Children and young people counsellor jobs in Europe

About The Role

Join our dynamic, collaborative and supportive team as a Trust and Grants Officer. We are looking for someone with enthusiasm and adaptability.

If you are passionate about supporting children and young people, with a focus on preventing mental health issues this role is perfect for you!

Together we can change children’s lives. At Place2Be, we believe every child should have easy access to mental health support whenever they need it. We create a safe place in schools where children and young people can open up without pressure or stigma, allowing our highly skilled and diverse counsellors to reach children, young people and their families who need us.

For a career with purpose, this is your place.

Recruitment Process:

As part of your application you will need to answer some shortlisting questions. Please answer these as fully as you can, we recommend using the STAR model. Situation, Task, Action Result.

Closing date for applications: Midnight on 01 July 2026

1st Interview date: 06 July 2026 in person

2nd Interview date: 13 July 2026 in person

Our Benefits

When you work at Place2Be whether that's in a school, supporting families, providing clinical supervision, or in IT, Finance, or Fundraising every role can make the difference to a young person. To achieve this, we ask that you bring your best self to your role and our commitment to you, is to welcome you into our community, and help you progress. Because we know that you being at your best, means the best outcomes for the children we support.

Here’s just a few things we have on offer:

• Annual Leave that increases with service
• Comprehensive learning and development to enable you to progress your career
• 5% contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance of four times your annual salary
• A comprehensive employee assistance programme
• Mobile Phone Discounts (EE network)
• Wellbeing days to allow you some ‘you’ time
• Christmas holidays closure period in addition to your annual leave

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented within our organisation.

We are proud to be a disability confident employer and will ask you during your application If you wish to be considered for a guaranteed interview under the disability confident scheme. Under the scheme we commit to offering an interview to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria as outlined in the job role.

We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may want to use it to help you format your CV, create responses to application questions or even help you prepare responses. AI can be a powerful enabler and we are open to you using it to apply for roles with us, but we ask you to ensure anything you submit truly represents your capabilities and viewpoint. We value honesty, integrity and creativity and want to understand what you will uniquely bring to our team. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Every child deserves support through grief. Join Guy's Gift to provide compassionate bereavement support to children, young people and families across Coventry and Warwickshire.

We're looking for a Community Based Bereavement Support Worker or Community Based Bereavement Counsellor to help children and young people navigate grief, build resilience and access the support they need. Working across community settings, you will deliver high-quality support that is timely, child-centred and responsive to the needs of each family.

Location: Hybrid/home-based with travel across Coventry and Warwickshire
Hours: 18 hours per week
Salary:
• Community Based Bereavement Support Worker: £23,500–£25,500 FTE (£11,750–£12,750 pro rata)
• Community Based Bereavement Counsellor: £25,500–£27,500 FTE (£12,750–£13,750 pro rata)
Contract: Initial 12-month fixed-term contract
Reporting to: Delivery Team Leader
Closing date: Wednesday 1 July 2026 at midday

About Guy's Gift

Guy's Gift supports children, young people and families who are experiencing bereavement and change. Our work is rooted in compassion and respect, and we believe that no child should face grief alone. We are passionate about ensuring that every child and young person has access to timely and meaningful support when they need it most.

Appointment will be made as either a Community Based Bereavement Support Worker or Community Based Bereavement Counsellor depending on qualifications, professional registration and experience.

This role provides compassionate, child-centred support to children, young people and families affected by bereavement, helping them navigate grief, build resilience and access support within their communities.

About the Role

This role plays an important part in delivering direct support to bereaved children and young people across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Working closely with the Delivery Team Leader and wider team, the post holder will provide support through group work, one-to-one bereavement support or counselling, and Support to Support pathways for families and professionals.

A central aspect of the role is helping children and young people access the most appropriate support in a timely and meaningful way, including contributing to assessments with families and identifying appropriate pathways of support.

This is a community based role requiring independence, professional judgement and the ability to build positive relationships across a range of settings including schools, community venues and family environments.

You will be joining a small, reflective and supportive team where collaboration, compassion and safe practice are central to how we work.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to bereaved children and young people within the local community.

How to Apply

Applications are made by completing the Guy's Gift application form. We adhere to safer recruitment and do not accept CVs alone in application for any position with the charity. Please find a full application pack on the Guy's Gift website.

#CommunityBereavementSupport #ChildrensMentalHealth #BereavementSupportWorker #BereavementSupportWork #BereavementCounsellor

Overall Job Purpose:

Seeds of Peace is an organisation which inspires and cultivates new generations of global leaders in communities divided by conflict by providing them with the skills, relationships, and community to transform conflict into progress. This Seeds of Peace Camp brings together young people from across Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, and US and UK to work collaboratively with peers in a multi-national setting. The program provides a transformative journey of personal growth through dialogue and leadership exercises, equipping participants to become effective agents of change in their communities.

