Child & Adolescent Counsellor

Clarecare is a professional accredited social enterprise with charitable status, providing a range of people-centred social services to individuals and families in County Clare for over 50 years.

Current services include Family Support, Older Person Services and Bushypark Residential Addiction Treatment Centre.

Clarecare’s headquarters are based in Ennis with local offices in Bushypark, Shannon, Kilrush, Killaloe and Ennistymon. 

Further information is available on:

www.clarecare.ie / www.bushypark.ie

Our Vision: is to be the trusted quality care provider within our communities by supporting individuals and families to reach their full potential.

Our Mission: is to provide person-centred services to individuals and families within our communities.

Our Core Values: 

• Collaborate • Accountability • Respect • Empathy • Trust

Position Title: Child & Adolescent Counsellor

1 Year full-time, fixed term contract of employment

Overview of Clarecare’s Child and Adolescent Counselling Service:

The Child & Adolescent Counselling Service assists children and young people who are experiencing significant difficulties at home, school or in their relationships with others. This may be due to having experienced trauma, family separation, bereavement/loss, attachment/adjustment issues and a broad range of emotional/behavioural difficulties such as anxiety/being withdrawn, hyperactivity, challenges with emotional regulation and selective mutism. Children and young people who access the service are referred by Tusla Child and Family Agency.

The Service provides a child centred therapeutic space, giving children and adolescents the opportunity to explore difficult or confused feelings in a safe environment with clear boundaries.

At Clarecare, the therapeutic process is tailored to meet each child’s individual needs. This can be achieved using the more traditional talking through issues or can entail other techniques that draw on the creative and expressive nature of children such as play, CBT tools, sand or art. This process allows for the child or adolescent to release needs, fears and wishes at their own pace and at their own level. Up to a maximum of 12 sessions are offered to the child/young person.

The Child & Adolescent Counsellor will:

• Work as part of the Family Support Services team delivering therapeutic interventions to children, adolescents and (where relevant) their parents as part of the child and adolescent support plan.
• Assist children and adolescents in the exploration of personal struggles arising from a traumatic event or difficult family circumstances that may be impacting significantly on their emotional well-being, behaviour and relationships, thus improving self-confidence, self-worth and resilience.

SERVICE DELIVERY OBJECTIVES:

To improve outcomes for children through the delivery of interventions underpinned by the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People and Clarecare’s specific overarching goals that all children are (1) safe and protected from harm and are (2) achieving their full potential in learning and development.

• The Child & Adolescent Counsellor will deliver a dedicated service to children, adolescents and where relevant, to their parents.
• To be creative in our service delivery responses to service users with the use of remote and face to face interventions to ensure continuity of service.
• An agreed case load will be managed to ensure that key performance indicators as set out in the Service Level Agreement between Clarecare and Tusla are met.
• Children and Adolescents will be facilitated to give their feedback and comments which will inform future service delivery.

JOB RELATIONS:

The Child & Adolescent Counsellor will report to a Team Leader designated by the Family Support Service Manager and work as part of a multi-disciplinary Family Support team. The Clarecare Family Support Service Manager has overall responsibility for Family Support Services. 

HOURS OF WORK: Monday to Friday, 9.30 a.m. - 5pm daily (inclusive of 30 mins daily break). This position may involve evening or weekend work (as required) and flexibility is required regarding your work hours.

ANNUAL LEAVE: 26 days annual leave per full Annual Leave Year (i.e. Jan-Dec inclusive).

JOB LOCATION:

The office base for this position is currently in Ennis, Co. Clare. You may, if required, be assigned by the Chief Executive Officer/Family Support Services Manager or designate; to Clarecare’s other places of business/centre locations. You will be given as much notice of any such change of place of work as is reasonably practicable. 

The successful candidate will be covering cases throughout Co. Clare from service waiting lists for clients as allocated by the Family Support Team Leader or designate. Flexibility and willingness to travel is required. You will be required to use your private car to travel for work purposes.

TRAVEL FOR WORK:

The successful candidate will be covering cases across Co. Clare as the service requires, so flexibility and willingness to travel is required. You will be required to use your private car to travel for work purposes and must indemnity Clarecare on your private motor insurance policy in respect of same.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION:

General Responsibilities:

• To be accountable to a relevant Line Manager designated by the Family Support Services Manager.
• To adhere to Clarecare’s policies, procedures, protocols in relation to all work within Clarecare.
• To fulfil obligations under Children First Act 2015 and all responsibilities under Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017).
• To store and maintain accurate, confidential records in accordance with the Family Support Services practice protocols and to comply with responsibilities under the Data Protection Acts 1988, 2003 & 2018 (GDPR).
• To complete and submit statistical information in a timely manner as required.
• To work as part of the wider Clarecare structure and carry out duties as required.
• To support the work of staff, volunteers, students and others involved in Clarecare.
• To participate in team meetings and attend meetings as deemed necessary.
• To attend and participate in case management meetings and supervision with the designated Line Manager.
• To attend and participate in any mandatory training/further development opportunities.
• To engage incontinuing professional development opportunities.
• To maintain professional boundaries in all work with clients.
• To perform such other duties appropriate to the position as may be assigned to you.

