Overall Responsibilities
• To provide a high-quality counselling service to students experiencing a wide range of issues.
• To work with pastoral leaders throughout the school to identify and support those students that may be ‘at risk’ or need an additional layer of support.
• To support staff and particularly housemasters/year group leaders in key areas such as, but not limited to how to handle eating disorders, self-harm, depression, anxiety, stress, relationships and any other pastoral issue that a counsellor might be reasonably expected to encounter.
• To provide support, guidance and advice to parents, carers and the school.
• Contribute to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare and personal care of children and young people.
Key Responsibilities
• To be responsible for the confidential counselling services for students as needed.
• To prioritise response to the level of need after initial referral.
• To be responsible for advice and support to staff.
• To maintain a suitable and well-resourced room for students to feel relaxed.
• To be responsible for maintaining appropriate and confidential records.
• To liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead on a frequent basis.
• To have a thorough knowledge of the Mental Health provision locally and nationally.
• To continually review and evaluate the counselling service.
• To attend pastoral, safeguarding meetings as required.
• To maintain a high level of knowledge and awareness of changes and developments in the fields of counselling and education and their impact on the delivery of counselling;
• To respond to acute and challenging issues/situations in a timely manner.
• To offer support to colleagues in developing approaches to vulnerable students.
• To support other colleagues in meetings or conversations with parents or students.
• To be responsible for own supervision and management of self in accordance with the requirements of own professional body.
• To contribute in any other reasonable fashion to promote the safety and wellbeing of the pupils.