We have a unique opportunity for an experienced counsellor to lead and develop our specialist perinatal counselling service, making a real impact across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Pregnancy Counselling and Care (Scotland) is a small, Edinburgh-based charity providing practical and emotional support to individuals and families during pregnancy, early parenthood, or in times of loss. Through our Baby Bank and Counselling Service, we support people when they need it most - ensuring that no one faces these challenges alone.

We are currently seeking a Counselling Lead to manage and shape our specialist perinatal counselling service across the Edinburgh & the Lothians. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced counsellor with strong leadership skills who is passionate about supporting others and improving mental health care at a grassroots level.

About the Role

The Counselling Lead is a part time role (21 hours/week), based in a hybrid fashion from home and the Gyle Shopping Centre, the base for our Baby Bank service and one of our counselling rooms, and Dialogue and Space, our other in person counselling rooms in the east of the city.

The Counselling Team includes a part time Counselling Assistant (hybrid role) and a team of (currently) ten counsellors including both qualified practitioners (senior counsellors) and trainees (placement counsellors). The Counselling Lead will manage the counselling service, line managing counselling team and will work closely with the Counselling Assistant to manage the waiting list and allocate them to counsellors appropriate to each client’s needs.

You will also play a vital role in driving forward our strategic priorities:

1. To increase capacity of our Baby Bank and our Counselling Service
2. To improve awareness of all our services and their impact on individuals and families
3. To improve the quality of the services we provide

Job Description

Counselling Delivery and Team Support

• Provide leadership and line management to our counselling team made up of sessional senior counsellors, volunteer and placement counsellors
• Work with the Counselling Assistant to agree allocation of waiting list to counsellors for initial assessments and first appointments
• Support counsellors in their work with clients via line management supervision and regular check ins with placement counsellors, regular senior counsellor team meetings and case discussions as required
• Provide in-person support for placement counsellors at both counselling venues when required, in conjunction with Counselling Assistant and Operations Manager

Counselling Team Recruitment

• Recruit senior counsellors when required, and placement counsellors on a biannual basis, with admin support from the Counselling Assistant
• Provide biannual induction training for placement counsellors and ongoing training opportunities for the team
• Oversee PVG applications for the service, with admin support from the Counselling Assistant

Governance

• Hold day to day responsibility for child and adult protection concerns within the service with support from Operations Manager
• Review counselling policies and procedures, ensuring child and adult protection procedures are followed and service remain in line with COSCA standards
• Ensure counselling premises are suitable for the needs of the service and maintain relationships with in-person space providers

Data Management

• Oversee the use of Bacpac (client management software) by all counsellors and the Counselling Assistant
• Collate statistics from Bacpac and other client feedback routes to report against KPIs

Stakeholder Relationships & Marketing

• Liaise with other referral organisations and other agencies to build up partnerships
• Promote the counselling service through awareness campaigns and creation of resources for referrers and key audiences

Service Development

• Contribute to the operational and strategic development of the counselling service
• Work as a team with all the staff, contributing to team meetings and discussions
• Provide regular reports to Board, liaise with fundraiser and Board members as required
• Liaise with Operations Manager and Baby Bank Development Workers to respond to the needs of the charity

Person Specification

Essential:

• Fully qualified counsellor with a minimum of 200 hours of client work
• Full membership to COSCA or BACP or other recognised governing body
• Willingness to work to COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice
• Current PVG membership or willingness to join the PVG scheme
• Experience in
  • Handling child and adult protection concerns and disclosures
  • Providing online and in person counselling
• Comfortable with Excel, databases, and general IT use
• Experience in training delivery or event coordination
• Strong team leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication, workload and people management skills
• A proactive and positive approach to problem-solving
• Ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team
• Flexibility regarding specific hours worked, and attitude to activities undertaken
• A passion to support others experiencing difficulties in their lives

Desirable:

• Experience of line management supervision, preferably in a counselling context
• Clinical supervisor qualification
• Counselling experience and / or knowledge of pregnancy and early parenting-related issues
• Experience writing content for social media

Ayrshire Council on Alcohol provides a free, specialist, confidential alcohol counselling and recovery service to individuals (whether they wish to stop drinking or reduce the amount that they drink) and their families.

We are looking for a counsellor who is passionate about supporting individuals & their families who live in East & South Ayrshire in their recovery.

Applicants should possess COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills, a counselling qualification or be an accredited Alcohol Counsellor and supervised post qualifying counselling experience (paid or voluntary) IS ESSENTIAL.

Training & support will be provided to the right candidate should they not have experience of counselling those affected by alcohol and/or drug use however, the successful candidate will have a strong desire to work with individuals concerned about their own or a loved one’s drinking.

Some evening work may be required to meet the needs of the service.

A full UK driving licence and access to a car is essential.

The preferred candidate will need to become a member of the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update.

2 x vacancies – one role will involve working Monday evenings, the other will involve working one weekend per month (your preference will be discussed at interview).

We understand that many will have other commitments outside of work and so flexible working, part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements will be considered for the right candidate.

