Are you a qualified counsellor passionate about supporting children and young people to improve their emotional wellbeing and mental health?
At Signpost, we provide safe, confidential and compassionate therapeutic support for children and young people aged 5–25 across Hertfordshire, working with them directly and offering parent/carer support. As part of the wider One YMCA family, we combine the close-knit feel of a small, supportive team with the strength, values and reach of a respected charitable organisation making a difference across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
We are looking for an experienced and motivated counsellor to join our growing therapeutic services team as a Clinical Lead – Senior Counsellor.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys balancing clinical work with leadership, safeguarding and service development responsibilities. You’ll play a key role in supporting young people, families, trainee counsellors and colleagues, while helping shape and grow an impactful service that genuinely changes lives.
This is a hands-on role where no two days are the same. You will:
- Complete clinical assessments and manage referrals safely and effectively
- Oversee the delivery of therapeutic group sessions for young people and parent/carer support groups
- Support the management of risk, safeguarding and clinical decision-making
- Help oversee and support trainee and volunteer counsellors/practitioners
- Build positive relationships with schools, health services and community partners helping to expand our reach to support more children, young people and families across Hertfordshire.
- Contribute to service development, quality improvement and innovative new ways of supporting young people
- Young people tell us that after-school and evening support is often the most accessible, so this role includes evening delivery as part of the weekly working pattern.
What We’re Looking For, We’d love to hear from you if you have:
- A minimum Level 4 Diploma with 2 years post qualifying experience (essential)
- Degree, MSc or PhD (desired)
- Membership with a recognised professional body such as BACP, UKCP or NCS (essential)
- At least 450 supervised clinical hours (desirable)
- Experience facilitating therapeutic or psychoeducational groups
- Strong experience working with children, young people and families
- Confidence assessing and managing risk, including self-harm and suicidal ideation
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and relevant legislation
- Excellent communication, organisational and relationship-building skills
- A commitment to inclusive, ethical and person-centred practice
- A minimum Level 3 Safeguarding qualification is required (or willingness to undertake this training).
- Experience supporting trainee counsellors or supervising practice is highly desirable.
Why Join Signpost? At Signpost, relationships matter — with the young people and families we support, internal and external partners, and with each other. You’ll be joining a compassionate and collaborative team where your ideas, experience and professional growth are genuinely valued.
As part of One YMCA, you’ll also be connected to a wider network of services and professionals committed to strengthening communities and improving lives across the region.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong, and we warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.
Additional Information
- Enhanced DBS disclosure required
- Full UK driving licence and access to a suitably insured vehicle required for travel across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire
- Flexible working may occasionally include evenings (on-call cover) and weekends
No agencies please.
This is a Part Time role.
Hours per week: 30
Working Pattern: Working hours are Monday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Tuesday to Thursday, 12:00pm to 8:00pm
One YMCA and its subsidiaries, the Early Childhood Partnership (ECP) and Signpost are on an exciting journey to double our impact by 2025. We are over half way through an exciting new strategy launched in the first hour of the new decade, via email where all staff and volunteers were invited to put themselves forward to apply and attend an intensive, three-day Kickstarter Event.
By the end of these three days, there was a brilliantly multi-faceted set of themes and ideas, which formed the starting point for the rest of the Mission 25 process to build on. The aim of Mission 25 is to give every staff member and volunteer the opportunity to play their part in shaping the strategy to do “more and better, together” so that we double our impact by 2025. We deliver a vast array of services across Herts, Beds and Bucks that reach over 135,000 individuals annually.