Specific Responsibilities:

Working within the Clarecare Family Support Service practice model. The role of the Child & Adolescent Counsellor is to:

• Deliver a child and Adolescent counselling service in line with the service Standard Operating Procedures.
• Deliver a counselling service to children and adolescents who are experiencing significant difficulties at home, at school and in their relationships with others. Individual sessions with parents may be required to support the child/adolescent as part their support plan
• Provide appropriate evidence- informed, strengths-based interventions.
• Collaborate with the Family Support Team/Managers in assessing the suitability of referrals for child and adolescent counselling
• Process 1:1 referrals for counselling in consultation with Team Leader and manage a waiting list.
• Deliver therapeutic individual and parent-child/adolescent interventions which are reviewed regularly with parent and child/adolescent
• Participate in and contribute to child and family’s overall support plan e.g. Tusla child protection/Meitheal/family support plans, etc. This may require written progress reports where relevant.
• Use remote, online meetings with children, adolescents and parents where appropriate to deliver quality and innovative therapeutic interventions.
• To liaise and consult with other professionals in supporting the child /adolescent as required.
• Ensure compliance with any necessary on-going Counselling/Therapy registration requirements.
• Adhere to the Family Support Services standard operating procedures (SOP’s) and Practice model.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to maximise and enhance outcomes for children. This will include regular monitoring and reviewing one’s own work and engaging in external clinical supervision, case management with the designated Family Support Service Line Manager and continuous professional development.
• Work with the Family Support Team in the delivery of issue-focussed group programmes to children/adolescents/parents.
• Engage in joint work with members of the Family Support Team on a case by case basis.
• Contribute to research, audit, review and evaluation of the Service as required.

REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION

Essential Requirements: 

• A recognised qualification of NFQ, QQI Level 9 in Counselling/Therapy specifically for working with children of all ages.

Current full membership of one of the following accrediting bodies:

o Irish Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (IACP),

o Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP),

o Irish Association for Play Therapy and Psychotherapy (IAPTP),

o Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapy (IACAT)

o National Association of Professional Counselling & Psychotherapy (NAPCP)

o Play Therapy Ireland (PTIrl) / Play Therapy UK

AND

• Where relevant, evidence of additional qualifications/training/accreditation to work specifically with children.
• Minimum of 2 years relevant paid employment experience (post qualification) working therapeutically with children/adolescents.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide quality child centred services to children and adolescents using innovative interventions.
• Experience of working with children/ adolescent and or parents in family support settings where there were child welfare/child protection concerns.
• Demonstrate empathetic understanding of the issues that vulnerable children and families may encounter and a wide knowledge base including child protection law, policies and procedures and of recognition of all forms of abuse and reporting requirements under the Children’s First Act (2015)
• Demonstrate experience of working with parents and children and an ability to engage adults and children in assessment and therapeutic work
• Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills with service users, team members and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Demonstrate excellent organisational skills as the role requires the capacity to work in a demanding post; managing time, commitments and priorities effectively.
• Well-developed report writing skills and proficient in MS Office, databases and Outlook.
• Excellent time keeping, organisation and interpersonal skills with the ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team in a fast-paced working environment.
• Ability to maintain the principles of confidentiality in all areas of work.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to use one’s own initiative when required.
• Ability to foster good working relationships with internal staff/external agencies and organisations.
• Maintain and submit annual membership of the relevant accredited body as per Clarecare policies and procedures.
• Ability to always maintain professional and personal boundaries and adhere at all times to Clarecare’s Guidelines & Code of Conduct for Staff and other policies/procedures.
• A positive ‘fit to work’ medical.
• A positive Garda Vetting Disclosure through Clarecare.
• Two positive employment references from current/most recent employer(s).
• Full driving licence with insurance indemnity to Clarecare.

Desirable:

• Experience of working therapeutically with the parent and child together, for example Filial therapy.
• Training and experience in the facilitation of evidence-based group programmes such as Circle of Security/Parents Plus/Incredible Years.
• Knowledge of the Tusla Meitheal process and practice framework.
• Knowledge of the philosophy and ethos of Clarecare and the personal social services sector.

Remuneration:

The gross salary on offer for this position is available from Carmel Keane, HR Manager, Clarecare on 086 – 4161520.