About Us:

Glasgow Council on Alcohol (GCA) was founded in 1965 and is the oldest established Council on Alcohol in Scotland. GCA is a voluntary organisation working to reduce the harm caused by alcohol misuse through the provision of a range of high quality advice, information, counselling, support, prevention and education and training services.

Our mission is to provide evidence-based support to individuals, communities and government to improve health and wellbeing across Scotland.

The foundation of GCA is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

GCA deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.

About the Role:

The Diploma in Integrative Counselling is a COSCA Validated 2 year part time course. GCA is one of the founding COSCA members and adheres to the COSCA ethical framework for good practice in counselling, psychotherapy and counselling skills. The course requires tutors who are accredited by COSCA to Diploma level or committed to work towards accreditation. Tutors should be experienced Counsellors who are accredited with an appropriate professional body, or working towards accreditation (e.g., COSCA/BACP/UKCP).

The Course Tutor / Trainer will be embedded in one Diploma Class but will be expected to contribute to other classes when required and deliver COSCA skills courses and CPD training workshops when required.

Course Tutor / Trainers will be required to work evenings and weekends. Course Tutor / Trainers will also be assigned a specific class/cohort to work with.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate learning; delivering lectures, tutorials, experiential groups, supervision and observed skills practice feedback.
• Contribute to the creation of Diploma Policies and Procedures, including maintenance and updating of the course handbook.
• Create learning plans and appropriate materials in relation to both the Diploma and other COSCA course or CPD
• Attend Team Meetings/ Liaise with other Course Tutor / Trainers about course content & materials
• Issue pre course reading to students at regular intervals
• Engage with students via the Moodle forum on the learning support platform
• Hold responsibility for student welfare, offering 1:1 session to the students for whom the tutor is nominated personal tutor
• Mark and cross mark allocated assignments and provide written feedback, via Moodle and Turnitin
• Respond to correspondence by students via Moodle/email and ensure emails are checked and responded to on a weekly basis
• Share responsibility for monitoring content on Moodle, ensuring it has been updated for the class and ensuring materials in a variety of format are uploaded
• Keep adequate records, for example attendance, 1:1 recording, skills observation feedback, assignment extensions requests etc
• Assess students for fitness to practice and offer professional references in relation to placement, endorsement to practice and COSCA membership
• Support the Monitoring and evaluation of training
• Liaise with placement providers to ensure students can access opportunities in line with course requirements in liaison with the Lead Course Tutor
• Participate in the assessment interviews and intake of new students, liaising with the Head of Diploma and Training, Lead Course Tutors and Training Co-ordinator.
• Contribute to development of a CPD calendar, leading on aspects of planning and delivery
• Undertake any other duties as required by Head of Diploma and Training.

Qualifications and Experience :

• Diploma in Counselling/Psychotherapy
• Training qualification
• Accredited COSCA Diploma Trainer (or eligible to work towards this)
• Accredited COSCA/BACP/BABCP/UKCP
• Two Years Post qualified clinical experience
• Proven experience in education, training and delivering presentations.
• Proven experience in group working and enabling participation, partnership working preferable.

Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage with groups of people across age ranges
• Presentation and team working skills
• Ability to develop and deliver a range of training programs and support resources
• Knowledge of addiction issues, Motivational interviewing and Alcohol Brief Intervention Techniques and Trauma and trauma informed approaches
• Commitment to working in line with GCA’s values of collaboration, respect and empathy
• Ability to work proactively with strong self-direction and motivation.

Why Join Us?

• Your work will contribute to make a real difference to people’s lives.
• Competitive salary and benefits package :
  • Very generous annual leave entitlement: full time employees start with an annual leave entitlement of 37 days (inclusive of 12 bank holidays) which increases with length of service.
  • Duvet days where employees may take time off at short notice.
  • Death in service policy.
  • Cycle to work scheme where employees can save money on a new bike and spread the cost.
  • And much more!
• Opportunities for continuous learning and career development.
• A supportive and inclusive work environment where your contributions are valued

Everyday people with chest, heart and stroke conditions are leaving hospital scared and alone. You can be part of our mission to make sure that there is no life half lived in Scotland.

By joining Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) as a Stroke Healthcare Assistant you can be the difference between people just surviving and really living.

You will be part of Scotland’s leading health charity providing support to people with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid to live life to the full again. Our Community Healthcare Support Service provides access to a range of supported self-management and community recovery services to support people across Scotland to manage their health as well as possible and adjust to life after a diagnosis of a chest or heart condition or after a stroke.

We are looking for an individual who has experience of working in a health care setting particularly with stroke patients to work with our Grampian Stroke Nurse Team to support patients following a stroke and their families. As our Stroke Healthcare Assistant, you will be key in providing this support ensuring stroke survivors and their families receive the help and support they require to live the best lives they can. Driving is a requirement of this post a clean driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential.

CHSS also supports flexible recruitment through Working Families and we are “Happy to Talk Flexible Working”.

In line with our commitment to safeguarding, this role is subject to a PVG check. CHSS is committed to equality of opportunity and to providing a service which is free from unfair and unlawful discrimination. We therefore aim to ensure that no applicant, volunteer or member of staff is unfairly treated on the grounds of offending background.