Job Title: Accredited Counsellor
Location: Base locations in Sidcup and Lambeth, however further travel within London is required on a need must basis.
Salary: £40,000 per annum, pro rata if part time
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time or Part Time. Monday – Friday. Minimum of 3 days per week. 9am-5pm
Right to live & work within the UK is required for this role. (This role requires high level security clearance)
About Us:
Optima Health is the UK's largest provider of Occupational Health and wellbeing services, supporting organisations across both the public and private sectors. With a heritage dating back to 1947, we have been helping employers create healthier, high-performing workplaces for generations, and we continue to evolve with innovative, practical solutions that make a real difference.
At the heart of our story are our people. We bring together like-minded professionals who are passionate about improving workplace health and wellbeing and delivering meaningful support to the organisations we work with across the UK.
When you join Optima Health, you become part of something bigger. We invest in our people/you through structured induction, ongoing training and tailored career development, helping you build the skills and experience to grow your career.
Together, we live our values:
One Team – There are no barriers in our business. We trust each other and work together as one team to deliver what our clients need. We all have a part to play in our future, and everyone's contribution is important and valued.
Doing the Right Thing – We operate to the highest standards. Success is underpinned by honesty and integrity, and by doing what we say we will do. We care about the impact of our work on our people, our clients, their employees, society, and the world we live in. Caring for our colleagues' wellbeing and respecting their time, energy and balance is fundamental to this value.
Shaping Tomorrow – We are always looking for ways to improve and innovate. We train, support and empower future leaders, invest in market-leading propositions and use technology to advance service and clinical outcomes. We evolve how we work - embracing smater, more flexible approaches that help our people thrive both professionally and personally.
Never Too Big to Care – We always retain a client-first approach. Every client, and every one of their employees that we support, matters. We work in partnership to optimise workplace health and wellbeing, sharing in the benefits of growing together
Role Summary:
We are seeking an experienced, fully accredited Counsellor to join a multidisciplinary Occupational Health (OH) team supporting Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers and staff. This role is embedded within an OH framework and focuses on delivering timely, structured psychological support to individuals working in high-risk and high-exposure environments.
Working collaboratively with Occupational Health Advisors, Screening Nurses, Technicians, and specialist clinicians (including EMDR Therapists), you will contribute to a coordinated approach to employee wellbeing. A key aspect of the role is supporting the wider MDT in understanding an individual’s psychological presentation and providing professional insight to inform decisions regarding fitness for work and suitability to remain in role.
You will provide short-term, solution-focused counselling interventions (typically up to six sessions) to employees referred via management or identified through internal screening processes as meeting the threshold for assessment. Your work will include conducting psychological assessments to determine clinical need, appropriateness for brief intervention, and whether onward referral or alternative support pathways are required.
While the service primarily delivers non-trauma-focused, short-term interventions in line with Occupational Health and professional standards (including BACP guidance), the role requires demonstrable experience in post-trauma presentations. This is essential to enable accurate risk assessment, recognition of cases requiring specialist or longer-term trauma intervention, and appropriate escalation within established clinical pathways. Where clinically appropriate, trauma-informed or trauma-focused interventions may be delivered.
This is a hybrid role, predominantly delivered on-site across MPS locations (primarily Lambeth and Sidcup) to meet operational needs, with some flexibility for remote working (typically up to one day per week) depending on service demand and face-to-face requirements.
You will adhere to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Framework of Ethical Practice and MPS policies and processes.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
* To conduct weekly psychological screening appointments with clients with individuals in vulnerable roles.
* Facilitating support groups with officers & staff, focused on various different mental health topics, such as bereavement, substance misuse etc.
* Provide crisis counselling based on case-by-case need as specified by the Clinical Lead
* To deliver trauma interventions, this will include major and critical incidents as are reported working within with Optima and MPS policy.
* Mange own caseload, delivering short-term (up to 6 sessions) of counselling for clients with personal or work-related issues, who are off sick or at work, with a goal of returning staff back to recuperative/full duties.
* Intermittent, longer-term, on-going support to suspended officers.
* Advice/support to managers about counselling services and managing a duty mailbox for urgent assessment of clients.
* Psychological risk assessment for referrals received from managers and other wider occupational health departments and act according to MPS risk management protocol.
* To deliver trauma interventions, this will include major and critical incidents as are reported working within with Optima and MPS policy.
* Offer practical problem-solving guidance and signpost to other external agencies or internal multi-specialist occupational health team, which may include delivering presentations.
* To assess officers' needs, plan effectively, monitor and evaluate interventions using evidence-based practice applied to individual needs
* Any additional duties to support the duty team.
Experience, Skills, and Knowledge Required for the Role:
* BACP Accreditation is essential (or equivalent).
* Experience in substance misuse would be advantageous.
* Evidence of completion of psychological risk assessment and have the ability to work autonomously.
* Experience of delivering a brief counselling model.
* Understand of the use of IAPT measurement forms.
* A knowledge and understanding of clinical governance and risk management.
* You must have at least 3 years' experience of working in a counselling service, occupational health or related service offering short term solution focussed therapy.
* You must have at least 3 years of working with post trauma across a variety of areas.
* CBT trained practitioners desirable but not essential.
* Experience delivering trauma focused counselling
What Can We Offer You?
* 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
* Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
* Life Assurance
* Pension Scheme
* Health Cash Plan
* Volunteer Days
* YuLife Employee Benefits Platform
* Save As You Earn Scheme
* Eye Test Vouchers
* Flu Vaccination Scheme
* Cycle to work scheme
* Clinical Training Academy
* Paid CPD Days
* Professional Registration Fees Paid
* RAVE Awards
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Right to Request Flexible Working From Day 1
Optima Health is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the role will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, gender or gender expression, disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief or sexual orientation.