Counselling Lead
Salary £ 36,050
Stafford Centre, Edinburgh
Vacancy listed 19/12/2025
Application deadline 19/01/2026
Details
Location: Stafford Centre, Edinburgh
Salary: £36,050 pro rata (£21,630 per annum)
Salary Band: 2.1
Hours: Part-time, 21 hours a week
Contract: Permanent
Reports To: Head of Edinburgh Services
Disclosure & Barring Check: This post will be subject to a PVG check for working with vulnerable adults.

About Us
Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing non-clinical, person-centred support to people in communities across Scotland. With over 50 years’ experience, we are fighting for a future where no one faces mental illness alone. We are changing society by changing attitudes, fighting stigma and influencing government to ensure a better of quality of life for those affected by poor mental health and mental illness. As a charity supporting over 10,000 people year, we believe everyone should have access to the support they need, when they need it and in a way which works best for them.

About the Role
As a Counselling Lead, you will manage the Counselling Support team and the service alongside the Head of Services. You will oversee the day-to-day running of the services whilst being responsible for managing all stakeholders involved. 

You will also report on outcomes achieved and help promote and develop the services in your region. A skilled practitioner, you will have a good understanding and knowledge of counselling services and an understanding of the health and social care landscape. An empathic and motivating manager, you will be able to bring out the best in others by developing, guiding and supporting your team and enabling them to provide high-quality, person-centred counselling and support services. 

The Counselling Lead will be responsible for line-managing and supervising staff and consultants who deliver specialist counselling support people affected by mental health issues, as well as their own caseload. This role includes developing and implementing an induction programme for counsellor roles, carrying out safe recruitment and providing high quality therapeutic support. The post-holder will take a trauma-informed approach and build a supportive and reflective culture, in line with Change Mental Health values. The Counselling Lead will work alongside both the local and national management team to contribute to the operational and strategic leadership of the local service, and of the overarching counselling programme that Change Mental Health are committed to developing. 


Key Responsibilities:
·        Oversee the safe delivery of the counselling service, ensuring it is adhering to all Change Mental Health policies and procedures
·        Provide high-quality management to the counselling team, including staff, consultants and trainees
·        Implement and oversee a robust evaluation system for the counselling service is in place and report on this, as required

Management and leadership
·        Provide high quality line management to staff, consultants and trainee counsellors, including support and supervision, oversee caseloads and allocated tasks, and ensure record-keeping and monitoring and evaluation are up to-date.  
·        Develop and oversee a clear evaluation framework for the service, linking this in with contractual requirements and the Change Mental Health Quality Assurance framework. 
·        Lead on assessment of referrals, including allocation of counsellors and appropriate referrals  
·        Ensure accurate records of all supervision are kept, and facilitate annual appraisals with supervised staff, working with them to identify and work towards goals for the service, identifying strengths and areas for development. 
·        Work with the Head of Service to ensure delivery of services is in line with Change Mental Health values, policy and relevant legislation.   
·        Model a resilient approach to working in the service demonstrating a clear understanding of the importance of and commitment to self-care  
·        Work with the Head of Service to implement the strategic plan as relevant to the counselling service. 
·        Responsibility for safeguarding, including being the Adult Protection Lead for counselling staff and supporting other staff when appropriate 
·        Work with the management team to conduct a regular review of Change Mental Health services against the Evaluation Framework. 

Working with clients, and other stakeholders
·        Provide regular face to face counselling support sessions to people 
·        On some occasions provide support through other communication methods e.g. email/phone/video call. 
·        Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff from other agencies 
·        Support others in developing reflective practice. 
·        Promote effective partnership working with key stakeholders, including participation at relevant multi-agency / strategic partnerships including Connect Partners and Thrive 
·        Work effectively with Change Mental Health – attending meetings as required. 
·        Provide line management support to counsellors, connect partners, trainee counsellors, and staff members

Development and coordination
·        Lead on the development of Change Mental Health counselling service responsiveness to people’s needs, as agreed with the Head of Service. 
·        Create appropriate resources for the counselling team and, in liaison with the Head of Service, develop appropriate processes and protocols for the services.
·        Develop the Standard Operating Procedure for the service, and put in place robust procedures to ensure the service is being developed to a high standard in line with the Quality Assurance Framework

Working safely
·        Attend internal training and practice development sessions. 
·        Ensure adherence to all relevant legislation and organisational policies including child and adult protection procedures, health and safety and lone working. 
·        Work in accordance with Change Mental Health policies and values. 

