St Helen's School - Prep Counsellor

Summary

Working as part of the Pastoral Team the postholder will provide a professional personal counselling service to pupils aged 3–11 years, promoting their emotional wellbeing and their resilience to help them cope with the emotional difficulties they face. The service is known as the School’s Wellbeing Service.

Detail

Key Responsibilities

Provide personal counselling and support to assist pupils with the management of emotional difficulties

Provide a welcome first point of contact for pupils, clarify the role of counselling in the School context, assess the pupil’s needs and agree the counselling service to be provided or refer where appropriate to external agencies after discussion with the DSL

To establish a relationship of confidentiality, trust and respect with pupils

Encourage pupils to talk about issues they feel they cannot normally share with others

Actively listen to pupils’ concerns and empathise with their position

Accept without bias the issues raised by pupils

Help pupils towards a deeper understanding of their concerns

Challenge any inconsistencies in what pupils say or do

Help pupils to make decisions and choices regarding strategies they can use and possible ways forward

Refer pupils and their parents/carers to other sources of help, as appropriate

Liaise with parents/carers to seek permission for counselling and provide updates as appropriate, whilst respecting a level of pupil confidentiality

Deliver small group counselling sessions where requested and appropriate

Devise and deliver training sessions for pupils and staff as directed

Promote the School’s Wellbeing Service by attending introductory assemblies

Attend supervision and complete relevant statutory, compliance and developmental training courses

Actively engage and comply with the School’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Be responsible for keeping accurate and confidential records

Report to the Deputy Head - Head of Prep on numbers using the service and give a general overview of type of problems pupils are presenting, with statistics as appropriate

Liaise with the school’s safeguarding team and with the pastoral management team

Refer child protection concerns to the DSL and support the DSL as required

Attend regular update meetings with the DSL and/or Deputy Head – Head of Prep

Provide counselling sessions for members of staff and a safe space for pastoral leaders to talk where sessions are not needed for pupils and where requested by the DSL

To perform duties within the codes of practice and ethics recommended by the BACP, UKCP or equivalent organisation

To undertake other reasonable duties which are commensurate with the salary and job title

Documents

• 2026 - Support Staff Application Pack PDF Document
• St Helen's JD - Prep Counsellor PDF Document