Lead counsellor jobs in Edinburgh
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Evolve Counselling is a long‑established Cambridgeshire charity providing professional, affordable mental‑health support to individuals, organisations and communities. Each year, Evolve delivers thousands of counselling sessions through a team of trained, accredited counsellors working across the East of England region.
Our mission is to deliver counselling services to adults at the lowest possible cost, wherever possible seeking to subsidise sessions for those on low incomes. We do this through a mixed model of commissioned services, private counselling, and grant‑supported provision. By working to grow and foster a membership body of professional counsellors, Evolve strives to improve access to quality counselling and psychotherapy for all, and to create a positive working environment for those in the profession.
The CEO role provides strategic and operational leadership to drive Evolve’s growth, sustainability and impact. The position delivers effective organisational management, high‑quality service delivery, robust governance, regulatory compliance, and a positive staff culture. Working in conjunction with the board, this is an exciting opportunity to shape the organisation’s future, ensuring that Evolve remains a trusted, quality and sustainable source of mental health support for years to come.
Following several years of successful internal stabilisation—strengthening governance, staffing, and operational systems—the charity is ready to enter a critical period of transformation and growth. Our current CEO plans to retire in September 2026, having laid strong foundations for what must come next.
Our new CEO will lead Evolve into this next phase—strengthening partnerships, expanding referral pathways, stabilising revenue streams, and championing accessible counselling across our communities.
We’re looking for an experienced, compassionate leader to oversee the day‑to‑day running of our national helpline services and co‑ordinate our Survivors Forums. This is a unique opportunity to shape a trauma‑informed, high‑quality support service for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse, as well as those who support them.
In this role, you’ll ensure our helplines remain safe, accessible, and responsive, providing steady leadership in a fast‑paced, emotionally complex environment. You’ll offer clinical supervision, guide a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, and champion best practice in safeguarding, risk management, and service quality.
You’ll also play a key part in strengthening survivor voices by supporting and co‑ordinating our Survivors Forums—helping shape the future of our organisation and the wider sector.
If you’re a qualified counsellor and clinical supervisor with experience managing frontline support or crisis services—and you’re driven by a commitment to trauma‑informed, survivor‑centred practice—this role offers the chance to lead meaningful change and support a service that truly matters.
Our vision is for a society where services for all survivors are trauma-informed and accessible according to need.


