Counselling student placements

Applications are currently closed and will re-open on Monday 7th September 2026.

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

Our counselling placement students provide much needed, confidential time-limited bereavement counselling to anyone over 18 years of age living in Northamptonshire, who has been bereaved in the last 18 months. After an initial telephone assessment 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 specialist palliative or end of life 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.

Our free of charge counselling sessions are offered face to face in community settings or in clients’ homes, and remotely either online or via telephone.

This service covers the whole of Northamptonshire

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 within th enext 12 months.
To work with clients using person centred/integrative therapy models.
To provide a minimum of three counselling sessions per week.
To attend fortnightly or monthly supervision sessions with an external supervisor.
To complete accurate and timely recording of client records and supporting administrative duties in accordance with GDPR.

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 always maintained.
To ensure all client case notes, re-assessments and any other required documentation is completed in accordance with GDPR.
To report any safeguarding concerns to the Bereavement Community Lead Counsellor or Age UK Northamptonshire’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
To attend regular external supervision as required for student counsellors in accordance with your Professional Standards Authority counselling professional body, eg BACP, NCPS or UKCP.
To complete mandatory online training before commencement of your placement and renewal periods, as per Age UK Northamptonshire’s volunteer training policy.
To attend Bereavement Community training sessions.
To always act 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 recognised professional counselling body, eg BACP, NCPS, UKCP etc and adhere to their Ethical Framework.
You hold a ‘Fitness to Practice’ certificate.
You have completed a ‘Telephone and Online Counselling Training Course’.
You can commit to a one-year counseling placement working towards 100 client hours, combining face to face, online and telephone counselling sessions.
You must attend regular fortnightly or monthly external supervision as required for student counsellors by your Professional Standards Authority, e.g. BACP, NCPS, UKCP.
You can demonstrate an understanding of confidentiality and ethical boundaries as defined by your Professional Standards Authority.
You will require a quiet and private space to use if working remotely with clients.
You are able to demonstrate a good knowledge of person-centred/integrative therapy and grief models.
You must be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, verbally and in writing.
You are committed to continuous personal and professional development.
A working knowledge of Microsoft Office will be required - training will be provided on Age UK Northamptonshire's client database Charitylog.

In addtion

You will require a quiet and private space to use when working remotely or online or via telephone with clients.
You will require access to a secure laptop for online counselling sessions.

Training

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

All placement counsellors who are successful at interview will be required to attend an in-person, mandatory induction training day.

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

Applications are currently closed and will re-open at 9am on Monday 7th September 2026.

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

You will be supporting a countywide service.