The Camp staff team consists of counselors, facilitators, activity leaders and a leadership team, all working together to create and implement the camp programme and contribute to an environment of harmony at Camp. The role of Counsellor is to guide and mentor campers in their day to day experience of camp. Counsellors are by campers' side throughout their journey, encouraging and supporting them along the way.

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of young people while developing your own leadership, facilitation, and intercultural communication skills as part of a dedicated team.

Main responsibilities include:

Camper Support and Supervision

• Supervise campers in residential and activity groups, ensuring you know where campers are at all times.
• Get to know each camper individually and provide the support they need to help them have a safe and successful camp experience.
• Support campers in their day-to-day needs, including proactively supporting campers emotional and physical wellbeing and managing camper behaviour.
• Mentor and prioritise the well-being of campers at all times, while acting as a role model and offering guidance and support to campers.
• Collaborate with other staff to address complex issues and ensure camper well-being.
• Maintain open communication with campers to uphold a supportive atmosphere.
• Facilitation of cultural exchange and understanding amongst campers by embracing and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of campers.

Programming and Activities:

• Encourage active participation for campers in all camp activities.

Additional Camp Support

• Contribute to an atmosphere of communication, trust and respect on Camp.
• Collaborate with the Dialogue and Group Challenge team (Dialogue Lead and facilitators) in all aspects of camp life.
• Adhering to all Seeds of Peace policies and procedures, in order to create a Camp environment that is physically and emotionally safe.
• Commitment to professionalism in an informal educational space.
• Provide support and encouragement to other staff members and maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for participants.

Prerequisite knowledge, skills and competencies:

Required

• Spoken and written fluency in English
• Fantastic communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to establish strong relationships quickly
• Highly organised with an excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Excellent collaboration and team work skills
• Patience, flexibility, and creativity.
• Ability to work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Adaptability and willingness to learn
• Sense of humour and adventure
• Comfort with travelling and working in a demanding residential environment
• Belief in the potential and brilliance of youth

Desirable

• Experience in working with young people in education, peacebuilding or other in residential settings
• Knowledge of Seeds of Peace camp philosophies and traditions
• Fluency in multiple languages
• Significant experience working in a multi-cultural environment - knowledge of cultural sensitivities regarding Seeds of Peace delegations

Notes

• This position is residential, meaning meals and accommodation are provided during camp and staff training. Furthermore, the cost of travel to and from camp and cost of Visa Application Fee (if applicable) is covered by Seeds of Peace.
• All staff are required to commit to the full duration of the session July 18th - August 10th and participate in a mandatory staff training held both online prior to camp and in person on camp July 10th - 17th

Must also:

• Be entitled to work in the UK
• Hold a DBS certificate or be willing to let Seeds of Peace undertake a check on your behalf
• Have a recent safeguarding qualification from a recognised provider or be willing to undertake additional training in this area
• Comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, confidentiality, data protection and reporting concerns to an appropriate person

Seeds of Peace values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity. We welcome all applicants from any race, ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, age, sexuality, or any other protected characteristic.

We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. Please let us know, by contacting us separately if you need any adjustments or changes to be made during the recruitment process because of a disability or long-term health condition.

Our specialist children's practitioners provide child-led play therapy sessions on a weekly basis, usually for 6-16 weeks. Sessions give children the opportunity to process what has happened to them and make sense of the complicated and confusing emotions they may be experiencing.  Our practitioners work from our purpose-designed therapeutic playroom in Colchester or from some of our outreach premises in other areas, using a range of techniques including sand tray, art and imaginative play.

What we expect from our Sessional Counsellors/Play Therapists:

· Support up to eight CARA clients each week

· Maintain and update accurate database records of clients

· Diploma in Counselling or equivalent, with a minimum of 400 counselling hours.

· Certificate in Counselling Children, Play Therapy qualification or equivalent

· Experience of working therapeutically with children with psychological and behavioural problems.

· An understanding of how trauma affects children both physically and emotionally.

· An ability to work creatively to enable children to process their conscious and unconscious emotions.

· An ability to work collaboratively with parents, while protecting children’s confidentiality.

· To liaise with other agencies including social care, Children and Adolescent Mental Health service (CAMHS) and schools, and attend meetings and provide reports, where required.

· Attendance of one CARA Meeting per month and attendance of monthly point of contact meetings.

· Attendance of clinical supervision, provided by a CARA-approved supervisor.

· Attend annual safeguarding training and other relevant training

· An open and non-judgemental attitude.

· Demonstrable understanding of safeguarding, both in relation to children and to vulnerable adults;

· Sessional Counsellors/Play Therapists will be working with clients on behalf of CARA and not on a private basis.  As such, they will be bound by CARA’s processes, policies and procedures.

