| Reports To: | Head of Service – Southampton and Portsmouth |
| Location: | Hybrid |
| Hours: | 18.5 hours per week (to be worked flexibly across core hours and the services operating hours with view to increasing as service develops) |
| Salary Range: | £17,572.50 to £19,882.50 per annum (£35, 145 to £39,765 fulltime equivalent) – Solent Mind Band E |
Purpose:
The Counselling Service Clinical Lead will ensure robust clinical governance and that the self-pay counselling service is safe, effective, and delivered to the highest professional standard in line with professional practice guidelines/BACP ethical framework.
The role is to provide support in relation to counselling for Trainee Counsellors, Associate Counsellors and Employed Counsellors
Main duties and responsibilities:
Clinical Governance
Lead on development, implementation, training, updates and monitoring of clinical governance and safeguarding policies/practice.
Contribute to the review/update of client referral pathway/journey.
Review and monitor case management system (Zanda) efficiency and effectiveness as well as case files and records, ensuring quality practice and compliance with note taking guidelines.
Oversight of initial assessments and case allocation.
Act as point of contact for clinical practice enquiries/concerns.
Liaise with supervisors and statutory bodies regarding practice/safeguarding concerns as appropriate.
Ensure service delivery aligns with recognised ethical frameworks quality assurance frameworks (e.g., NICE guidance, BACP).
Monitoring Impact and Outcomes
Oversight of assessments and outcome tools, ensuring consistency of application and use.
Assist with regular performance reporting activity for Operational/Board Meetings.
Ensure assessment/monitoring tools are completed at key stages of engagement and exit.
Embed recognised outcome measures (e.g., CORE, PHQ-9, GAD-7) to evidence impact and inform service improvement.
Work with Service Manager to analyse data trends and report outcomes to stakeholders, funders, and commissioners.
Ethical Framework
Assist Service Manager in attaining/maintaining BACP membership/registration requirements and future organisational accreditation.
Report learnings from clinical practice to enable service improvement.
Keep service updated with new practice requirements.
Monitor compliance with Ethical Framework.
Associates, Trainees, Supervisors
Develop relationships with colleges for trainee engagement and confirm trainee requirements
Work with Service Manager/Volunteering Manager to recruit, train, and onboard trainees.
Support framework for Associate Counsellors.
Assist in recruitment, induction, and support of Associates and employed counsellors.
Provide onboarding, induction, and ongoing training/support.
Arrange and oversee clinical supervision for trainees and qualified counsellors
Contribute to recruitment/support of supervisors.
Facilitate peer support groups.
Collate training/learning needs.
Monitor Associate Counsellors’ membership, insurance, CPD.
Safeguarding and Health & Safety
Act as part of a safeguarding team for counselling service.
Identify, prevent, and respond to abuse in line with policy.
Report incidents/accidents as required.
Monitor adherence to risk assessments and health & safety requirements along with the Service Manager.
Report any faults/defects to line manager.
Assist the Service Manager with the monitoring of safeguarding and incident forms, ensuring timely mitigation planning and learning.
Strategic Leadership & Financial Awareness
Work with Service Manager to ensure financial sustainability of the self-pay model, including awareness of budgets, pricing structures, and funding opportunities. As well as any agreed updates or changes.
Contribute to long-term planning, service expansion, and innovation to meet client needs and organisational goals.
Model resilience, anti-oppressive practice, inclusivity, and wellbeing, fostering a positive team culture and supporting staff wellbeing.
General
Promote and ensure the good reputation of Solent Mind and the service.
Notify line manager of absence/return to work.
Carry out any other reasonable tasks.
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
| What we are looking for | Requirement |
| Qualifications/Education/Training: Recognised professional counselling/psychotherapy qualification (minimum Level 4 | Essential |
| Diploma or equivalent). Accreditation or working towards accreditation with BACP, UKCP, or equivalent professional body. | Essential |
| Personal Development: Applicants must show evidence of ongoing professional and personal development, including participation in further training, personal therapy, and reflective practice. | Essential |
| Evidence of ongoing CPD in counselling/psychotherapy and/or clinical supervision. Postgraduate qualification in counselling/psychotherapy， psychology， or mental health | Desirable |
| leadership. | Desirable Desirable |
| Training in safeguarding (Level 3 or above) and risk management. Experience: | |
| Significant post-qualification counseling/psychotherapy experience (minimum 450 hours of demonstrable supervised practice). Supervision must be provided regularly by | Essential |
| a qualified and experienced supervisor and in line with your professional body membership). Demonstrable experience of working with diverse client groups, higher risk and | Essential |
| complex cases such as addictions, domestic abuse, rape crisis, trauma/c-trauma etc. Experience of delivering/co-ordinating clinical supervision for counsellors and trainees. | Essential |
| Experience of implementing and monitoring clinical governance frameworks. | Essential |
| Experience of safeguarding practice and liaison with statutory agencies, working with | Essential |
| Multi Disciplinary Teams (MDT) and attending MDT and safeguarding meetings Experience of managing caseloads, assessments, and allocation of clients. | Essential |
| Experience of leading or managing a counselling service or team. | Essential |
| Experience of working within a self-pay or fee-paying counselling/therapy service. | Essential |
| Experience of monitoring and measuring impact and outcomes through the use of | Essential |
| outcome measurement tools (e.g., CORE, PHQ-9, GAD-7). Experience of working with external stakeholders such as commissioners, funders, or | Essential |
| partner organisations. Ethical Practice: Practitioners must adhere to the BACP's Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy, demonstrating a commitment to ethical | Essential |
| standards in their practice. | |
| Knowledge/Skills/Competencies: | |
| Strong clinical leadership and supervisory skills. | Essential |
| Ability to ensure compliance with ethical frameworks and professional standards. | Essential |
| Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, and interpersonal). Ability to manage sensitive and complex safeguarding issues. | Essential Essential Essential |
| Competence in using case management systems (e.g., Zanda) and digital tools. Ability to monitor and report on service outcomes and impact. | Essential |
| Strong organisational and time management skills. | Essential |
| Strategic planning and service development skills. | Desirable |
| Financial awareness, including understanding of budgets and sustainability in a self- pay model. | Desirable |
| Ability to represent the service externally and build collaborative partnerships. Knowledge of NICE guidelines, CQC standards, and wider quality assurance | Desirable |
| frameworks. | Desirable |
| Other: | |
| Commitment Solent Mind's values and policies | Essential |
| Willingness to undergo an enhanced DBS check | |
| Passion for improving access to counselling and supporting client wellbeing. | Essential |
| Essential | |
| Inclusive and collaborative leadership style, fostering resilience and wellbeing in the | Essential |
| team. | |
| Professional integrity, accountability, and commitment to ethical practice. | Essential |
| Flexible and adaptable, able to respond to service development needs. | Essential |
| Innovative mindset, open to developing new models of counselling provision. | |
| Desirable | |
| Enthusiasm for representing the service externally and promoting its reputation. Commitment to continuous improvement and reflective practice | Desirable Desirable |
Date job originated: November 2025 Date job reviewed: November 2025 Reviewing Manager: Ian Stiff