Counsellor/Group Facilitator

Our outstanding, person-centred, palliative care positively impacts the physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of our patients, their relatives and carers. Our support continues into bereavement. Patients and their families are at the centre of everything we do, and we work flexibly to meet the needs of those we support. The role involves making initial contact with families who have been referred, building relationships and assessing how best to support them. We design and host events and facilitate a broad range of therapeutic groups. Every counsellor also holds an individual counselling caseload. 

As a team we offer complementary therapies and other wellbeing activities that support and nurture people through challenging times. We work across North Devon and deliver services at both the main hospice in Barnstaple and our outreach centre, The Long House, in Holsworthy. 

As a Counsellor within the team you will:

• Demonstrate sensitivity and understanding
• Be calm in emotionally charged situations
• Be able to cope with change and uncertainty
• Develop and facilitate specific groups and activities working with patients, carers and the bereaved
• Supporting adults and children through a variety of activities, groups
• Work with the team to design, schedule, run and evaluate activities and events
• Assess referrals, contact clients and allocate appropriate support to best meet their need, based on thorough assessment
• Provide immediate support to patients and families on the bedded unit
• Manage an individual client caseload, planning your diary to ensure you have a balance of group facilitation and individual casework.

To succeed in this role, you will have:

• Extensive theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of working with loss and grief, and an understanding of the emotional and spiritual impact of illness, loss and suffering
• A qualification in Counselling or Psychotherapy to at least diploma level, with BACP, or equivalent body, registration
• Experience in facilitating therapeutic or supportive groups, this could be supporting physical wellbeing, running social or informative sessions, or more traditional talking therapy groups
• Highly developed communication and assessment skills and experience of one to-one interventions and group work
• The ability to work collaboratively within a team to build a sustainable service for all patients and families needing support.

For more information please see the job description below:

We are there for all the family, do you want to be there too?

If you are interested in joining our team, we would love to hear from you. Informal discussion welcomed, please contact Charlie Bond on 01271 347225.

Closing date for completed applications is noon Monday 28th April 2025. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 13th May 2025

To apply for this position please click the ‘Apply Now’ button to complete your application and we will be in touch shortly. Please keep an eye on your email for updates about your 
application (including your junk box)

It is important that the people who work for and with us, or access any of our services, can be themselves and are valued as unique individuals. We welcome applications from all sections of the communities we serve, reflecting the uniqueness of each person, with the aim of continually improving our services.

We are a forces-friendly organisation and welcome applications from Veterans and Service spouses and partners.

If you require this information in large format please email peopleteam@northdevonhospice.org.uk or call 01271 347238.

Location: Barnstaple