Job Description

Vale of Glamorgan School & Community Based Counselling Service

We are looking for an experienced and qualified Counsellor to join our team of counsellors based within Vale of Glamorgan High Schools and the Community. The position is part time, 7.4 hours per day, 3-days (22.2 hours) per week, over 42 weeks (39 weeks term time and 3 weeks non-term term). This is a unique opportunity for a highly motivated individual to work with us; contributing to the delivery of a busy service aligned with our 2024-2027 strategic vision of Changing Childhoods, Changing Lives.



The salary for this role is 30,194 (Full Time Equivalent) 16,541 pro rata and is non-negotiable. Other salaries are shown so that applicants are aware of the progression salaries.

What is the Vale School & Community Based Counselling Service (VSCBCS)?

Commissioned by The Vale of Glamorgan Council, we have successfully run the VSCBCS for almost 10 years. Guided by the School & Community Based Counselling Operating Toolkit (revised 2020) we operate from High Schools across the Vale and within the Community, with counselling rooms in Barry and Cardiff.



The aim of the service is to reduce psychological distress in children and young people by providing a safe space and forming empathic, non-judgemental and supportive relationships to enable them to find their own answers to their own problems. In turn, this will improve their emotional health and wellbeing and support the development of effective coping strategies, enabling them to better understand and cope with what they are going through.



We put the voices of children and young people at the heart of what we do by providing person centred, client led counselling for children & young people using a bespoke combination of talking therapy and creative activities.

What does the role involve?

Practicing ethically and in line with the BACP and Barnardo's policies and procedures, you will contribute to the work of the VSCBCS as a Counsellor. You will be part of a small team and supported by the Team Manager. You will be responsible for managing your own case load, managing a waiting list, undertaking assessments, delivering up to 6 counselling sessions on a 1:1 basis within schools and/or within the Community and completing digital recordings.

You will have:

Level 4 Counselling Diploma (minimum) Registration and membership with BACP (or equivalent) Enhanced DBS Certificate Experience of managing your own caseload to include planning, undertaking and evaluating complex therapeutic interventions Knowledge, understanding and experience of safeguarding children and young people Experience of undertaking assessments, including risk assessments. Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and of working cooperatively with a range of agencies. Knowledge and experience of the issues relevant to working within an education environment Experience of using digital recording systems to input data to case files Driving licence and access to your own vehicle (you will be required to work at any of the sites within the Vale of Glamorgan, sometimes at short notice)

What do we offer?

Comprehensive induction Monthly Clinical Supervision 6-weekly Manager Supervision Management, Peer and Admin support Competitive salary Pension scheme with Death in Service Cover Training and CPD opportunities Employee discount schemes Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Recognition Day

Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to exploring flexible working arrangements.



Barnardo's is committed to becoming a trauma responsive organisation and these principles underpin all our services.

Need any further information?

If you require any further information about this opportunity, please contact Katrina Hewitson, Team Manager (VSCBCS) 02920 577074 or 07749437124.



Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.


Pay & Reward FrameworkWe know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.


For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.


Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band - this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.



Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

The world of work has changed. We are understanding of what works best for our colleagues both current and future as we look to embrace this new way of working. Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or any combination of these.


Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options Service related sick pay from day 1 Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension Cycle2work scheme Interest free season ticket loans Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal 20% discount at Barnardo's stores Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's


We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values

Reference number: 21258
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Locality: Cardiff and Vale
Contract type: Permanent (Fixed term funded post)
End date: 31-03-2026
Hours: 22.2
Salary: 30,194 - 40,708 FTE (16,541 - 22,301 pro rata)
Closing Date: 21 July 2025
Interview Date: TBC

Benefits

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Discounts at 100's of retailers
Employee suggestion scheme
Company pension
Employee Assistance Programme