· Commitment to the feminist ethos of CARA

· Willingness to commit the necessary time to supporting vulnerable clients

· Membership of BACP, UKCP or equivalent professional body

· Abide by BACP’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy

· Owing to the nature of the role, we are only able to take on female candidates

What the Sessional Counsellor/Play Therapist can expect from us:

·Training and support

·Ongoing training opportunities

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and those with additional language skills, including BSL.

About CARA

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs. 

CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex.  We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich.  We also provide remote services.

CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers.  We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.

You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on our website.  We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.

About Synergy East

CARA is part of Synergy East. We work closely with SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.

The Therapeutic Service Co-ordinator & Clinician is a vital member of the DreamArts Core Team. This role combines project co-ordination with direct therapeutic support through our EXPRESS PLUS service and our work with young carers.

EXPRESS PLUS is a free therapy service based in Westminster offering weekly one-to-one or parent-child creative therapeutic support to young people aged 7–18 (or up to 25 with additional needs). It is the only service of its kind in the borough and we provide a safe and welcoming space for clients to explore issues such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, and suicidal ideation.

Sessions take place at three community venues and are delivered by qualified or qualifying therapists using a wide range of creative tools—arts and crafts, sand play, puppets, games—to help young people express themselves in ways that feel natural and safe. With an 80% retention rate after three sessions and two-thirds of clients from global majority backgrounds, the service has a demonstrable impact.

EXPRESS PLUS is proudly user-led. Young people are at the heart of every decision, and the service adapts to meet their needs—typically offering up to 18 weekly sessions, with flexibility depending on circumstances. We accept self-referrals from young people aged 14+, parents/carers, and statutory and voluntary services.

As part of this role, you will also deliver direct therapeutic support to young people with caring responsibilities. This includes offering weekly 1:1 sessions for three young carers and being part of a team facilitating monthly group therapy spaces.

We are looking for a team member who is passionate about the power of creative therapy to support young people. It also offers opportunities to case-manage three-to-four therapists and bring a therapeutic lens across all aspects of DreamArts’ work. We provide appropriate levels of clinical supervision plus a quarterly reflection space to support your professional development.

Please note that the post holder needs to be a qualified psychotherapist/counsellor, with previous experience (paid or voluntary) of delivering 1:1 therapy sessions with children and/or young people.

In in last year’s staff satisfaction survey 100% of team members felt inspired at DreamArts to do their best at their job, and 100% said that their voice and skills matter at DreamArts.

‘DreamArts has a profound impact on the lives of young people and is a model of exemplary practice.’ - The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, Impact Study

DreamArts has a mission; to transform young lives by fusing arts and therapy.

For over two decades, DreamArts has worked directly in the community, making a difference to the lives of over 500 young people each year in some of London’s most deprived areas—empowering them to explore who they are, build positive relationships and develop emotional wellbeing. 

Our award-winning projects put young people in control: from devising new mini-musicals and immersive theatre, to young carers curating photography exhibitions and young refugees touring their original beatbox plays across the UK. Alongside this, our free therapeutic services offer vital support as mental health crises among young people continues to grow. 

DreamArts is committed to providing an integrative and inclusive programme and not to discriminate on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, nationality, or culture. We are also committed to being a more diverse and culturally representational organisation, therefore any applicant that identifies from a minoritised background and meets the essential criteria will be automatically selected for an interview.

Seeds of Peace is an organisation which inspires and cultivates new generations of global leaders in communities divided by conflict by providing them with the skills, relationships, and community to transform conflict into progress. This Seeds of Peace Camp brings together young people from across Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, the US and the UK to work collaboratively with peers in a multi-national setting. The program provides a transformative journey of personal growth through dialogue and leadership exercises, equipping participants to become effective agents of change in their communities.

The Camp staff team consists of counselors, facilitators and a leadership team, all working together to create and implement the camp programme and contribute to an environment of harmony at Camp. The role of Activity Leader is to create activities that are intentional in featuring dialogic elements which complement the Camp dialogue curriculum and are fun, engaging and inclusive.

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of young people while developing your own leadership, facilitation, and intercultural communication skills as part of a dedicated team.

Main Responsibilities Include:

Camp Programming and Activities

• Design and lead activities as part of the arts, sports, or group challenge activity team.
• Running activities that complement the camp Dialogue programme and contain dialogic elements in line with the Dialogue curriculum.
• Plan, create and implement all camp programming for 120 campers.
• Developing a resource base of activities that meet the goals and objectives of the programme
• Preparing rainy day back up programmes which can be implemented at short notice
• Design, plan and run ‘Colour Games’ - a two day phase of camp with various individual and group activities.
• Creating an environment of fun, engagement and inclusivity in all activities

Additional Camp Support

• Contribute to an atmosphere of communication, trust and respect on Camp.
• Supporting Counsellors with bunk responsibilities after the camp day’s activities.
• Collaborate with the Dialogue team (Dialogue Lead and facilitators) in all aspects of camp life.
• Adhering to all Seeds of Peace policies and procedures, in order to create a Camp environment that is physically and emotionally safe.
• Commitment to professionalism in an informal educational space.
• Assisting with night patrol duties

Prerequisite knowledge, skills and competencies:

Required

• Spoken and written fluency in English
• Track record of running engaging activities with youth
• Fantastic communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to establish strong relationships quickly
• Highly organised with an excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Excellent collaboration and team work skills
• Patience, flexibility, and creativity.
• Ability to work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Adaptability and willingness to learn.
• Sense of humour and adventure
• Comfort with travelling and working in a demanding residential environment
• Belief in the potential and brilliance of youth.

