Main area Mental Health Support Team in Schools Grade Band 6 Contract 6 months (Fixed term/secondment) Hours
* Full time
* Part time
37.5 hours per week (would consider part time) Job ref 152-M500.25
Employer Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Park Centre, Weymouth Community Hospital Town Weymouth Salary £38,682 - £46,580 p.a./pro rata for part time Salary period Yearly Closing 21/02/2026 23:59
Counsellor MHST
Band 6
Job overview
The Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHSTs) are looking to recruit a creative, innovative, enthusiastic qualified counsellor (Band 6) to our team in Weymouth, Portland and West Dorset. The post is advertised as a full time position (37.5 hours a week). However part time would be considered
The Mental Health Support Team in Schools is part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) within Dorset Healthcare and you would be joining a team of committed professionals from a range of backgrounds and with a wealth of experience. Learning and development is promoted and encouraged, and we have a number of trainee staff working with us at all times.
Our base is in Weymouth but you would be expected to travel to work across the whole of the Weymouth, Portland and West Dorset area as required. You should have a full driving license and access to a car for work purposes.
Applications from candidates that require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are unfortunately ineligible to apply for this position.
Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of. Applicants who subscribe to the DBS update service are able to present a valid DBS certificate instead of requiring a new check.
Main duties of the job
You will be working within education settings offering counselling intervention to children and young people presenting with mild to moderate mental and emotional health needs.
You will also work alongside colleagues both within the team, and within educational settings, to promote whole school approaches to good emotional wellbeing, which may involve small or large group interventions, staff training and work with parents, carers and families.
You will maintain live registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) or British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and to adhere to all relevant codes of practice and guidelines for professional and chartered psychologists.
You will co-ordinate and deliver individualised care packages / programs for children and young people and evaluate these programs, ensuring high standards of practice in accordance with national guidelines and trust policy.
You will demonstrate the ability to make appropriate decisions with regard to the confidentiality of clients and their families taking into considerations the risks to clients, self and the wider public
Working for our organisation
At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.
We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.
Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.
Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.
We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidate’s individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.
As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net
This is a fixed term role and for those with current NHS service, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only. Please obtain permission to be released on a secondment before submitting an application.
Person specification
* BACP approved Diploma in Counselling
* On the BACP register of accredited members with designation MBACP, or On the Accredited register of counseling of the professional standards authority (BACP, UKCP, BPC, HCPC, National Counselling Society, UKAHPP)
* 3 years post qualification of generic counseling (minimum 450 supervised clinical hours, plus 450 theoretical taught hours)
* Experience of working with children and young people
* Current driving license and access to a car
* Experience of working within education settings
* Experience of working as part of a multi agency team
At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.
What working for us will provide:
* 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)
* Health and wellbeing services
* Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours
* Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals
* Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
* Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust
* Relocation costs where applicable
* Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave
* NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more
Visit our careers website to learn more about our culture, staff stories, benefits, development programmes and opportunities.
What you need to do:
Before applying for this post, please do ensure that you have read the job description and person specification requirements. If you think you have everything we're looking for, then we'd love to hear from you, alternatively if you would like more information about the role please do not hesitate to contact us.
Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed. At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.
Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Alison Williams
Job title Clinical Lead, MHST Weymouth, Portland W Dorset
Email address alison.williams2@nhs.net
Telephone number 07501298075
Additional information
Iwona Kokosinska-Kiewra
iwona.kokosinska-kiewra@nhs.net
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