Counsellor

Please click here to view our Recruitment Brochure.

Leigh Academy Minster has a rare and exciting opportunity, seeking an experienced Counsellor to join their team from September 2024.

For this role, candidates need membership to the BACP, UKCP registered or BPC and hold a Postgraduate Diploma or a Masters in Counselling/Psychotherapy. You will have experience of working with children and young people ideally in a school/college setting. You will be aware of national policies, codes of practice and ethics and maintain relevant career professional development. You will also be willing to work as part of a committed team, working to the very high standards of the academy. In return you will enjoy a rewarding role in which you can have a significant impact on the mental well-being of all pupils, especially those with additional needs, and staff.

Previous experience in an educational environment is essential as you will work in a secondary academy to offer one to one support and therapy sessions with pupils, and join a strong community of pupils and staff. Your role will also include providing mental well-being clubs, and intervention sessions to support pupils in developing their emotional resilience. An ability to provide a range of creative therapy sessions is desirable, in order to develop pupils’ emotional language and ability to express themselves. You will provide a high-quality counselling service to pupils experiencing a complex and wide range of emotional difficulties. You will also provide support, guidance and advice to parents/carers and other staff members within the academy. You will contribute to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare, and personal care of pupils.

This is a fixed-term contract for 1 year, working 37 hours per week, term time + 1 week of inset and offers an actual salary of £30,746 - £33,706 per annum (£35,745 - £39,186 full-time equivalent), commensurate with experience.

Note that whilst the position is offered on a fixed-term basis initially of one year, every effort will be made to offer a substantive position thereafter, either at Leigh Academy Minster or within the wider family of academies across Leigh Academies Trust. The central Recruitment Team will keep in touch with you throughout your contract to discuss options available to you.

If you have any queries on any aspect of the application process or need additional information please contact Rachel Cribben (Recruitment Advisor) on 01634 412 258 or rachel.cribben@latrust.org.uk.

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st April 2024, our Trust comprises 32 geographically organised academies (16 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating more than 20,000 students and employing 3,000 talented staff. Nearly 40% of our academies are judged outstanding overall by Ofsted, versus 15% nationally. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider.

Our future plans are found in our Vision 2030 document available on our website.

As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Click here to view the benefits available to all LAT employees from day one.

Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.