Counselling student placements

Are you a counselling student looking for a supportive placement where you can gain practical experience working with bereaved clients?  If you can commit to a minimum of four hours a week over a one year placement, we'd like to hear from you.

This service covers the whole of Northamptonshire

Our counselling placement students provide much needed, confidential time-limited bereavement counselling to anyone over the age of 18 years living in Northamptonshire, who has been bereaved in the last 18 months.  After an initial telephone triage bereaved clients are offered up to eight individual counselling sessions, each lasting 50 minutes.

As your experience grows, you may consider offering anticipatory grief counselling sessions to adults with a non-curative life limiting diagnosis considered to be in their last year of life. This service extends to their family, carers and close friends, both before and after the loss.

Sessions are offered in person in clients homes or community setting, via telephone or online.

Counselling Student Placements

• Hours: minimum of four hours per week (times to be negotiated)
• Location: based in Waterside House, Irthlingborough NN9 5QF.
• Sessions delivered face to face in the client's home or in a community setting, or remotely by telephone or online.
• Responsible to: Lead Counsellor
• This is an unpaid volunteering position

Main responsibilities

• To work in the Community Bereavement Services team, providing bereavement counselling to anyone over 18 years of age living in Northamptonshire, who has been bereaved in the last 18 months, or who is anticipating grief. Our anticipatory grief service is open to adult patients with a non-curative life limiting diagnosis, considered to be in their last year of life. This service extends to patients family, carers and close friends, before and after the loss.
• To work with clients using person centred / integrative therapy models.
• To provide a minimum of three counselling sessions per week.

Please note this role is subject to Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.  

Legal, ethical and procedural framework

• To provide counselling and/or therapy in accordance with one of the professional bodies recognised by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), eg the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), University College of Psychotherapy (UKCP).
• To advise clients at first contact that you are a counselling student and obtain written consent to present their case material to your training provider.
• To ensure client confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• To ensure all client case notes, assessments and any other required documentation is completed in accordance with GDPR.
• To report any safeguarding concerns to the Community Bereavement Service Lead Counsellor or Age UK Northamptonshire’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
• To attend regular external supervision as required by the BACP or your recognised professional body for student counsellors.
• To complete mandatory online training before commencement of your placement and renewal periods, as per Age UK Northamptonshire’s volunteer training policy.
• To attend Community Bereavement Service training sessions.
• To act at all times within the ethos, policies and procedures of Age UK Northamptonshire. This includes Confidentiality Policy, Safeguarding Adults Policy, Health & Safety Policy, Equality & Diversity Policy, Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures.
  

Essential requirements

• You are a student counsellor studying at Diploma Level 4 or above.
• You are a student member of a Professional Standards Authority (PSA) recognised professional counselling body. eg BACP, NCPS, UKCP, etc.
• You must be signed off as ‘Fit to Practice’ by your course tutor prior to commencing client contacts.
• You must be able to commit to a one year placement working towards 100 client hours.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of confidentiality and ethical boundaries as defined by the BACP.
• You must attend regular external supervision as required by the BACP or your PSA recognised professional counselling body for student counsellors.
• You will require a quiet and private space to use if working remotely with clients.
• Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills.
• You must have the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• You must have active listening and counselling skills
• Able to demonstrate a good knowledge of person centred and/or integrative therapy models.
• You must be committed to continuous personal and professional development.
• You must be able to demonstrate the ability to work flexibly as part of a team and independently.

Desirable requirements

• A working knowledge of Microsoft Office - training will be provided on Charitylog client database.
• Knowledge of grief models.
• Experience of working with diverse communities.
• Experience of working with different age groups.
• Completion of Online & Telephone Counselling training.

Training

To fulfil this role additional online training from us will be required prior to start, in line with our policies and procedures:

• Safeguarding Adults
• GDPR
• Mental Capacity
• Lone Working
• Conflict Management
• Dementia Awareness
• Professional Boundaries
• Equality and Diversity

All students will be required to attend an in-person training session: An Introduction to grief, loss and the Bereavement Service.

If you are interested in this role and would like an informal chat to find out more, please call us on 01604 213401.

How to apply

Fill in our Microsoft Form

If you prefer you can complete either the Word or PDF version of the application form and either email to volunteers@ageuknorthants.org.uk or post it to:

Age UK Northamptonshire
The William and Patricia Venton Centre
York Road
Northampton
NN1 5QJ

Application form to download and open with Microsoft Word (93 KB)

You will be supporting the development of a new countywide service.