Therapist jobs

About The Refugee Council

The Refugee Council is the nation’s refugee charity. Together with community groups, partners and volunteers, we help people who have escaped war and persecution to rebuild their lives, integrate into communities, and play their part in Britain. Born in the aftermath of World War II, our frontline services support over 14,000 refugees each year to find safety, get to know their neighbours, and enter education, training or work. We share our evidence and expertise with policymakers to help build integrated communities where everyone can contribute.

We have offices across the UK where our Services teams provide support to refugees at the local level.

Inclusion and Accessibility

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

Our Values

Our values underpin everything we do: 

• Inclusive: We are inclusive. We work with – not for – refugees and people seeking asylum so they have an equal voice, co-producing projects and ensuring their expertise and experiences are at the heart of what we do.
• Collaborative: We are collaborative. Working with others is a priority in order to have the collective impact that is vital to achieve policy and practice reform. 
• Courageous: We speak out when we see injustice, cruelty and unfairness. We always stand up for what we believe is the right thing to do to transform the experiences of those seeking protection in our country. 
• Respectful: We are respectful of all those we interact with. We treat everyone – our staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, partners and people we disagree with – with the same respect, professionalism and understanding.

About the Role

As a Psychological Therapist for Refugee Council, you will deliver specialist, culturally responsive psychological therapy and psychosocial interventions that improve the mental health, wellbeing, and resilience of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people across East Sussex. The role provides assessment, therapeutic intervention, risk management, and professional guidance, working collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to ensure vulnerable young people receive safe, effective, and holistic support that enables positive outcomes and recovery.

Hours: 14 hours per week over 2 days (0.4 FTE).

Contract: Fixed term, ending March 2027.

Location: Hybrid, with occasional travel to East Sussex required for meetings and partnership work.

Staff Benefits

To reward our staff for the value they bring, we offer a variety of enhanced terms and conditions and a wide range of benefits, including:

• Training & Development
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Work/Life Balance Policies
• Employer-Sponsored Volunteering
• And more.

Let’s work together to improve the lives of refugees in the UK – apply on our website today.

Closing date: 1 September 2026.

We encourage early applications as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

ID: 1845  Psychotherapist, Arts Therapist, Counsellor

Service: Growing Minds, Off Centre, an African, Caribbean Heritage therapeutic service for Children and Young People.

Salary: £36,501 - £40,024 FTE per annum (£21,900.60 - £24,014.40 per annum, pro rata) Inclusive of Inner London Weighting

Location: Unit 7, Textile Building, Hackney, London, E9 and outreach locations

Hours: 22.2 hours per week (part time) with either Monday or Thursday evening to 8:00pm. Requirement to work on Wednesdays.

We offer flexible working arrangements - please see below for more details.

Contract: Permanent

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:

At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the

importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

This is an exciting opportunity for a therapist who wants to make a difference to the lives of children and young people, 11yrs to 25yrs, of African, Caribbean heritage in City and Hackney

Young black people disproportionately report inequality, racism and discrimination on a routine basis. Many ACH children, young people and families are succeeding in Hackney, however young people from ethnic minority communities are over-represented in terms of child protection plans, looked after children and school exclusions and inequalities in health. If you feel passionate about making a difference in this area we would like to hear from you.

Our Growing Minds Service provides practical, emotional and mental health wellbeing support to children and young people aged 11-25 from African and Caribbean Heritage (ACH) communities; focusing on two key transition points in their lives (primary to secondary school and childhood to adulthood). The service is designed to increase the capacity of ACH communities to harness potential, identify and support children and young people’s mental health needs, and to establish a clear pathway into direct support.

We are seeking candidates from African and Caribbean Heritage in order to reach out to children, young people and young adults in these communities. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies. 

Main responsibilities

As a therapist you will be responsible for undertaking assessments, delivering 1-1, time limited, outcome focussed sessions with young people for up to 24 weeks (depending on their assessment evaluation) and evaluating therapeutic interventions for young people. You will also undertake associated case management and administrative work.  You will be required to offer evening sessions until 8pm at least one evening a week (on Monday or Thursday) as part of your working hours and there is also the potential to develop and facilitate group work.

