Role: Trauma Counsellor - Rotherham
Organisation: Light Peer Support Ltd
Hours: 12 hrs per week
Fixed term until 31 March 2027 (with possibility of extension if further funding is secured)
Pay: £20.44 per hour
Location: Rotherham Family Hubs
Background and history
Light Peer Support (Light) is a perinatal mental health (PNMH) charity, established in 2010, which has grown to support parents and their families across South Yorkshire. We are led by our passion to support mental health during pregnancy and beyond for all families from all communities.
We collaborate with stakeholders across the statutory and voluntary sector to raise awareness of perinatal mental health difficulties and the support available. We are committed to providing services that embrace diversity to support equity in service access and promote equality of opportunity.
From our hub in Sheffield and across South Yorkshire, we work with and support families who are experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties in the perinatal period. Light supports families via group and one-to one peer support. A counselling service also sits alongside and complements the peer support activity.
Light have been commissioned by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to provide a Trauma-Informed Perinatal Therapy Service, specifically targeting parents residing in Rotherham who have experienced trauma and are either pregnant or have a baby under two years old. The service will be suitable for individuals who have experienced trauma in the perinatal period, e.g. birth trauma, but also those who are survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, or complex trauma.
The role and responsibilities
Light will offer trauma informed therapy to parents in Rotherham who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues during the perinatal period - at any time from pregnancy up to 2 years after the birth of their child – and have experienced trauma. If accepted after referral and assessment, clients will be offered up to 18 sessions of therapy either in person in Family Hubs in Rotherham or online via Microsoft Teams.
As an Integrative Counsellor or Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, you will play a central role in the delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the Trauma Therapy service offered by Light in Rotherham.
You will work collaboratively with our Lead Integrative Counsellor and Peer Support Co-ordinators to operate an internal care pathway for Light’s service users in Rotherham who self-refer for therapy.
You will actively promote diversity to support equity in service access and promote equality of opportunity.
As part of the role you will:
· Provide medium-term therapy (up to 18 sessions) for clients at Light, either in person at Family Hub locations in Rotherham, or online.
· Operate within a trauma-informed model.
· Utilise validated outcome measures as part of assessment and monitoring.
· Make comprehensive clinical records which satisfy the requirements of BACP, and GDPR legislation.
· Uphold professional and ethical standards in line with BACP or similar ethical frameworks and Light’s Values & Principles.
· Escalate safeguarding and risk concerns.
· Attend monthly supervision provided for you by Light.
· Attend relevant CPD to continue professional growth.
Person specification
Education and Training
Recognised qualification related to integrative counselling or cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (Level 4 and above)
Evidence of post-qualifying professional development including working with trauma.
Membership of a professional body.
Accreditation with BACP/BABCP or evidence of working towards accreditation.
Trauma qualification
Knowledge
Excellent understanding of the impacts of the perinatal period on emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Excellent understanding of trauma informed practice and knowledge of how trauma could impact the perinatal period.
Knowledge of assessment procedures and clinical measures for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress.
Awareness and sensitivity to issues faced by people from diverse backgrounds.
Experience
Experience of delivering individual integrative counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy to adults, including those with complex issues.
Experience of therapeutic work with individuals who have experienced trauma.
Experience of assessing and working with risk.
Experience of record keeping, monitoring and evaluation of service delivery and client outcomes.
Experience working with a range of agencies in the voluntary and statutory sector, e.g domestic and sexual abuse services, maternity services, family hubs.
Experience of direct work with individuals experiencing difficulties with their mental health in the perinatal period.
Experience of working with colleagues from a range of therapeutic backgrounds.
Skills and Abilities
Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
Good IT skills – including word processing, email and electronic records management systems.
Ability to work with complex and confidential information in a sensitive and professional manner.
Ability to travel locally around Rotherham to Family Hub locations, and to Sheffield at times for organisational meetings etc.
Personal qualities
Able to work autonomously.
Able to establish personal credibility.
Professional, calm and efficient manner.
Emotional resilience.
Other requirements
DBS check
As the role develops, you may be required to undertake additional duties not listed here but considered to be in accordance with the overall aims and objectives of the post.
The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check which will be paid for by the charity.
Leave Policy - Staff who work full time are entitled to 23 days paid holiday per year plus 8 bank holidays. Part time staff allowance is pro-rata.
Recruitment Process
Please send an up-to-date CV and a statement of interest for this role to [email protected]. Closing date: 19 July 2026
In the statement of interest please indicate how you meet each of the criteria listed on the person specification for this post and detail the personal qualities you would bring to this role. You can include information from both inside and outside paid employment and training as transferable skills are taken into consideration.
Applications that are not submitted correctly will be rejected.
Informal enquiries to Susanna Graham, Lead Integrative Counsellor, [email protected], phone number 07565494578
Candidates will be shortlisted and successful candidates invited for interview.
Pay: £20.44 per hour
Application question(s):
- We require all candidates to email their full CV and supporting statement directly to [email protected] . Applications that are not submitted correctly will be rejected.
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rotherham
