Trust House Reading provides a confidential counselling service. We work with young people who are victims/survivors of rape and sexual abuse.

KEY TASKS:
– To develop and promote a positive relationship with the service user with whom the volunteer is matched.
– Have good listening and communication skills.
– Be non-judgemental in approach and trained in counselling.
– To manage appropriate professional boundaries in the relationship.
– To be consistent and dependable.
– Maintain confidentiality and other policies and procedures, in accordance with THR’s guidelines.
– Work in conjunction with the Lead Child & Young Person Counsellor to provide a quality service.
– Maintain records for monitoring, evaluation and tracking purposes plus service evaluation.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

QUALIFICATIONS/TRAINING
– To have a clear theoretical model in counselling
– To be a qualified counsellor or in the final year of a Diploma course (or equivalent) that leads to being a qualified counsellor

KNOWLEDGE
– Awareness of general issues facing this client group
– Awareness and knowledge of changes through child development

SKILLS & ABILITIES
– Sound communication and listening skills
– Commitment to supporting the needs of this client group
– Ability to sensitively and appropriately relate to the client group
– Ability to form positive, supportive therapeutic relationships with clients
– Reliable, organised, consistent, dependable and have an ability to handle a level of stress
– A caring, sympathetic, sensitive manner and a non-judgemental approach

ATTITUDE/APPROACH
– Ability to maintain confidentiality and abide by all other Trust House Reading policies and procedures

EXPERIENCE
– Experience / understanding of working with sexual abuse
– Experience of working with a range of people from different backgrounds and working with vulnerable people
– Experience of working with children & young people and their families, preferably in the counselling field

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
– Commitment to incorporating equality and diversity principles into all aspects of own work

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
– Adherence to professional code of ethics and good practice (e.g. BACP)
– Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check
– Be willing to keep accurate records, review the client work with the Volunteer Coordinator and service user, undertake record sheets, monitoring and participate in the evaluation of the service
– Actively take part in regular support and supervision