Sessional trainer jobs

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.

This is an important opportunity to join a respected service supporting adopted adults, birth family members and their descendants, and to help shape high-quality practice that makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Main Responsibilities: 

As Practice Manager, you will provide professional leadership, supervision and operational oversight across intermediary services. You will support a team of PAYE and sessional Intermediaries and Researchers, oversee service quality and safeguarding practice, and contribute to service development and strategic growth. The role also involves building strong relationships internally and externally, ensuring that our services remain responsive, safe and effective.

· Provide supervision, guidance and practice leadership to Intermediaries and Researchers.

· Oversee referrals, allocations, case progression and case closure across the service.

· Support decision-making in complex and higher-risk cases, including safeguarding concerns.

· Lead service development, quality assurance activity and continuous improvement work.

· Maintain oversight of active cases and case records to ensure high standards of practice.

· Represent the service in meetings with internal colleagues, commissioners and external professionals.

· Support recruitment, induction, training and ongoing development of staff and sessional workers.

Main Requirements (for details check the job description and person specification):

You will hold a professional qualification in social work, counselling or psychotherapy, and bring strong knowledge of the lifelong impact of adoption. You will have experience in post-adoption and permanency work, alongside the confidence to supervise staff, manage competing priorities and contribute to service development. We are looking for someone with excellent communication, sound judgement, a collaborative approach and a clear commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Benefits:

- an annual paid leave entitlement that commences at 25 working days (pro-rata), and after a full year of service, rising each April by one day, subject to a maximum of 30 working days plus bank holidays

- up to 6% matched-pension contributions

- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions

- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers

- cycle to work scheme

- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities

We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect.

The Pathfinder will work with the Pathfinder Partnership to design, develop, advocate and deliver tailored support pathways to RASSO victim/survivors with extra or additional complex mental health needs across Greater Manchester. 

You will act as an essential link for SARA’s employees and sessional counsellors to access support from the Pathfinder Partnership for SARA clients by attending Pathfinder Partnership meetings, training, events and client consultations. 

You will work with SARA clients at our centre in Sale, as well as at partner organisations and in the community, working collaboratively with individuals, carers and partners from local multi-agency providers and services, to assess and identify social care needs that may be potential barriers to being able to access support to address sexual trauma. 

Summary of job:

To provide professional management, supervision and operational oversight for intermediary services, supporting a team of PAYE and sessional Intermediaries and Researchers. The role includes service development, quality assurance, safeguarding oversight and contributing to the strategic growth and external representation of PAC-UK’s services for adopted people, birth families and their descendants.

Key tasks and responsibilities:

1. Management and Supervision

• Provide individual and group supervision to Intermediaries and Researchers, ensuring compliance with adoption legislation, policy and best practice.
• Offer case consultation and guidance, including complex and high-risk cases.
• Lead team meetings and staff development activities.
• Support team members in managing safeguarding concerns and ensure adherence to organisational safeguarding policies.

2. Service Delivery and Operations

• Oversee referrals, allocations and case progression and case closure, making informed decisions on applications and case direction.
• Maintain oversight of active cases, ensuring appropriate risk management and quality of service delivery.
• Monitor and review case records and undertake direct casework where required.
• Coordinate and chair meetings as needed.
• Oversee the delivery and day-to-day operation of FamilyConnect advice line services.

 3. Service Development and Quality Assurance

• Contribute proactively to the development of intermediary services, incorporating emerging theory, research and policy changes.
• Lead or support service evaluation, ensuring accurate collection and analysis of data.
• Undertake audits and contribute to continuous improvement processes across services.
• Ensure practice resources are current, relevant and aligned with service models.

4. Stakeholder Engagement and Representation

• Liaise with internal managers, external professionals and referrers regarding cases and service delivery.
• Represent PAC-UK at external meetings, including commissioner meetings and contribute to reporting requirements.
• Work collaboratively with other staff across PAC-UK and the wider organisation.

5. Staffing and Development

• Support recruitment, induction and ongoing development of staff and sessional workers.
• Deliver or facilitate training for parents and professionals.
• Quality assure and support team members delivering training.

6. Marketing and Service Promotion

• Take a proactive role in promoting the service, including contributing to marketing and online content where appropriate.

7. General Responsibilities

• Attend supervision with line manager and relevant internal meetings.
• Participate in training and continuous professional development.
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role.

Ascension Community Trust (ACT) is a much-loved community-based charity in Custom House, Newham.  We deliver a range of projects including Newham District Foodbank (a Trussell Trust foodbank), welfare benefits advice, ESOL classes, work with adults with learning difficulties, as well as work with children, young people and their families.

This an exciting time for the programme with a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school being build next door to our centre, and with established relationships with several care homes – we expect that this programme will go from strength to strength.

The programme currently consists of:

· Inclusive Art Group

· Supported Volunteering

· Weekly Community Meal

We are seeking a competent manager for a one year fixed contract to cover maternity leave.

You will have the leadership skills to support a small team of sessional staff. You will be at ease in relating to adults as well as their parents and carers. You will be passionate about the well being and integration of people with learning difficulties with an understanding of their needs.

Christian belief is not a requirement of the role; however, it is essential that the successful candidate will be comfortable working in sympathy with our values.

If you share our values and want to make an impact within Newham, then we look forward to hearing from you!