The Charity and The Vision.
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting military children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, the charity offers a unique blend of emotional, practical, and educational support to over 700 young people, and we have big ambitions to support over 1,000 children annually by 2030.
We are proud of our vibrant, non-traditional culture, which puts the needs of bereaved children and young people at the heart of everything we do. We embrace innovative approaches, are committed to creating smiles and believe in the power of community, resilience, and connection.
Scotty’s is seeking an experienced bereavement counsellor to join our small but effective team. The role involves supporting children and young people affected by bereavement, which may include death in service, illness, or suicide.
We want every bereaved military child and young person to have:
- Access to the very best emotional health and wellbeing support.
- Outstanding development opportunities.
- The chance to smile again.
We call these our Promises. Our promises align with our three programmes: SMILES, STRIDES and SUPPORT.
· The SMILES Programme provides children with the chance to smile again
· The STRIDES Programme provides children with outstanding development opportunities
· The SUPPORT Programme provides the very best emotional health and wellbeing support to children who are struggling to cope following a bereavement.
Our Bereavement Counsellor will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT Programme, delivering online 1:1 and group support to those who need it most. But all three programmes work closely together (we call this the Families team).
Role Mission:
The Scotty’s Bereavement Counsellor will work with our families who are struggling with their grief to help them understand their feelings, develop coping skills and build their new life.
This role will be accountable for:
Providing emotional support, counselling and therapeutic interventions to individuals and families coping with grief and loss. The role involves working compassionately and ethically with families affected by bereavement, helping them process their emotions and find ways to adjust to life after a loss.
The Bereavement Counsellor will work collaboratively with the SUPPORT team and the wider Families team to ensure that all work undertaken by Scotty’s is delivered in a supportive and sensitive manner and that Scotty families receive exemplary care.
What are the 3-month goals for this role:
· Within three months the Counsellor will have developed their knowledge of the range of services that Scotty’s offers to our families so that they can advise and support families in their case load.
· Will have begun to learn and understand the Scotty Values and the Scotty Way (we do things a little differently and our culture is very important to us and our families!).
· Would have begun supporting the families assigned to their caseload by the Head of SUPPORT. This will predominantly if not entirely be online 1:1 delivery.
· Will have completed all necessary safeguarding training and be part of the Scotty’s Safeguarding team.
· Begun attending peer supervision sessions with the SUPPORT team.
What are the 6-month goals for this role:
· Will have established a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT which is likely to include 1:1 online sessions, and may also include online group sessions, drop ins or workshops.
· Will have begun to support the wider Families team by attending Scotty events. At Scotty events, a SUPPORT team member often attends to provide support to any families in distress (this may require occasional weekend or evening work).
· Will be working cohesively with the Families team and the wider Scotty team to share your knowledge and skills. Scotty’s values a culture of learning and strives to ensure team members can learn from one another’s expertise.
· Will be contributing to peer supervision sessions to ensure all SUPPORT team members are able to give the best support to families.
· Regularly meeting with your selected external supervisor.
What are the 9-month goals for this role:
· Will be supporting a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT, with emerging impact data showing the success of your support. Scotty’s uses the Child Bereavement Service Questionnaire (CBSQ) developed by the CBN to monitor the impact of 1:1 support and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for pre-bereavement support.
· Will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT programme, Families and wider Scotty team. Providing first rate bereavement counselling and support directly to families but also indirectly helping families by working collaboratively with other team members.
What are the key responsibilities of this role:
· Managing a caseload and delivering one to one counselling sessions as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT. This will predominantly be online delivery using Teams video calling but also other formats as needed by families.
· Facilitate group therapy or support groups when appropriate.
· Conduct initial assessment to determine clients’ needs and suitability for counselling.
· Maintaining accurate and confidential case notes in a timely fashion using our Salesforce based system in accordance with data protection and organisational policies.
· Adhering to all safeguarding requirements and operating as part of the Scotty Safeguarding team to maintain the highest standards across the charity.
· Supporting the development of resources and materials as needed.
· Working collaboratively within the SUPPORT team, including peer supervision.
· Working collaboratively and effectively within the Families team to ensure that families are directed to the appropriate services in a timely fashion. This could include directing families you are working with towards our educational grants, our respite breaks, our events, our school support or our advocacy.
· Liaise with healthcare and mental health professionals such as GPs, CAMHS and social workers or other professionals where appropriate to ensure holistic care and management of risk.
· Attending at least six (mandatory) face to face team days, normally located in the East of England.
· Participate in regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development.
Skillset and Experiences Required:
Essential
· Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). We may consider applications from practitioners with HCPC or NCS membership too.
· Level 4 Counselling / Psychotherapy Diploma or above.
· Significant experience (post qualification) providing bereavement counselling, to children or young people (0-25yrs).
· Experience and training with NICE-approved talking therapies.
· Demonstrated knowledge of issues surrounding bereavement.
· Ability to manage caseload effectively.
· Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate children’s needs (this may include evening work to avoid school hours at times).
· Excellent computer literacy.
· Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with families.
· Ability to engage with peer supervision and Scotty’s funded external supervision effectively.
· Ability to engage with a culture of continuous learning and support the learning of others.
· Ability to work flexibly as part of a team and independently to meet the needs of the service.
· Commitment to professional standards and ethical practice.
Desirable
· Accredited member of BACP.
· Knowledge or experience of or with the military community.
· Experience of online counselling.
