30.5 hours per week / £33,795 per annum, pro rata / permanent / working pattern to be discussed at interview.
is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.
We are recruiting a Wellbeing Counsellor and an Autism and Learning Disabilities Specialist for the Brighton and Hove Community Wellbeing Service for children and young people (CYP).
Our service, led by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with YMCA DownsLink, supports 2–25 year olds with mild-to-moderate mental health needs. Since 2020, we’ve provided community-based, evidence-based interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, low-intensity interventions, group treatments, creative therapies, and social prescribing — all tailored to individual needs and age.
In this role, you will provide counselling that is adapted to ensure accessibility for autistic children and young people, as well as those with learning disabilities. This support will be offered to clients aged 4 to 25 who have a formal diagnosis.
If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.
Experience and Knowledge
- Experience in individual counselling with children and young people (aged 4+)
- Experience in counselling children and young people with Autism and Learning Difficulties
- Training/experience in working with children with communication difficulties, including Autism and LD
- Experience and/or knowledge of local statutory and voluntary agencies
- Experience of working in a community setting
- Experience of carrying out assessments
- Training / experience in using play and creative techniques in therapy
- Experience / ability to work autonomously, including working remotely.
Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to establish and maintain empathic, supportive relationships with people in significant distress with their families and/or carers
- Willingness to receive, understand and communicate confidential client information of a sensitive and often complex nature, including discussing care with family members within boundaries of confidentiality.
- Proficient to communicate in a sensitive and reassuring manner, with empathy, and where appropriate reassurance
- Able to make good use of clinical supervision in a group and/or individual format
- Skilled in liaising with other teams and services including external agencies as required for the wellbeing of service users
- Proficient to assist in assessment of young people's mental health and make appropriate decisions regarding treatment or referral to other services.
Qualifications
We are recruiting a qualified counsellor, who has experience working with children and young people with autism and learning difficulties, delivering face to face counselling and carrying out assessments with young people to include working with high risk and complex issues. You will have a graduate or post-graduate level Counselling Diploma, or equivalent, and a minimum of two years post-qualifying experience, CYP IAPT Autism Spectrum Conditions and Learning Disabilities, or CYP Psychological Therapies for autism and learning disabilities (renamed in 2025). You will also need to be BACP Registered/Accredited or registered with another recognised professional body (e.g. HPC, UKCP).
The successful applicant will have experience of managing risk, with effective communication around safeguarding procedures. You will also have experience of multi-disciplinary team working and knowledge of local statutory and voluntary agencies. You will also have experience of using electronic database for case management notes and administrative tasks to include monitoring and evaluation.
If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this post, please contact
Should you require any assistance with our application process, please email us at
CLOSING DATE: Sunday 14 September 2025 at midnight. We reserve the right to close this advert early if a successful candidate is found, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role
An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.
Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.
YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
We believe every young person has the right to discover their potential.
Thank you!
The Organisation
Beat is the UK’s eating disorder charity. We exist to end the pain and suffering and loss of life among people affected by eating disorders:
- We help them to understand their illness, support them to get treatment and help them towards recovery.
- We help families and carers know how best to support a loved one into, through and out of treatment.
- And we train teachers, health professionals and other key individuals to spot when someone is showing the early signs of an eating disorder, how to talk to them and how to encourage them to seek and get treatment as quickly as possible.
We use our experience to campaign for better government policy and health service practice that addresses the challenges faced by people with eating disorders, always guided by the experience of our beneficiaries and the expertise of clinicians. We work both nationally and locally, focusing on three priority areas: early intervention, family empowerment and prevention & cure.
The Role
We are seeking a strategic, experienced, and inspiring leader to join Beat as our next Director of Finance and Resources. This is a rare opportunity to help lead a fast-growing, mission-driven organisation at a pivotal moment in its journey. You will join a truly collaborative Executive team where decisions are made collectively, ideas are shared openly, and every Director plays a vital role in shaping Beat’s strategy and future. Together, we will guide the organisation as we launch our new five-year strategy, ensuring that we can continue to build financial resilience, grow our reach, strengthen our impact, and remain a sustainable charity.
In this role, you will not only oversee the financial health of the charity, but also shape the systems, people strategy, and resources that underpin everything we do. Your leadership will be instrumental in embedding robust and transparent financial management, driving operational excellence, and ensuring that our people and infrastructure are fully equipped to deliver our ambitious goals.
You will lead a multi-disciplinary team covering finance, HR, IT, and facilities, providing clear direction and supportive leadership. With direct line management of the Finance Manager, HR & Governance Manager, and Senior Project Manager and Evaluation Lead, you will ensure that all areas of Finance and Resources operate efficiently, sustainably, and in close partnership with colleagues across the charity.
The Person
This role will suit someone who thrives on collaboration, innovation, and impact. You may already be working at Director level, or you may be ready to step up from leading a senior finance, HR, or operations function in a larger organisation. Either way, you will bring the vision and experience to strengthen Beat’s foundations and the drive to help us reach new heights.
- Proven experience working as part of an Executive Team to lead an organisation, shaping strategy and delivering results through cross-functional collaboration.
- Significant experience leading organisation-wide HR strategy and operations, with a proven ability to build an inclusive, high-performing culture. CIPD qualification desirable but not essential.
- Proven experience leading finance in a complex organisation, ideally in the charity or not-for-profit sector to ensure long-term financial sustainability. Qualified accountant (CCAB-recognised body: ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) or equivalent senior-level financial management experience.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence colleagues, Trustees, and external partners.
- Sound understanding of governance, compliance, and risk management in a regulated environment.
- Demonstrated commitment to Beat’s mission, values, and to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion.
Further Information
For extended information about Beat, the role responsibilities and the person specification, please download the Candidate Information Pack.
How to Apply
If you are interested in this brilliant opportunity, please provide the following with your application:
- An up to date CV with details of two referees (we will not contact them without your prior permission).
- A supporting statement which addresses how you meet the criteria for the role and highlights your motivations for applying.
- You will be asked to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.
Next Steps
The closing date for applications: Wednesday 17th September 2025
Preliminary interviews with Russam: 18th – 23rd September 2025 (online)
First stage interviews with Beat: 2nd-8th October (London)
Second stage interviews: 13th-14th October (Norwich)
Travel expenses can be covered for in-person interviews.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Parenthood can be hard. It can be lonely. And it doesn’t come with a manual. Many families we work with also struggle with hunger, grief and anxiety, and just don’t know where to turn for support. Our volunteers are a lifeline to hundreds of families each year, offering one-to-one home-visiting and a wide range of support for parents to ensure that their children have the best start in life. We are seeking a Volunteering and Engagement Coordinator to recruit and develop a diverse team of volunteers, to support our work with families in Barnet, Brent and Harrow.
This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, forward thinking change-maker to test new approaches to engaging with local communities and potential volunteers. You will understand the importance of brand and positive messaging, and will be able to use a variety of techniques including social media to promote volunteering opportunities to different communities of interest.
Additionally, the postholder will be an inclusive and engaging communicator, with the ability to build supportive relationships with a diverse group of volunteers. The postholder will ensure that volunteers receive training, development and supervision to support the families we work with, and that high standards of practice are maintained. You will promote initiatives to increase the retention of existing volunteers and ensure that they are recognised and rewarded for their work.
The work requires a combination of field-based community engagement and training in Barnet, Brent and Harrow and regular days in the office which is in Finchley, Barnet.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.