Job Description

Job title:
Grade:
Contract end date:  Several fixed term roles are available, please refer to application form /

Mental Health Practitioner (Counselling & Therapy)
Payscale NJC 18 – 28: £31,537 - £39,152 per annum (pro rata)

Annual Leave:
Responsible to:
Location:

Hours of work:
Job Summary:

job advert. Contract subject to funding.
27 days per annum (pro rata)
Service Manager (Counselling & Therapy)
Office base in central Manchester and community-based work in
localities across Greater Manchester.
Various working patterns available as per the application form / advert.
You will work as part of a wider Counselling & Therapy Team providing
a range of quality therapeutic services to young people aged 11-25
years who are under stress or experiencing mental health difficulties.
The core element of the post is the direct delivery of counselling/therapy
to young people, with the possibility of delivering therapeutic group
work.

Our headquarters are in central Manchester, but you will need to be
happy to travel to deliver support in community-based locations,
schools and colleges across Greater Manchester. The role may involve
both face to face and online therapeutic support. This will be dependent
on the access needs of young people and the needs of the service.

We welcome counsellors and therapists from a range of disciplines. We
grow talent from within our team and there may be potential
opportunities to extend your learning by access to IAPT High Intensity
Therapy and/or Counselling for Depression training in the future.

Date:
Version:
Author:

November 2025
Final
 Chris Jacob

KEY TASKS:

1.0 SPECIFIC TO THE POST HOLDER

1.1  To deliver initial meetings to make appropriate initial assessments of the mental health
needs of young people aged 11 to 25 years. This will be a holistic needs focused
assessment including an assessment of risk.

1.2  As part of assessment and ongoing work, to identify and assess risks collaboratively with

young people and manage risk issues through full risk assessment, the development of
crisis action plans and appropriate liaison with relevant services e.g. statutory crisis
teams, GPs.

1.3  To ensure that all assessment work with young people aged 11-25 years proactively
engages with issues of equality, inclusion and the social model of mental health.

1.4  To refer young people (11 to 25 years) after initial assessment to the appropriate 42nd

Street service or to an alternative external agency.

Mental Health Practitioner (Counselling & Therapy). November 2025
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1.5  To establish relationships with and provide individual counselling/therapy support with

built-in reviews to young people experiencing a wide range of mental health issues. This
work includes individual support, preventative work and work with young people who
may have had considerable contact with mental health services.

1.6  To offer a range of short, medium counselling/therapy work to young people in line with

assessed need and outcomes of regular reviews of support.

1.7  To be involved with group work that responds to the needs of young people who are
isolated and under stress.  This will include delivering therapeutic groups and
participation in ongoing drop-ins and other groups with other members of 42nd Street
staff.

1.8  To work with other counsellors/therapists to continue to develop an accessible and

appropriate counselling service at 42nd Street.

1.9  To ensure that the services provided are accessible and responsive to the needs of

Black, LGBTQ+ and other minoritised young people.

1.10  To liaise and network if requested to do so, with identified groups, agencies and

individuals who may be in contact with young people.  For example, schools, CAMHS /
AMHS, children’s services, GPs, youth and community services, and parents.

1.11  To play a role in the development and sharing of good practice in responding to the

mental health needs of young people in 42nd Street and externally.

1.12  To play an active part in the evaluation of your work and to respond to the changing

needs of young people by developing new areas of work.

1.13  To work at our Manchester office base and at community venues across Greater

Manchester, dependent on the access needs of young people and the needs of the
service. This may involve some lone work with support of the duty management system.

2.0  SHARED WITH ALL WORKERS:

2.1  Ensure  that  the  values  and  principles  underlying  the  organisation's  mental  health  and
emotional well-being support with young people are maintained and developed.  These
include an active commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and to ensuring that services
are  accessible  to  those  young  people  who  are  often  excluded  from  such  services,  for
example,  black  young  people,  disabled  young  people,  gay,  lesbian,  bisexual  and  trans
young people.

2.2  Be aware of and ensure compliance with legal requirements and internal policies with
particular reference to information governance, data protection, confidentiality, health
and safety, and safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

2.3  Mental Health Practitioners will adhere to the core principles of the Mental Capacity Act
(MCA) 2005, ensuring that the rights of the young person to information, effective
support and self-determination are protected.

2.4  Registration  with  relevant  counselling  and  psychotherapy  body  (eg.  BACP,  UKCP,

BABCP, NCS) and a willingness to work towards accreditation.

Mental Health Practitioner (Counselling & Therapy). November 2025
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2.5  Contribute to the development of 42nd Street through active involvement in team meetings,

consultations and other relevant systems and structures.

