Senior Counsellor

Senior Counsellor

The closing date is 22 March 2026

Do you have a passion for providing therapeutic services for survivors of sexual violence? Do you want to work in a multidisciplinary service with a worldwide reputation for first class sexual violence services, innovation and development? There are some opportunities to access training within this post.

Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) has been delivering services to people who have experienced sexual violence since 1986. The Centre is the busiest SARC in the UK and provides forensic medical and therapeutic medical assessment, aftercare support and therapy services to people of all ages and genders throughout Greater Manchester.

Our counselling service provides a wide range of psychological therapies to people who have experienced sexual violence. An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Senior Counsellor in our team on a permanent basis.

Main duties of the job

Highly motivated and resourceful, you will have extensive experience of working with clients who have experienced sexual violence or trauma gained ideally in a multidisciplinary or healthcare environment. Familiar with managing your own caseload, ensuring you maintain a client centred ethos in a pressurised multidisciplinary service you will also be comfortable with working independently as you help drive the development of our service at sites throughout Greater Manchester.

You will have at least two years' post qualifying experience and ideally, you will also be able to deliver evidence based interventions for adults and/or children with a wide range of presenting issues including post traumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD. You will also have awareness of the implications of working with clients involved in the criminal justice system.

Some evening working will be required. As a senior member of the team, you will also have the opportunity to develop your supervision and management skills.

About us

Join Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and become part of a 30,000 plus strong team, delivering exceptional care to over 1 million people every year. As the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe, we are forward thinking, committed to clinical excellence and driven to deliver innovation, and continuous improvement.

Whether you're beginning your career or taking the next step, MFT offers a stimulating and supportive environment where your contribution truly matters. Our Hive Electronic Patient Record system enables safer, smarter, and more efficient ways of working - empowering you to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.

You'll be part of a collaborative, multi disciplinary community, working alongside professionals from a wide range of clinical backgrounds. Together, we push boundaries, share knowledge, and deliver care that transforms lives.

At MFT, you'll find a workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and encouraged to thrive. We offer clear clinical pathways for professional development, helping you grow your skills and achieve your ambitions.

Your journey at MFT is more than a job - it's an opportunity to make a lasting impact. We'll support you as you shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Diploma in counselling
• Post graduate/qualifying training in working with trauma/sexual violence for adults or CYP eg evidence based therapies for PTSD
• Qualification in clinical supervision for counsellors/therapists
• Registered member of the BACP or equivalent
• Post graduate/qualifying training in working with children and young people (if applying to work with CYP)
• Accredited member of the BACP or equivilent
• Qualification in therapeutic work on telephone or online

Experience

• Demonstrable experience of working with sexual assault and trauma (adults or CYP)
• Demonstrable experience of working with clients involved in the criminal justice system
• understanding and experience of pre-trial therapy
• indepth knowledge of issues relating to rape, sexuall assualt, CSA
• Understanding of BACP ethical framework
• experience of working within a multidisplinary environment
• Minimum 2 years' post qualifying experience working therapeutical with clients' subjected to sexual violence or with trauma history
• Experience of delivering clinical supervision and case management to therapists
• Experience of delivering therapy through various modes eg groups; face to face; telephone; video
• Experience of delivering training
• Experience of assessment including assessing needs of children displaying harmful sexual behaviour
• Experience of delivering therapy in other languages and with interpreters
• Experience of service co-ordinating and/or line management

Skills

• Use of Excel and spreadsheets
• ability to use supervision effectively
• ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
• ability to priorise own workload including ability to manage additional projects alongside clinical work within a demanding environment.
• Ability to influence, mentor and support team members

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Address

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre