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The Counselling Centre

Counselling 4 Youth

116 Bloomfield Ave

Belfast

BT5 5AE

Telephone 028 90 731571

Dear Applicant WHICH POST ARE YOU APPLYING FOR -- Youth Counsellor / Sessional Bank RE: INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL JOB APPLICANTS Thank you for responding to our recent advertisement. I have enclosed an information pack for you, including:

Application form

Job Description Personal Specification Equal Opportunities monitoring form and cover letter

If applying for the post of Youth Counsellor (Special Schools) and wish to be considered for the post of Youth Counsellor (Schools) Sessional Bank please complete this application and indicate this above. This information should help you complete the application form and I would like to draw your attention particularly to the essential and desirable criteria. This document lists the skills, abilities and experience we believe necessary for a person to do this job effectively. We decide whom to invite for interview by comparing what you tell us in your application form with what we have asked for in the essential and desirable criteria. If you decide to apply for this post, please ensure that you clearly show how much you match each requirement on the Job Description. Curriculum Vitae will not be accepted. The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 4 p.m. on Monday 5th September 2011. Forms submitted after this date will not be considered. When short listing has been completed on Thursday 8th September 2011. If you are to be invited for interview, we propose to hold interviews during the week beginning 12th September 2011. A second group interview may be required if there is sufficient interest in the post and or a number of candidates who closely fit our selection criteria are identified. Counselling 4 Youth takes a positive approach to employing people with disabilities. If you consider that you need a particular aid, facility or any additional assistance from us during the recruitment process, please contact the office at the number above and we will do everything we can to accommodate any special requirements you may have. Thank you for your interest. Norman Foote & Lillian Neill, Regional Managers

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Youth Counsellor (Special Schools)

Job Description Job Title Youth Counsellor (Special Schools) Location To be determined Salary £25,472.00-£26,276.00 PA, Pro Rata NJC 30-31 Responsible to Regional Managers and Directors Hour’s Part time 24 hrs per week Annual Leave 28 Days Per Annum Plus Statutory Days (Term Time

Pro-Rata) MAIN DUTIES

1. Promote Counselling 4 Youth counselling services to young people through school assemblies, to parents through Parent/Teacher meetings, and teachers through any suitable/available opportunities.

2. To forge and maintain a healthy robust relationship with the School Key

Contact and confer regularly regarding new referrals and review referral processes.

3. Set up a suitable room for counselling to take place and constantly review the

appropriateness of same and take corrective action as necessary.

4. Familiarise yourself with local statutory, community and voluntary sector resources relevant to young people, to enable appropriate signposting and referral to other services.

5. Manage a diary system whereby the maximum number of young people have

access to the service.

6. Have a working knowledge of Counselling 4 Youth Staff Handbook, Proformas Policy and Procedures, for which induction training will be provided.

7. Effectively access support and consultation structures for clinical issues

relating to child protection and areas of risk behaviour or concerns including decision making outside Counselling 4 Youth policies and procedures. Utilise line management and peer support systems for effective information sharing, mutual accountability and quality assurance.

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8. Carry out comprehensive clinical assessments with all new referrals

9. Provide counselling for young people and continuously assess, monitor and review any risk to the client

10. Implement project monitoring and evaluation systems and contribute to

ongoing and annual review/ update systems.

11. Prepare for and attend monthly line management, clinical supervision, team meetings, clinical away days and staff training days.

12. Ensure prompt and efficient recording and returns of travel, statistical data

and line management activity reports, project monitoring and in-house evaluation forms, including written reports as requested.

13. Prepare for and take an active role in participating fully in monthly line

management, clinical supervision, clinical consultation, team meetings, clinical away days and staff training days.

14. To carry out such duties as may be required from time to time in negotiation

with the Regional Manager or Directors, and respond positively to role review upon evaluation of ongoing developments within Counselling 4 Youth.

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Youth Counsellor (Special Schools)

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL:

1. A Recognised Diploma in Counselling or equivalent, minimum 400 training hours

2. At least 2 years Experience of working with young people with a Statement of Educational Special Needs.

3. At least 2 years Experience of working with young people with disabilities.

4. At least two years supervised counselling experience in a formal setting with supervised counselling practice, minimum 150 hours post qualification i.e. not including hours gained during Counselling training placements

5. Excellent oral & written communication skills including computer skills.

6. Willingness to work flexible hours when required.

7. Committed to working towards counsellor accreditation which includes current BACP membership or equivalent.

DESIRABLE:

1. Experience/knowledge of young people‟s issues.

2. Certificate in Counselling Children and Adolescents

3. Experience of liaising with Education, Health and Community Agencies.

4. Experience of working with a diverse range of presenting therapeutic issues.

5. Awareness of Child Protection and related issues.

6. A current Driving Licence and access to a car – this criteria will be waived in the case of an applicant whose disability or circumstances prohibits driving but who is able to organise alternative arrangements.

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COUNSELLING 4 YOUTH The Counselling Centre

Counselling 4 Youth 116 Bloomfield Ave

Belfast BT5 5AE

Telephone 028 90 731571

POST: YOUTH COUNSELLOR (SPECIAL SCHOOLS) / SESSIONAL BANK CLOSING DATE: 4pm on Monday 5th September 2011.

Please complete all sections of this application form using black ink or typescript.

PERSONAL DETAILS Title : _________ First Name : _____________ Surname : _______________ Address : __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ Post Code :______________________ Telephone No. (Day) :___________________ Mob :_______________________ E-mail address : ____________________________________________________ National Insurance Number : __________________________________________

Are you registered disabled? Yes No

EDUCATION DETAILS Please do not include dates.

Subjects passed at O‟level/GCSE equivalent

Subjects passed at A‟level equivalent

Degrees or Diplomas with the dates you attended and the date your course completed please include the institutions attended

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PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Name of professional body or bodies

By Examination Date & Result

By Election

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT (IF ANY)

Name & Address ________________________________________________________

Of present employer ________________________________________________________

(or last employer) _________________________________________________________

Duties of Post : __________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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Date Appointed : ____________________ Present Salary : _______________________

Period of Notice : _____________________________________

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VOLUNTARY SERVICE OR COMMUNITY WORK

Please give details of any voluntary work or community work that you have undertaken on an unpaid voluntary basis

WORK EXPERIENCE

Please list, starting with the latest, any previous positions you have held which are relevant to the application, with a brief description of duties and relevant dates. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary

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RELEVANT EXPERIENCE TO THIS POST

Using the Personal Specification, how do your skills & abilities relate to this post? You must demonstrate how you adequately meet each criteria as listed in the specification, drawing upon all of your experience, whether at work or on a voluntary basis.

ESSENTIAL

Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary

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DESIRABLE

Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary

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Please briefly express (500 words max) what you would bring to the post and how you would develop the project.

Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary

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REFEREES

Please name two referees, who should have knowledge of you. One of these referees should be your present or most recent employer, or Clinical Supervisor. Referee 1 Name : __________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Telephone No. : __________________________________________________

Email Address: ____________________________________________________

Position : ________________________________________________________

Referee 2

Name : __________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Telephone No. : _________________________________________________

Email Address: ___________________________________________________

Position : _______________________________________________________

These referees will only be contacted if you are offered the post.

Have you ever been convicted of any criminal offence, which is not a spent conviction under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (NI) 1979? If so, please give details of the conviction and the sentence.

Are you eligible to work in the UK? Yes No

You will be required to provide documentation to support this claim (under Section 8 of the Asylum & immigration Act 1996) if offered the post.

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Working within Counselling 4 Youth Ltd involves access to children and young people therefore it is our policy to carry out an Access NI Check. You are required to bring a completed ACCESS NI form to the interview. Access checks will only be carried out, at cost to the applicant, in the event that they are successful at interview. The cost of the Access NI will be reimbursed on successful completion of the 6 month Probationary Period.

DECLARATION I declare that the information set forth in this application form, is to be best of my knowledge true and complete. Signature : _______________________________________________ Date:___________________________________________

Please return “hard copy” of completed application to: Norman Foote, Regional Manager, The Counselling Centre, Counselling 4 Youth, 116 Bloomfield Ave, Belfast, BT5 5AE. Emailed copies of application will only be accepted with prior agreement of Regional Manager.

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Counselling 4 Youth Monitoring Form

This will be separated from your application form upon receipt. Please tick the relevant boxes and return in the envelope provided. This information is used for monitoring of equality information only.

Gender: What is your sex?

Male

Female

DATE OF BIRTH _____________________

1. Marital Status: Single Married/co-habiting

Separated/divorced Widowed

2. Community Background: Regardless of whether we practice religion, most of us in Northern Ireland are seen as

either Catholic or Protestant. We are therefore asking you to indicate your community

background by ticking the appropriate box below.

I am a member of the Protestant community

I am a member of the Roman Catholic community

I am a member of neither the Protestant nor Roman Catholic

community

3. Religious Belief: Do you have a religious belief? Yes No

If yes are you:

Roman Catholic Presbyterian

Church of Ireland Methodist

Baptist Muslim

Hindu Jewish

Buddhist Other please specify

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4. Those with and without dependants: Do you look after, or give any help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or

dependants because of a long term physical or mental health problem or an issue related to

old age?

Yes No

dependants as regards young people/children?

Yes No

5. People with disabilities: Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 a person is considered to have a disability if

s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on

his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities

Do you consider that you meet this definition of disability?

Yes No

If yes, please state the type of disability? For example

Visual impairment Hearing impairment

Mobility disability Mental health disability

Learning disability Communication difficulties

Other

6. Ethnic Group:

To which of these ethnic groups do you consider you belong?

Bangladeshi Indian

Black Africa Irish Traveller

Black Caribbean Pakistani

Black other White

Chinese

Any other ethnic

group

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7. Age Group:

Please indicate which age category you belong to:

18 - 25 46-55

26 - 35 56-65

36 - 45 66 over

Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. Please insert it in an envelope marked „Monitoring Officer‟ and return it with your applications form. All information provided will be held by Counselling 4 Youth in the strictest confidence, and is for monitoring purposes only.