Children’s Counsellor/Psychotherapist – Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Job Title: Children's Counsellor/Psychotherapist  - Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 (Dependent on Experience)
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm | 52 Weeks
Location: Bedfordshire - On-site
Qualifications: Qualified Counsellor / Psychotherapist (BACP, UKCP, or equivalent registration)

Setting: New Therapeutic School & Residential Home

Are you a trauma-informed counsellor or psychotherapist looking to shape a brand new therapeutic service from day one?

Compass Associates is proud to be working with a specialist provider of children’s therapeutic care and education to recruit a Children’s Counsellor for a brand new school and residential children’s home opening in May 2025.

This is a truly unique opportunity to work within a small caseload (6 children aged 12–17), delivering impactful counselling and contributing to a high-quality, child-centred clinical model. You'll work across both the education and care environments to ensure continuity of emotional support.

Overview:

As a key member of the clinical team, you’ll provide one-to-one and group counselling to children with histories of trauma, neurodiversity, and emotional or behavioural needs. The role will shift between school-based work during term time and residential support in the holidays, offering variety and deep continuity of care.

You'll be joining a dedicated multidisciplinary team including psychologists, PBS specialists, a clinical trainer, and fellow therapeutic professionals - led by a highly experienced Clinical Director known for hands-on support, development, and supervision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver counselling sessions tailored to the emotional and psychological needs of young people
• Support children with trauma recovery, resilience building, and emotional regulation
• Maintain clear, confidential clinical records
• Participate in MDT reviews and contribute to safeguarding procedures
• Work flexibly across the school and residential settings
• Collaborate with educators, carers, and therapists to embed therapeutic approaches into daily life

What We’re Looking For:

Essential:

• Qualification in counselling, psychotherapy, or closely related field
• Experience working with children or adolescents
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed care and safeguarding

• Registration with BACP, UKCP, or equivalent
• Experience supporting children with trauma, or CSE
• Familiarity with SEND frameworks

Locations:

This position is based in Bedfordshire, and is easily commutable from the following nearby towns; Sharnbrook, Bedford, Rushden, Olney, Wellingborough, St Neots, Kempston, Kettering, Milton Ernest, Irthlingborough, and Ampthill.

Interview Process:

Stage 1: Informal phone conversation with the Clinical Director
Stage 2: Face-to-face competency interview with the Clinical Director and Clinical Services Manager

Contact Details:

To apply or find out more, please contact Georgia Arnold at Compass Associates on [email protected]

Recommendations:

Compass Associates is acting as a Recruitment Consultancy for this permanent position.
We offer a £200 John Lewis voucher for successful referrals following the completion of probation.