Counsellor

Interview Date: TBC

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as an Counsellor at Solace Women's Aid.  

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work, and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service

Our counselling service provides trauma-informed, one-to-one counselling for survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG), offering between 15–20 sessions of therapeutic support. We support survivors across London through community-based services, as well as refuge-based counselling for both children, young people, and adults. Our work is centred on providing safe, empowering, and compassionate support to individuals recovering from abuse and trauma.

About the Role

The ideal candidate will provide high-quality online or face-to-face trauma counselling to survivors of sexual and domestic abuse ages 16+ across London. The successful candidate will work from a person-centred approach with a thorough understanding of the issues prevalent in the gender-based violence sector and understanding of the root causes of gender-based violence. They will be able to provide weekly therapeutic sessions either online (using MS Teams), by telephone, or face-to-face.

About You

Successful applicants will have knowledge of domestic abuse and its impact on victim-survivors. You will have strong organisational and time management skills, alongside excellent collaborative working abilities. You will also be empathetic and able to work from a person-centred framework.

It is essential that you have experience using Microsoft Office packages, as well as the ability to use an online case management system. You will also have experience and confidence in delivering counselling online and over the phone, alongside excellent verbal and written communication skills.

You will be qualified to Diploma level and have a minimum of 250 hours’ post-qualification experience providing one-to-one counselling. Successful applicants will be BACP accredited (or equivalent) or working towards accreditation.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.