our services support more than 12,000 people, delivered by over 1,200 dedicated colleagues across residential care, nursing, retirement living, community support, social work and mental health services.

In November 2023, Jami became part of Jewish Care, bringing together two organisations with a shared commitment to providing exceptional mental health support. Together, we offer specialist treatment, therapeutic services, education and community-based support to help people improve their mental health, build resilience and lead fulfilling lives.

About the Service Our Children and Young People (CYP) Talking Therapies Service provides accessible, evidence-based counselling and psychotherapy for young people aged 11 to 25 experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties.

Working collaboratively with families, schools, colleges, universities, GPs and partner organisations, we ensure young people receive timely, person-centred support tailored to their individual needs.

About the Role As our Talking Therapies CYP Counselling Assessor, you'll be the first clinical point of contact for many young people entering the service.

Using your clinical expertise, you'll undertake comprehensive counselling assessments, evaluate presenting needs, assess risk and safeguarding concerns, and determine the most appropriate therapeutic intervention. You'll also play a key role in managing referrals, maintaining the waiting list and ensuring children and young people are able to access support as quickly as possible.

Alongside your assessment work, you'll collaborate closely with counsellors, clinical supervisors, families and external professionals to ensure every young person receives the right support at the right time.

You'll also sensitively discuss contribution-based counselling fees with parents, carers and young adults, helping to balance accessibility with the long-term sustainability of the service.

What you'll be doing

• Managing referrals and enquiries into the CYP Talking Therapies Service.
• Undertaking comprehensive counselling assessments for young people aged 1125 (and adults where required).
• Assessing clinical need, therapeutic goals, risk and safeguarding concerns.
• Recommending the most appropriate therapeutic intervention and allocating clients to suitably experienced counsellors.
• Managing the counselling waiting list and identifying appropriate alternative support where required.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records, outcome measures and assessment reports.
• Working collaboratively with counsellors, clinical supervisors and multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Liaising with schools, colleges, universities, GPs and external agencies.
• Supporting service development and continuous improvement.
• Participating in the recruitment of counsellors where appropriate.

What we're looking for We're looking for an experienced counselling professional who combines excellent clinical judgement with warmth, empathy and outstanding communication skills.

You'll have:

• A Diploma or Degree in Counselling or Psychotherapy.
• A specialist qualification in Children and Young People's Therapy.
• At least 450 post-qualification counselling hours.
• Membership of BACP, BACP CYPF, UKCP or another recognised professional body.
• Level 3 Safeguarding qualification.
• Experience undertaking counselling assessments for children and young people.
• Experience working within a counselling or talking therapies service.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, mental health and referral pathways.
• Excellent written, verbal and IT skills.

About us

Jewish Care is the largest health and social care charity serving the Jewish community in London and the South East. Every week, our services support more than 12,000 people, delivered by over 1,200 dedicated colleagues across residential care, nursing, retirement living, community support, social work, and mental health services. In November 2023, Jami became part of Jewish Care, bringing together two organisations with a shared commitment to providing exceptional mental health support. Together, we deliver specialist treatment, therapeutic services, education, and community-based support that help people improve their mental health, build resilience, and lead fulfilling lives. Guided by our values of Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Compassion, and Inclusiveness, we are committed to creating inclusive services where people feel supported, respected, and able to thrive.