About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young person’s peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role:

The role of the Alcohol Counsellor is to provide a counselling, advice and information service for individuals aged 16 and over with their own problematic alcohol use or to those affected by other people’s problematic alcohol use

The Alcohol Counsellor will report to the Service Manager - Counselling.

This post requires a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership - successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young persons peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role:

The Diploma in Integrative Counselling is 2-year course, credit rated at SCQF level 10 by the University of the West of Scotland, and validation from COSCA. Murray’s Initiative 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 lead 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 Lead Course Tutor will have responsibility for two Diploma Courses, leading on one weekly class and one weekend class. The Lead Course Tutor will be expected to contribute to a Murray’s Initiative CPD calendar, writing and delivering on content agreed with the Head of Diploma and Training. The Lead Course Tutor will support the development, implementation, delivery and evaluation of the Diploma in Integrative Counselling.

The Lead Tutor will report to the Head of Diploma and Training.

This post requires a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership - successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young persons peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role:

The Group Worker will support our peer-led Harm Reduction Service (U-Turn) benefiting young people 11 – 25 years old to design and deliver youth-led inputs on issue-based topics, with a focus to incorporate harm reduction approaches and address stigma/language around substance use.

The Group Worker will have responsibility for developing our weekly groups for our Peer Educators to take part in training around areas such as leadership, team building, issue-based topics and wellbeing. These groups will provide a safe, trauma-informed space where individuals will be able to feel confident to develop coping skills and resilience.

The service specifically targets some of the most vulnerable young people in areas where Murray’s Initiative currently delivers services, aiming to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs within their communities.

The Peer Educators will be supported to deliver peer-led inputs to other Young People on issued-based topics, with a focus to incorporate a harm reduction approach as well as a separate element of addressing stigma/language around drug and alcohol use.

The Group Worker will report to the Service Manager – Education & Development.

This post requires a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership - successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

To work within Crew’s Counselling Team providing trauma-informed drug counselling and a range of psychosocial interventions to support people wishing to address their consumption of psychostimulant drugs and other substances. To reduce harm and the incidence of physical and mental health problems associated with the consumption of psychostimulant drugs. Some counselling may be by telephone or the NHS Attend Anywhere secure platform.

Major Activities and Responsibilities:

• To provide trauma-informed drug counselling and evidence-based psychosocial interventions to support clients who wish to address their consumption of psychostimulant drugs and other substances.
• To take on a complex client caseload and work collaboratively with supervising psychologist to support clients presenting with underlying trauma and/or mental health difficulties and problematic substance consumption.
• To co-ordinate additional support and signpost clients who would benefit from specialist support by liaising with relevant services.
• To commit to working in a trauma-informed way and to undertake any further training to meet this requirement.
• To organise own case load and co-ordinate counselling and other appointments.
• To provide assessment appointments for clients entering the service and recovery-oriented support sessions for clients on the waiting list if and when required.
• To work constructively and supportively with the Crew Counselling Team.
• To contribute to the monitoring, evaluation and on-going development of the service.
• To liaise with other agencies and stakeholders if and when required.
• To undertake any other duties as requested by the Crew Counselling Coordinator or CEO

crew.scot/get-involved/work-with-us