VONNE (Voluntary Organisations' Network North East)
Children's Counsellor/Play Therapist
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Contract Type: Permanent
Role Type: Employment
Hours: Full or Part time
Application deadline: Friday, August 14, 2026 - 00:00
Based: North Tyneside
Salary: £27,553 to 29,206 Pro Rata
Salary Type: Fixed Salary
Location: Tyne and Wear
Role description
Project Support
Location: Office-based in North Shields, with some possible Outreach work in North Tyneside.
Responsible to: Recovery Team Co-ordinator
Hours: 30-37 hours per week
Salary: £27,553+ per annum (pro rata for part-time hours)
Contract: permanent
Are you passionate about supporting children and young people affected by domestic abuse? Do you want to make a real difference through therapeutic support in a trauma-informed, child-centred environment? Join Acorns as a Children’s Counsellor/Play Therapist.
About The Role
We are seeking a qualified and empathetic counsellor or play therapist to deliver flexible support to children and young people in North Tyneside. You’ll provide one-to-one counselling and emotional support, empowering children to overcome trauma and build resilience.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver therapeutic interventions at our head office and therapy centre in North Shields, and in outreach settings in schools and community settings.
- Develop personalised support plans and carry out risk assessments.
- Work collaboratively with professionals from social care, health, and education.
- Promote the safeguarding, wellbeing, and rights of children and young people.
- Maintain accurate records and contribute to service development.
About You
We’re looking for someone with:
- A diploma in counselling or play therapy (or equivalent)
- Registration with a professional body (e.g. BACP, PTUK)
- Experience supporting children and families affected by trauma
- Strong understanding of child protection and confidentiality
Knowledge of child development and domestic abuse, experience in multi-agency working and skills in group work and analytical report writing are desirable, but not essential. Please note, that an enhanced DBS check will be required.
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Why join us?
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a compassionate, impact-driven team. You’ll enjoy flexible working arrangements and autonomy in your role, opportunities for professional development and training, a supportive environment, reflective supervision and team culture, and the chance to help shape our systems for the better.
Travel may be required for meetings or training, and a DBS check will be necessary due to case involvement.
Application Details
Closing date: 14th August 2026
Interviews: w/c 24th August 2026
We warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to equal opportunities.
Ready to apply? Call us on 0191 349 8366 or email admin@acornsproject.org.uk to request the full job description and candidate pack. We’ll invite you to send us your CV and a short supporting statement outlining your experience and fit for the role.
If you are committed to empowering children and young people and want to be part of a team making lasting change, we’d love to hear from you.
Please make sure you include in/with your CV and personal statement:
- Name, previous names, and address.
- Education and training history, including any qualifications and the awarding body, any relevant training recently undertaken and any professional memberships.
- A full employment history in chronological order.
- Details of any convictions, spent and unspent. Details of any relation to the organisation or staff.
- A signed & dated declaration confirming that information provided is true, with no omissions. You must understand that providing false details can lead to rejection or dismissal, plus a possible referral to the police.
All of the above information is only used to assess the candidate suitability, and will be treated with the strictest confidentiality, and stored and retained according to our GDPR policies and procedures which are available upon request.
Equality & Diversity Statement
Acorns will be proactive in all matters relating to equality of opportunity and diversity. We value and will celebrate the benefits brought to our organisation by a diverse population within our communities, services, staff and volunteers team, and Board of Trustees. We commit to creating an environment, through training, practice and policy, where Trustees, employees, volunteers and service users are encouraged by example and guidance to confront and challenge discrimination where and whenever it arises, whether between colleagues or in any other area of the organisation’s work.
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Acorns Commits To
- Actively challenge discrimination;
- Ensure that all staff, volunteers and service users are treated fairly;
- Make sure that our activities and services are truly accessible to all who might benefit;
- Work collaboratively with other organisations to address inequality;
- Work to promote an organisational culture of diversity;
- Strive to ensure that the profile of trustees, staff and volunteers reflects the wider communities within which we operate.
Everyone engaging with Acorns, as a servicer user, volunteer, or staff member, will be expected at all times to treat other people with respect and consideration. Our full Equality & Diversity Policy is available upon request.
Safeguarding Statement
Acorns believes that no child, young person or adult should ever experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them, to promoting their well-being and enjoyment and protecting their health, safety and general welfare while in the company, employ or care of Acorns staff or volunteers. Safeguarding and protection of those at risk is everyone’s business; it is everyone’s duty to report any safeguarding concerns to the relevant agency. We also practice Safer Recruitment practices. Our full safeguarding policies are available upon request.
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