· Experience (post qualification) providing pre-bereavement counselling or support.
· Experience of supporting those bereaved by suicide.
· Knowledge of or experience using assessment tools such as SDQs or CBSQs.
· Knowledge of statutory mental health provision and systems including CAMHS and EHCPs.
· Experience of providing counselling or support to young people with SEND or additional needs.
· Ability to drive with access to own transport is an advantage as some team meetings can take place away from public transport routes.
· Experience working within a hospice, NHS or charitable setting.
Additional Information
- The role may require evening or weekend work
- Enhanced DBS check required
- Travel will be required to events and team training days
The Scotty’s Way
At Scotty’s, our personal performance is only 50% of what success looks like. Our culture is equally important. When you join our team, you sign up to The Scotty’s Way, rooted in our four core values:
1. Families Come First
2. Everyone a Supporter, Every Supporter a VIP
3. Love What You Do
4. Remember, Every Day
Our values are further supported by our four non-negotiable behaviours of Show Respect, Speak Up, Embrace Change and Actively Collaborate. We are looking for an individual who embodies these values and behaviours.
Thank you for your interest in joining our team, we are an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect and given equal opportunities for employment and advancement.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.
We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment within our charity, and we are dedicated to providing a fair and inclusive recruitment process for all candidates.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Sands exists to save babies’ lives and ensure that anyone affected by pregnancy loss or baby death receives the support and care they need.
Bereaved parents and families are at the heart of why Sands exists. Sharing their experiences of pregnancy and baby loss, and what connects and involves them with our work, is both an important part of their bereavement journey and a way to demonstrate the need for our vision and mission to succeed. This role will help us to show in a real and human, authentic way, what Sands is doing to save babies’ lives and support bereaved families.
Sharing these personal stories in external communications will help us reach more people, bringing to life the work we do in a way that engages diverse audiences, and increasing the likelihood of their taking actions in support of Sands.
This new role has been developed to support the Communications & Engagement team to develop our story-telling function, build our real stories library and ensure the associated consent and stewardship processes are compassionate, efficient and effective. The Stories Officer will ensure wherever possible, that external communications assets and content created by teams across Sands includes the voices of people touched by pregnancy and baby loss – including those who have been personally affected, and those who are allies of Sands, such as healthcare professionals, corporate partners, research partners, fundraisers and more.
You will have experience of working in a charity stories or communications team, or in a stories-led environment such as journalism.
A good knowledge of compliance and safeguarding issues, including experience of working with vulnerable people in a communications context is required.
With excellent written communication and creative skills, you will be able to produce work that captures and conveys real life experiences in a sensitive and compassionate tone.
You will be highly organised with the ability to multi-task and work across more than one project simultaneously.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part time – 18.5 hours per week
Salary: £25,000 per annum (pro rata £12,500)
Remote: This role is homebased with occasional travel for staff residentials and other events.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
We are looking for someone who thrives on following set processes and being organised, with exceptional attention to detail. Accuracy and a drive for perfection are essential qualities for anyone undertaking this role.
The Assessment and Data Administrator role is responsible for assisting with online assessment systems to ensure that full compliance of awarding organisations requirements are adhered to. Additionally, this individual will be the first point of call within the team for candidate or customer queries around our operational processes.
We are looking for a positive, self-starter with strong organisational skills, who is confident with managing multiple tasks, and priorities and is able to provide an efficient support. The ideal candidate will be able to work well in a team and also work of their own initiative, confidently communicate with stakeholders at varying levels of seniority and display judgement, integrity and trustworthiness as you will be privy to learner information.
To be considered for this role, the successful candidate must have previous experience of working with IT and online learning platforms and be confident in managing the breadth of tasks within this function.
Key responsibilities for this role will include:
- Registration of learners across awarding organisation(s) for all courses.
- Maintenance of learner records with the awarding organisation(s).
- Supporting lead IQA in preparation for external quality assurance visits.
- Management of and claiming of completed certificates and their distribution to learners across all courses.
- Maintaining accurate records of learner data for reporting and planning purposes.
- Supporting the Academy team by providing data on learner number, course breakdown and completion rates.
- Handle incoming enquiries relating to Academy operational processes.
- Create effective interactions with customers across various platforms.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to escalate and resolve complex customer queries, fostering a seamless customer journey.
- Managing customer queries and assigned inbox.
- Ensure the NYA follows best safeguarding best practice.
- Ensure all operational activity and youth work content is to the highest quality, representing the position of NYA as the National Body for Youth Work in England.
- Ensure the NYA follows best safeguarding best practice.
- Ensure all operational activity and youth work content is to the highest quality, representing the position of NYA as the National Body for Youth Work in England.
- Develop and maintain an understanding of NYA internal processes and the wider Youth Work qualification landscape.
- Effectively troubleshoot and answer customer queries, seeking appropriate solutions and liaising with other departments to ensure customer support is delivered to the highest standard.
- Maintain in-depth knowledge of NYA Academy products and services.
- Contribute to the development and improvement of the customer service knowledge base, ensuring relevant and up-to-date information is available.
- Provide support to the Academy Team and wider NYA as appropriate
- Provide effective call handling day-to-day.
- Any other duties that may reasonably be required of the role.
Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.
Why Work for NYA?
NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
- NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
- A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
- NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
- We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.
How to Apply:
Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Sunday 29th June 2025:
- A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
- A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
- We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.
Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
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