Associate Counsellor
| Reports To: | Clinical Lead |
| Direct Reports: | None |
| Location: | Winchester Wellbeing Service or Southampton head office or remote |
| Contract: | Self-Employed |
| Salary: | £18.75 per hour standard rate |
| £18.75 + £11.25 enhancement per hour for care leaver |
Role Purpose
The Associate Counsellor will deliver high quality, safe, ethical counselling sessions within Open Minds. The role involves supporting individuals with a range of emotional and psychological needs, applying counselling principles within your trained modality, and helping clients work towards meaningful goals and improved wellbeing.
Associate Counsellors will provide individually tailored therapeutic interventions, robust risk management, and relapse prevention planning, while working collaboratively within a multiagency environment to ensure the best outcomes for clients.
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Delivery
Provide one to one counselling sessions (minimum of 4 clients per week), delivered in person, online, or by telephone.
Work within your trained modality whilst maintaining trauma informed, person centred, and anti oppressive practice.
Support clients to explore their situation, condition, or presenting issues and assist them in moving forward with appropriate tools, strategies, and interventions
Following full initial assessment including risk assessment and allocation, contact the client, provide an introduction and book ongoing sessions.
Implement appropriate intervention plans and adapt strategies to overcome barriers to engagement.
Provide timely escalation and safeguarding actions in line with Solent Mind and Open Minds policies, particularly where urgent duty of care responses are required.
Maintain accurate, confidential, and GDPR compliant case notes, care plans, and attendance records.
Take session payments in advance when booking the next appointment (where applicable)
Participate in clinical supervision in line with your professional body requirements (e.g., BACP, UKCP, BABCP).
Work within all Open Minds and Solent Mind policies, including safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, and clinical governance frameworks.
Multiagency & Team Working
Work collaboratively with internal teams and external agencies to ensure coordinated, holistic support for clients.
Share relevant information appropriately and professionally in line with safeguarding and GDPR requirements.
Promote eƯective team working and contribute positively to the wider Solent Mind workforce.
Engage in joint working where required to support client safety, wellbeing, and continuity of care.
Professional Standards
Deliver counselling in a way that is trauma informed, ensuring clients feel safe, respected, and empowered.
Uphold Solent Mind’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), embedding anti oppressive, culturally competent practice in all interactions.
Work in a culturally sensitive manner, adapting communication and therapeutic approaches to meet the needs of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and identities.
Maintain professional boundaries at all times.
Engage in ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain and enhance clinical competence.
Contribute to service development, quality assurance, and continuous improvement where required.
Engage in reflective practice, including awareness of personal biases, power dynamics, and the impact of trauma and discrimination on client wellbeing.
General
Adhere to the aims, values, policies and procedures of Solent Mind, particularly safeguarding and health & safety.
This list is non exhaustive and other duties may be required to meet the needs of Solent Mind
| Requirement | Essential or Desirable | |
| Qualifications/Education/Training: | ||
| • A minimum of a Diploma in Higher Education in Counselling (2year Level 4 or Level 4/5 equivalent). | Essential | |
| Evidence of 100+ supervised counselling hours (minimum for newly qualified counsellors). | Essential | |
| • Membership of a recognised professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP, BABCP) and commitment to working toward accreditation. | Essential | |
| Experience: | ||
| Experience delivering counseling to clients with a range of presentations, including mild to moderate mental health difficulties. | Essential | |
| Experience managing a caseload with varying levels of complexity. | Essential | |
| Experience working in partnership with a range of agencies and professionals. | Essential | |
| Experience maintaining confidential, accurate records in line with GDPR. | Essential | |
| Experience working with trauma, complex mental health presentations, or | Desirable | |
| dual diagnosis. Experience of delivering counselling within a charity, NHS, or VCSE setting. | Desirable | |
| Experience supporting clients with safeguarding concerns, risk management, or multi-agency coordination. | Desirable | |
| Knowledge/Skills/Competencies: | ||
| Strong understanding of safeguarding, risk assessment, and escalation procedures for high risk situations. | Essential | |
| Knowledge of health and safety requirements within a clinical setting. | Essential | |
| Strong organisational and time management skills. | ||
| Essential | ||
| Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a counselling | ||
| team and wider organisation. | ||
| Requirement | Essential or Desirable | |
| Excellent verbal and written communication skills. • Ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, demonstrating a strong commitment to EDI and anti oppressive practice. Demonstrated understanding of trauma informed principles and the ability to | Essential Essential | |
| apply them consistently. Empathic, non-judgemental, and able to maintain a calm, grounded presence. | Essential | |
| • Ability to respond flexibly to the demands of a sessional role. | Essential Essential | |
| Other: Commitment to Solent Mind's values. Commitment to Solent Mind's Equal Opportunities and Diversity and Inclusion Policies. | Essential Essential | |