Carer Project Lead & Counsellor

Carer Project Lead & Counsellor (Fixed Term to 31.03.20)

£15,888.00 p.a. 27.5 hours per week

At St Peter & St James Hospice we provide high quality specialist palliative and end of life care for patients with cancer and other life-limiting conditions across East and West Sussex.  Our service extends to providing specialist counselling and bereavement support to our patients' carers and families.

Subject to continued funding being available after March 2020 we are looking to recruit a Carer Project Lead and Counsellor to join the Wellbeing Services Team. The role is split whereby 15 hours per week is dedicated to the Carer Project Lead role and 12.5 hours per week is dedicated to the Counselling role.

As Carer Project Lead you will assist in the recruitment of additional Befrienders in conjunction with the Volunteer Co-ordinator and the Counsellor and Befriender Co-ordinator, maintain and update secure database of Befrienders/contact details and clients and assess patient and carer referrals allocating them to appropriate Befrienders as necessary. You will also collect data for internal monitoring and external funders, attend ward MDT meetings on a regular basis to give advice and guidance and check caseloads for new patients allocating appropriate family members/carers to the service as required.

As a Counsellor you will carry a clinical caseload of up to 7 sessions per week with carers and family members.  This will be done in liaison with the other members of the counselling team. You will respond to the complex needs of family members in Oasis, Seasons and the In-patient unit and in the absence of other staff counsellors you will respond to patients and families who have complex needs and are on the In-patient unit.

You must be educated to degree level and hold a counselling qualification to post graduate diploma level along with BACP/UKCP accreditation.  You will need to demonstrate proven counselling skills along with excellent administration and organisational skills, and verbal and written communication skills.  An understanding of a specialist palliative care setting and working in a multi disciplinary team environment would be highly advantageous.

We are located in a peaceful woodland setting in North Chailey where there is free onsite parking, free teas and coffees and subsidised staff meals.  We offer a generous pension and 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays.  You will need your own reliable transport to get to the site and to visit service users in the community which will entail lone working.

Full details of the post can be found on our website.  Please submit your application form to the HR Department, St Peter & St James Hospice, North Common Road, North Chailey, East Sussex, BN8 4ED.

Registered Charity:1056114