Herts Legal Service - Hertfordshire County Council
Counsellor
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Counsellor
Safe Space Counsellor – Permanent Role
Job Title: Safe Space Counsellor
Starting Salary: £38,220 progressing to £41,771 per annum (pro rata) – pay award pending Hours:
- 22.2 hours per week
- 33.3 hours per week Working Weeks Per Year: 39 Contract Type: Permanent Directorate: Children’s Services
Location
Hertfordshire
About the Team
Safe Space is a counselling and therapy service offering children and young people in Hertfordshire a creative, confidential, and safe space to explore challenges affecting their daily lives.
As a traded service within Hertfordshire County Council, Safe Space is purchased by schools and other organisations across the county. This role marks the 25th anniversary of the service in the county, which also includes:
- A Mentoring programme
- Support for Foster/Kinship carers
- Role in HCC’s Crisis Response for schools following critical incidents
About the Role
As a Safe Space Counsellor, you will:
- Work as part of a 25-strong team (Counsellors and Senior Counsellors) in partnership with school staff and health professionals.
- Provide 10–20 counselling sessions per week (typically 8–12 sessions per young person, but sessions may extend as needed).
- Conduct sessions generally at the same time and place weekly, lasting 40–50 minutes.
This is a school-based, flexible role allowing discretion in planning workweeks while accounting for school hours and room availability.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Key Responsibilities:
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills with young people, parents/carers, school staff, and other professionals.
- Requires strong IT proficiency to manage an online diary and maintain accurate electronic case records via Early Help Module (EHM) while adhering to Data Protection Act / GDPR.
- Operate with clinical autonomy supported by individual and group supervision under a Senior Counsellor.
- Provide holistic, youth-centred support and may service multiple schools due to the county-wide scope.
About You
Essential Criteria:
Must meet all of the following: ✅ Diploma-level counselling qualification with proof of membership in a recognised body, such as BACP (or equivalent). ✅ Safeguarding experience (ability to manage concerns effectively). ✅ Current driving licence with access to a car (car expenses not reimbursed; personal insurance required). ✅ Proven experience counselling or delivering Play/Creative Therapy to children and young people. ✅ Strong communication skills to engage with parents, school staff, and other professionals. ✅ Ability to build trusting relationships while adopting a holistic approach to client care. ✅ Experience managing a ethical caseload in line with BACP (or equivalent) Ethical Framework. ✅ Solid IT skills (e.g., maintaining digital records on EHM).
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Benefits of Working for Hertfordshire
Think this role is the right fit? Apply directly on our website, ensuring your CV:
- Includes qualifications, training, and relevant employment experience (briefing employment gaps).
- Highlights examples where you’ve met the essential criteria (role-specific).
- Contains a short covering paragraph describing your skills/alignment with our vision.
Contact
For further queries, connect with: Sally Gubb – Safe Space Manager 📩 sally.gubb@hertfordshire.gov.uk 📞 01992 588251
Debra Gee – Safe Space Clinical Manager 📩 debra.gee@hertfordshire.gov.uk 📞 01992 588552
Application Instructions
- Upload your current CV.
- Complete your application with supporting proof of eligibility (e.g., BACP affiliation, licences).
Key Notes
🏥 DBS Check Required � Interviews:
- Weds 22 July (full day)
- Thurs 23 July
- Fri 24 July
Leadership & Quality in Action
We proudly follow Disability Confident principles and guarantee interviews to disabled candidates meeting minimum role criteria. Equal opportunities are a core value.
This role operates at Counsellor Band 10 – explore HCC Health Profiles for full details.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills