37 hours per week / permanent / hybrid - working across West Sussex (based in Horsham and Crawley) and one day from home (working pattern to be discussed at interview) 

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

YMCA DownsLink Group has been delivering counselling and therapeutic services to children, young people and families through our YMCA Dialogue Service in community and school settings for over 25 years.

Dialogue in West Sussex is a thriving, dynamic and key part of the Therapeutic Services portfolio. The role of Therapy Lead provides an opportunity for an experienced Counsellor to be part of the coordination and delivery of an innovative mental health and wellbeing service. You will also hold a counselling caseload of children and young people as part of this role.

The Therapy Lead combines clinical oversight of referrals, assessments and the delivery of high-quality therapeutic interventions to children, young people, families and carers across West Sussex with the line management of colleagues. You will take a lead role in managing risk, identifying the needs of service users and stakeholders and working with internal and external stakeholders. You will support our Counsellors, Clinical Leads and the Service Manager to work with the Single Point of Access (SPoA) across West Sussex.

Please download the job profile for full role details.  

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate. 

You will have a Counselling or Psychotherapy qualification, minimum Level four and ideally level six, and two years’ post qualifying experience in individual counselling or therapy with children and young people, along with a BACP membership or equivalent.

You will have the ability to build effective trust and rapport with reporting staff team, with a proven work history of effectively supporting, guiding, developing, encouraging, leading a team and running groups. You will have proven experience of managing risk and complex safeguarding with effective communication and escalation around safeguarding protocol.

In addition, you will have experience of working in a collaborative, strength-based service. Strong abilities in the production of high-quality data, producing reports and analysing data for internal and external partners.

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this post, please contact Alice.Gothard@ymcadlg.org. Should you require any assistance with our application process, please email us at Recruitment@ymcadlg.org.

CLOSING DATE: 18 May 2025 at midnight

TO APPLY: Please scroll down the page to the application form

Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.