Volunteer Counsellor
Leeds Mind
Volunteer Role Title: Volunteer Counsellor
Location: Clarence House, 11 Clarence Road, Leeds, LS18 4LB
Responsible to: Counselling Service Lead or other as specified by Service Lead
Hours: Minimum commitment of 4 counselling appointments per week
Closing date: 24th October 2025 (please note we may close this role earlier if we receive sufficient applications)
About the service
Leeds Mind is a progressive mental health organisation that supports people experiencing mental health difficulties to flourish. The aim of our work is to help people build on their strengths, overcome obstacles, and become more in control of their lives. We have faith and optimism in our clients and so the services we deliver are built around their needs. We support the people of Leeds to discover their own resources to ‘recover’ from periods of poor mental health, and to live life independently with their mental health condition.
The Leeds Mind Counselling Service offers an affordable self-referral counselling and psychotherapy service to anyone who lives in the Leeds area. The service provides person-centred counselling to adults 18+, and has been part of Leeds Mind for over 30 years.
Purpose of the role
To liaise with the Counselling Service Lead, Counselling Coordinator and counselling colleagues to provide a counselling service to clients of the service, providing assessment (after clearance to take assessments) and therapy and manage up to four clients. To work autonomously within BACP or UKCP ethical guidelines and the overall framework of Leeds Mind policies and procedures. To contribute where necessary to service audit, and development, team meetings, etc.
Key tasks & responsibilities
- Provide counselling focused on issues of a highly distressing and emotional nature that might include childhood abuse, suicidal and self-harming behaviours. Note, our service also offers remote sessions via MS Teams/phone-call.
- Exercise professional responsibility for the ongoing assessment, treatment, and discharge of clients whose problems are managed via counselling interventions in liaison with the Service Lead and Coordinator
- Undertake safeguarding, risk assessment and risk management for individual clients with support from the Service Lead
- To provide a minimum of 4 counselling or psychotherapy appointments in one volunteered day or as agreed with the Counselling Service Lead
- To liaise with the Counselling Service Lead to formulate and implement plans for the counselling interventions used or proposed
- Receive regular individual clinical professional supervision of your work for the counselling service from an identified Clinical Supervisor at your own cost
- Attend periodic workshops arranged by the service where they are deemed mandatory to your continued development and safe practice
- Attend on a voluntary basis any other workshops arranged by the service that you regard as useful or helpful to your development as a practitioner, for example Reflective Practice Groups and Team Meetings
- Attend regular support of your clinical work and practice with the Service Lead
- Contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the service as appropriate
- Adhere to BACP/UKCP/NCS ethical guidelines
- Contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in counselling across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal
- Maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical/counselling and related disciplines through active participation in CPD training and development programmes
- Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Leeds Mind and BACP guidelines, policies, and procedures
Skills and experience
- For trainees, as a minimum, you will be in an accredited (by professional body) training to diploma or degree level (Level 4/Level 5/Level 7) and have reached the point where your training requires that you undertake an external placement.
- You will have experienced counselling or psychotherapy as a client yourself.
- You will be interested in developing your experience of working with clients who may be referred by specialist health or social care services or may be self-referred.
- You will ensure that payment has been received by the service and work with the administrative team to ensure this.
- An awareness of what we do within the counselling service and Leeds Mind.
- A commitment to the aims and values of the organisation.
- A commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace.
- A commitment to safeguarding clients and others you may come into contact with as part of your role.
Other requirements
All volunteers are expected to attend an induction and training and will receive regular supervision. The mandatory training for all volunteers, which comprises of various full and half days, is only provided during the week and not at weekends.
At present, we only have room availability for volunteers who are available to volunteer Monday to Thursday between the hours of 9am and 8pm.
We hope that the volunteer will advance their skills so that they are able to move on to other volunteer or work opportunities. We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months.
This role is subject to a trial period of 3 months. This allows us to review whether the role is suitable and if expectations of both the volunteer and Leeds Mind are being met.
You will be required to provide references and undergo an Enhanced DBS check for this role.
Contact information
For further information about the role please contact Emma Brighten-Paddle
Tel: 0113 3055800
Leeds Mind
-
Added
16/10/2025 -
Closing
24/10/2025 -
Location
Leeds -
Hours
Part Time 4 Hours per week -
Contact
hrservices@leedsmind.org.uk