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Counselling Practice Manager
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Based within Murray’s Initiative’s Head Office in North Claremont Street with travel throughout Glasgow and surrounding areas
Starting Salary £32,826 per annum
Full Time 35 hours per week
Mainly business hours but will also include one late night per week and occasional Saturdays as part of a rota.
We understand that many will have other commitments outside of work and so flexible working, part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements will be considered for the right candidate.
About Us
Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.
Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young persons peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.
Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.
The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.
About The Role
The Counselling Practice Manager will lead and manage Murray’s Initiative’s Integrated Counselling Services, which includes commissioned counselling services for adults seeking support for their alcohol and / or drug use and a privately funded wellbeing counselling service.
The Counselling Practice Manager will manage and support all counsellors working in Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire, student placements from the Murray’s Initiative Diploma and volunteer counsellors. The post holder will contribute to service delivery by managing a small caseload of clients. The post holder will support the Head of Client Services/Deputy CEO in managing and co-ordinating a high-quality service within Murray’s Initiative, whilst ensuring that staff counsellors, volunteers, and students receive appropriate supervision, support, and guidance.
As part of the Service Management Team, the Counselling Practice Manager will develop, influence and drive forward the strategy for Murray’s Initiative.
The Counselling Practice Manager will report to the Head of Client Services / Deputy CEO.
This post requires membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme for children and protected adults. Successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.
Key Responsibilities Of The Counselling Practice Manager
- Lead and manage the operational delivery of Murray’s Initiative Integrative Counselling Services, delivered throughout Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire.
- Ensuring that services comply with contractual service level agreements, NHS waiting times, COSCA/BACP ethical standards, quality assurance processes, risk management and effective client record management.
- Manage a small caseload of counselling clients, triage clients to ensure suitability for counselling, provide counselling cover at short notice in emergencies and answer helpline calls from vulnerable individuals in crisis to provide counselling support.
- Oversee service performance and development by managing referrals, waiting lists, caseloads, monitoring outcomes, analysing data, preparing reports and identifying opportunities to improve capacity and service delivery.
- Provide effective leadership and line management for staff, volunteers and trainee counsellors on placement from the Murray’s Initiative Diploma, including recruitment, induction, one-to-ones, performance management, training, appraisals and fostering a team culture. Provide regular informal support and reflective discussions to counsellors regarding their work and professional development.
- Oversee the entire student placement process, including recruitment, onboarding and induction. Provide ongoing support to ensure students practice safely and effectively and complete detailed end-of-placement reports to assess their progress and performance. Liaise with external supervisors where appropriate and with consent, while maintaining clear boundaries between management support and clinical supervision.
- Develop and maintain close working relationships with senior management, service managers, internal teams, commissioners, community organisations and external stakeholders to enhance service delivery and represent Murray’s Initiative at local and regional forums.
- Manage service resources and budgets, ensuring efficient use of funding, operational oversight and delivery of contractual objectives within agreed financial parameters.
- Promote continuous improvement and organisational compliance by maintaining policies, procedures, risk assessments, monitoring and evaluation systems and ensuring health & safety, confidentiality and governance requirements are met.
- Contribute to the Ethics and Standards Committee within Murray’s Initiative.
- Contribute to the wider strategic objectives of the organisation by working collaboratively with senior managers, promoting services, supporting organisational development and participating in duty management.
- Attend regular practice supervision, line management and team meetings and participate in appropriate meetings and training opportunities.
- Undertaking any other duties as required by the Head of Client Services / Deputy CEO
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Qualifications And Experience
The ideal candidate will have:
- A relevant qualification in Counselling and 4 years post qualification counselling experience is essential, ideally within addictions, mental health or related field.
- A relevant qualification in Counselling Supervision, a willingness to work towards one, or the ability to demonstrate equivalent skills through prior experience is required.
- Membership of COSCA, BACP or equivalent recognised counselling authority.
- Experience in leading people and services, ideally within the health, social care, mental health, addictions, employability or voluntary sector. Demonstrates effective people management through the application of HR policies and procedures, including recruitment, supervision, performance management, employee relations and wellbeing. Skilled in coaching and developing individuals and teams, creating a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture that promotes collaboration, continuous improvement and person-centred service delivery.
- Experience in working in partnership with statutory, voluntary and community organisations, with an understanding of the challenges facing individuals and communities affected by poverty, inequality, addiction and exclusion. Knowledge of relevant Scottish policy and frameworks, including No One Left Behind, Rights, Respect & Recovery and the ROSC model would be an advantage.
- As our services are delivered over several local authority areas, the role involves travel across our service area, so the ability to travel, work one evening per week and Saturdays is required.
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Skills And Competencies
- Collaborative and compassionate leader with excellent communication and relationship-building skills, able to motivate and support others while fostering a positive team culture.
- Possess strong organisational skills, the ability to balance competing priorities and complexities arising from managing a counselling service within addictions make informed decisions and maintain high standards in what can sometime be a busy environment.
- Experience of using data to monitor performance, evaluate outcomes and produce clear reports will be important.
- Demonstrate resilience, be adaptable and solution-focused, with confidence in managing change and overcoming challenges.
- Comfortable with using Microsoft Office 365 packages and other digital systems to manage information, budgets and reporting.
- Above all you will demonstrate Murray’s Initiative’s values of respect, empathy and collaboration, bringing integrity, self-awareness and a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for the people and communities we support.
Why Join Us?
Your work will contribute to make a real difference to people’s lives.
- Competitive salary and benefits package:
- Very generous annual leave entitlement: full time employees start with an annual leave entitlement of 37 days (inclusive of 12 bank holidays) which increases with length of service.
- Duvet days where employees may take time off at short notice.
- Death in service policy.
- Cycle to work scheme where employees can save money on a new bike and spread the cost.
- And much more!
- Opportunities for continuous learning and career development.
- A supportive and inclusive work environment where your contributions are valued.
Application Process
Interested candidates are invited to apply by completing the online application form which can be found by clicking the Apply button now.
Closing date for applications: Sunday 2nd August 2026
Shortlisting: Thursday 6th August 2026
Date of interviews: Wednesday 12th / Thursday 13th August 2026
Start date: Mid September 2026
Equal Opportunity Employer
Murray’s Initiative is an Equal Opportunities Organisation. We are committed to treating all workers and job applicants fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital / civil partnership status, age, race, disability or gender identity and expression or any other personal characteristic.
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