Recording, reporting, monitoring and evaluating 
·        Keeping accurate records of support provided in agreed format with Head of Services, including evidence of the impact of the service
·        Contributing data to monitor and evaluate counselling - including use of Change Mental Health and Thrive data management system. 
·        Contribute to the writing of applications and reports for funders and the Board of Directors. 
·        Work with the Head of Service and Service Manager to assess need and demand on the service and how best to address this. 
·        Responsible for reporting on a regular basis around specific KPIs and outcomes

General Duties:  
·        Act in accordance with Data Protection legislation.  Ensure all records, personal, staff and client data are managed in line with Data Management and Information Governance policies 
·        Comply with legal and regulatory requirements such as provisions set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 
·       As with all employees, workers and volunteers; to encourage people to join Change Mental Health as a member, donor or activist 
·        To act in accordance with the charity’s Health & Safety and Safeguarding policies and to notify your line manager promptly if there are any concerns 
·        To participate in regular supervision and appraisal and undertake any relevant training as appropriate to the role 
·        To work in accordance with the charity’s national policies and local operating procedures and those of external regulators or professional bodies. 

Skills & Experience

Essential
·        Experience of providing individual counselling and/or support for people using a trauma-informed and person-centred approach 
·        Demonstrable experience of managing, supporting and supervising staff 
·        A resilient approach, adopting and modelling strategies for managing workload, maintaining appropriate boundaries and promoting self-care. 
·        Experience in, and knowledge of, service planning and development
·        Qualification in counselling/psychotherapy at diploma level or above 
·        Being Registered with BACP / COSCA/ UKCP/NCPS
·        Ability to work collaboratively with key stakeholders to represent and promote Change Mental Health 
·        Ability to work effectively as part of a team, and provide leadership when required
·        Ability to work according to relevant legislation, policy and procedures in support work, and to ensure others work in accordance with these. 
·        Understanding of relevant safeguarding legislation (vulnerable adults, child protection, sexual offences, adults with incapacity). 
·        Clear commitment to equality and diversity, and anti-discriminatory practice, and relevant training or demonstrable experience. 
·        Ability to ensure effective operation of systems for recording and reporting in relation to the support service, in accordance with Change Mental Health & Thrive data protection policy 
·        Knowledge of relevant monitoring and evaluation systems and commitment to ensuring their effective operation.
·        Competent Microsoft user (Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint and Word). Willing to learn new systems.

Desirable
·        Experience of promoting, developing and sustaining counselling services within an organisation
·        Experience of supporting trainee counsellors 
·        Experience of working in a person-centred way around safely including people in their own support using risk management and risk assessments

This job profile and list of duties is not exhaustive and serves only to highlight the main requirements. The line manager may stipulate other reasonable requirements and projects commensurate with the general profile and grade of the post.

All successful candidates will require a PVG Membership. Please be aware that it is classed as an offence if you apply for this role and are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to vulnerable adults.

Benefits

• 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial, and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.
• Enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.
• Access to purchase a Blue Light Discount Card
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements.
• Generous 37 days’ holiday.
• Paid Mental Wellbeing days.
• Professional development including funded opportunities.

Notes

To apply please submit your CV and Cover Letter by clicking apply below. Please upload both documents at the same time, and email join@changemh.org if you have any problems.

Please note all applications must be received by midday on the 19th January,

We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. If you consider yourself to have a disability, please inform us of any arrangements that we may make to the interview process.

We encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible. Although we make every effort to close vacancies on the deadline date stated, in exceptional circumstances we may need to close the advert earlier.

Attached documents
Title File
Job Description Job-Description-_Counselling_Team_Lead-26.11.25_(1).docx
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