Main Requirements

As a Psychotherapist/ Creative Art Psychotherapist/Counsellor with relevant post qualification practice you will work collaboratively community organisations/CAMHS and other partners to reduce barriers to mental health support to children, young people and young adults from the ACH community. You will work with young people on a 1:1 basis, with parent/carers during assessment, and group work. You will undertake holistic assessments, and hold a caseload providing outcome focussed interventions that support resilience and emotional wellbeing. In addition you will be knowledgeable about the wider health determinants which impact on ACH communities and barriers for children, young people and young adults achieving positive outcomes. You will be a warm, empathic individual with an ability to relate to young people and work as part of a team.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applications from male candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and candidates with disabilities because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants and will reimburse your travel cost if you attend an interview.

Benefits

We will offer you a generous pension scheme and leave entitlements, eye care vouchers, a cycle to work scheme and other great benefits. All roles in Family Action are open to a discussion about possible flexible working options, subject to business needs, and all new starters will have the right to make a flexible working request from day one of employment. We have an excellent wellbeing offer and we will invest in your professional development with on-going quality training and career development opportunities. You will be provided an ACH external clinical supervisor. You will join an established, supportive and high-performing service and have the opportunity to thrive in an innovative organisation that values your opinion, encourages learning and has the needs of children and families at its core.

· Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service – INSERT APPLICABLE DBS LEVEL Enhanced certificate, child and adult workforce psychotherapist, adults and children’s barred lists

Benefits:

- an annual paid leave entitlement that commences at 25 working days, 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.

To Apply:

· Click the ‘Apply’ link below and fill out our digital application form

· Closing Date: Sunday 30th August 2026 at 23:59

Interviews are scheduled to take place w/c Monday 7th September.

For any queries, or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or the potential for flexible working, please email: Jacqueline Bascombe (full email address located on advert document)

All appointments with Family Action are subject to satisfactory Safer Recruitment checks.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process and you will be asked whether you require any adjustments if shortlisted for interview. We also make reasonable adjustments on the job, where required.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates. We are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Actionbecause we know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and we strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

To help remove financial barriers to working with us, we will reimburse reasonable travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person.

*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.

About the service: Door of Hope, East London

Door of Hope supports women who sell sex in Tower Hamlets through advocacy, information, emotional support and practical help. The service works alongside women at their own pace and is supported by a committed volunteer team delivering street outreach in Tower Hamlets on Thursday mornings and Friday nights.

About the role

Beyond the Streets is a UK charity with over 20 years’ experience partnering with women in the sex industry to support safety from coercion, violence and abuse. We provide trauma-informed, person-centred support, specialist training, and resources shaped by research, lived experience and practitioner insight.

This psychotherapy service was developed because many women supported by Door of Hope need flexible, accessible therapeutic support that mainstream services may not be able to provide. Since its introduction, the service has demonstrated meaningful positive impact, supporting psychological and behavioural change for women experiencing multiple disadvantage.

Based at our offices in Tower Hamlets, you will provide women-centred psychotherapeutic support to women with complex needs through in-person, online, telephone or blended approaches.

At times, you may meet women in local cafés, hostels or other community settings to build relationships, establish trust and offer brief therapeutic interventions.

You will work alongside a small Door of Hope daytime support team and service manager to manage risk, coordinate support, and help women access appropriate services across the borough.

Who are we looking for…

• Relevant professional qualifications.
• Understanding of the complexities facing women experiencing multiple disadvantage and the barriers they may face when accessing services.
• Experience working within a multi-disciplinary framework.
• Experience engaging with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Knowledge of adult safeguarding protocols and procedures.
• A non-judgemental, women-centred approach to support.
• Confidence working within a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) framework.
• A commitment to providing high-quality, women-led and trauma-informed support.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Patience, compassion, resilience and a motivational approach.
• A responsible, dedicated and flexible approach to work.
• Competent IT and computer skills.

We are seeking a compassionate, non-judgemental practitioner who recognises each woman’s strengths and can work safely within gender-informed, trauma-informed and safeguarding frameworks. You will bring experience of complex trauma, multiple disadvantage and multi-disciplinary risk management, alongside a strong commitment to extending the reach and impact of this work.

Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR)

This role will work alongside women involved in survival sex, survivors of sexual exploitation and women with lived experience of violence against women, and is therefore restricted to female applicants only under Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

All roles are subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK, satisfactory references, and a DBS check. 

Using AI tools for your application - We are seeing an increase in generic, duplicated applications generated using AI tools. Submissions must reflect your own experience and individuality. Applications that appear “carbon copy” or not genuinely representative of you may be rejected.

We recognise our responsibility to remove any barriers in our recruitment process. If you have identified any barriers in the Job Description or Person Specification, please tell us of these in your application. We are committed to making any reasonable adjustment to the job where possible, and it would help us to know your needs to do this.