Desirable

• Specialist activity expertise and significant experience offering and leading specific activities (instruction, direction of activities).
• Experience in working with young people in education, peacebuilding or other in residential settings.
• Knowledge of Seeds of Peace camp philosophies and traditions
• Fluency in multiple languages
• Significant experience working in a multi-cultural environment - knowledge of cultural sensitivities regarding Seeds of Peace delegations

Notes

• This position is residential, meaning meals and accommodation are provided during camp and staff training. Furthermore, the cost of travel to and from camp and cost of Visa Application Fee (if applicable) is covered by Seeds of Peace.
• All staff are required to commit to the full duration of the session July 18th - August 10th and participate in mandatory staff training held both online prior to camp and in person on camp July 10th - 17th.

Must also:

• Be entitled to work in the UK
• Hold a DBS certificate or be willing to let Seeds of Peace undertake a check on your behalf
• Have a recent safeguarding qualification from a recognised provider or be willing to undertake additional training in this area
• Comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, confidentiality, data protection and reporting concerns to an appropriate person

Seeds of Peace values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity. We welcome all applicants from any race, ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, age, sexuality, or any other protected characteristic.

We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. Please let us know, by contacting us separately if you need any adjustments or changes to be made during the recruitment process because of a disability or long-term health condition.

Job description

Kingston Bereavement Support is a friendly local charity that provides face to face counselling for children, young people and adults grieving the death of a person close to them. We are well placed to deliver this support, having provided specialist bereavement counselling in the Kingston community since 1988. We are partially funded by the local council and have strong referral pathways with GPs, schools and social services. Our model uses specially trained local volunteer counsellors, offering good value for money while supporting the development of skilled practitioners. As our services are available for free we ensure there is no financial barrier to accessing this support.

We are now looking for a part-time freelance Fundraiser to help secure and grow the income that makes this work possible.

Hybrid - remote working with occasional visits to the office in Kingston as needed (office is a 5 minute walk from Kingston train station, Greater London).

The Role

As a key player in our close-knit team, you’ll enjoy genuine autonomy and high visibility. You will take ownership of fundraising and income generation, ensuring we have the resources to sustain and grow our impact.
Initially, your main focus will be grant fundraising whilst also working with the Trustees to develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy including mid and long term initiatives.

The ideal candidate will:

- Have a good understanding of the current fundraising landscape and the different types of fundraising activities

- Be skilled and experienced in identifying and securing funding from trusts and foundations

- Have the ability to write high-quality compelling funding applications

- Have experience building and maintaining a pipeline of funding opportunities

- Have excellent communication skills, able to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues, Trustees, and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Grant Fundraising

· Identify and secure funding from trusts, foundations and statutory bodies

· Write high-quality, compelling funding applications

· Build and manage a strong prioritised pipeline of funding opportunities

· Maintain relationships with funders, including reporting and stewardship

Other income sources

· Assess, prioritise and implement alternative fundraising activities including, for example, local fundraising events and community & individual fundraising initiatives.

Strategy, Compliance & Reporting

· Develop and deliver a clear fundraising strategy aligned to organisational goals

· Track performance against targets and provide insight

· Ensure all fundraising is compliant with regulations and best practice

· Represent the charity externally with confidence and credibility

Working with internal and external stakeholders

· Work closely with colleagues across the organisation to gather impact data and develop compelling cases for support

· Work closely with Trustees to develop budgets for funding proposals

· Act as a key ambassador for Kingston Bereavement Support with funders and external stakeholders

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience:

1. Proven track record of securing five- figure grants from trusts and foundations

2. Excellent relationship- building and communication skills, able to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues,         Trustees, and external stakeholders.

3. Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to develop persuasive and compelling funding applications

4. Strong prospect research and pipeline development skills

5. An understanding of the fundraising landscape nationwide and in the London Boroughs as relevant

6. Familiarity with fundraising activities alternative to grants  

7. A proactive approach, with the ability to spot opportunities and drive activity forward

8. Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

Desirable, but not essential:

1. Experience securing six-figure and/or multi-year grants

2. Knowledge of the mental health sector

3. Experience contributing to fundraising strategy