2.6  Maintain all relevant information systems including monitoring and evaluation, recording

and personnel systems.

2.7  Be involved in staffing 42nd Street’s Duty/Co-Worker system, where this is relevant to the

role.

2.8  Participate  in  managerial  and  external  supervision  and  have  an  active  involvement  in

professional development opportunities at 42nd Street.

2.9  Maintain safe systems of work at all times and take care of your own safety, and that of

colleagues and others who may be affected by your activities.

2.10  Undertake any other duties that may be required which are commensurate with your role.

2.11  Undertake any requests made by the Leadership Team at 42nd Street that is relevant to

this post.

2.12  Provide  some  of  your  work  at  times  other  than  office  hours  so  that  the  service  is
accessible, depending on the operating times of partners and the needs of young people,
this could mean evening and weekend work.

The main responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of duties, only a general guide to the post.  In
consultation with the post-holder, the duties may change from time to time to reflect the changing
needs of the service.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Mental Health Practitioner
(Counselling and Therapy)

Note to applicants: The ideal post holder should meet all the essential requirements detailed below.
Consideration will be given to desirable requirements if there are more than 6 candidates who meet all
the essential requirements. With reference to the requirements under item 4 where it is referenced
‘application’ it is sufficient to indicate agreement to commit to the identified professional areas.

SELECTION CRITERIA

METHOD OF
ASSESSMENT

ESSENTIAL  DESIRABLE

1.   Training, Qualifications & Experience
The successful candidate will have:
a.  A relevant professional qualification in

counselling or psychotherapy at Graduate Level
or the equivalent.

b.  A minimum of 2 years’ experience in providing

effective and empowering individual counselling
/ therapy to young people (11 - 25 year olds)
experiencing difficulties with their emotional
wellbeing and mental health.

c.  Experience of providing effective short term

(such as Brief Solution Focused Therapy) and
long term psychotherapy/counselling.

d.  Relevant training in Cognitive Behavioural

Therapy and experience of providing it to young
people with a range of mental health difficulties.

✓  Application

✓  Application

✓  Interview

✓  Application

✓  Interview

✓  Application

✓  Interview

x

x

x

e.  Experience of assessing the mental health

✓  Application

needs of young people from diverse
backgrounds.

✓  Interview

x

f.  Experience of working with young people with
mental health issues in a group setting, and an
ability to deal with difficult and challenging
group dynamics.

✓  Application

✓  Interview

g.  Experience of assessing and working

therapeutically with young people who self-harm
and experience suicidal feelings.

✓  Application

x

h.  Experience of delivering individual therapeutic
support to young people in the context of an
online service.

✓  Application

✓  Interview

i.  Experience of working with young people with

special educational needs (SEN).

✓  Application

✓  Interview

x

x

x

x

2.   Knowledge

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

Mental Health Practitioner (Counselling & Therapy). November 2025
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a.  The mental health needs of young people

including an awareness of issues of diversity,
the social context of their lives and of the
different ways they may express stress.

b.  Proficient ICT skills including use of Office

applications.

3.   Skills & Abilities

✓  Application

✓  Interview

✓  Application

The successful candidate will be able to:

a.  Engaging young people individually in

psychotherapy/counselling using creative and
imaginative methods, models and processes.

b.  Liaise and network with a range of agencies
including statutory and voluntary sector
organisations.

✓  Application

✓  Interview

✓  Application

✓  Interview

c.  Work in a way that engages and demonstrates

✓  Application

consistent commitment to issues of equality and
diversity.

✓  Interview

d.  Develop and deliver external training for a

variety of audiences.

e.  Effective and positive communicator, both in

person and in writing.

f.  Plan, organise and prioritise own workload and

manage time effectively.

✓  Application

✓  Application

✓  Interview

✓  Application

✓  Interview.

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

4.   Professional Commitment

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate commitment to:

a.  Ensuring that issue of equality and a respect for

diversity is reflected in all aspects of work.

b.  Work at locations across Greater Manchester
and work up to 2 evenings per week and
occasional weekends.

c.  Continued professional development through
undertaking training and participating in other
learning opportunities.

✓  Application

✓  Interview

✓  Application

✓  Application

d.  Recognition of the need to be accountable for

✓  Application

work through supervision, performance
management and other relevant processes.

✓  Interview

e.  Work as part of a team, contributing to 42nd

✓  Application

Street’s effectiveness, quality of services, skills
and expertise.

✓  Interview

x

x

x

x

x

x

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