Primary objective:
To provide continual and unwavering mental health support for specific students in the schools, to support the social and emotional development of students, particularly those identified as having additional needs.
Areas of responsibility:
- Liaise with students, their parents, the academic team, and external support agencies, such as Misk Schools’ approved educational psychologists, in order to lead and support the assessment and treatment of students with a range of mental health needs.
- Use a multidisciplinary approach to work within the context of the child's life.
- Handling all students' self-esteem/confidence, anger management, time management, academic coping strategies, friendship issues, communication skills, grieving, and depression are areas of concern for which some students may seek support.
- Work with identified/referred students on a regular basis by providing counselling sessions.
- Communicate closely with the head counsellor and designated safeguarding lead over students of concern.
- Provide specialist psychotherapeutic assessments of referred students to assess, in consultation with other professionals, the most appropriate treatment.
- Develop specialist programmes of care and provide psychotherapeutic treatment to students either individually or in a group.
- Observe students and respond to what they might be communicating through their words and behavior.
- Provide a supportive and caring environment, enabling students to develop a sense of safety and belonging.
- Tailor your approach to the individual child and work in an age-appropriate way.
- Attend core group meetings and work alongside other professionals in planning how best to help a child and the child's family, for example, in schools, hospitals, children's services, and child protection agencies.
- Regularly review and monitor the outcome of assessments and effects of treatment.
- Offer psychoanalytic, psychotherapeutic advice, training, consultation, and supervision to other professionals who contribute directly to the child's treatment plan.
- Liaise closely with the assistant principal's wellbeing, to promote broader wellbeing foci and agendas in the schools, such as puberty talks to students, INSET for teaching staff, and parent workshops on wellbeing and mental health priorities.
- To be aware and sensitive to cultural perspectives in relation to mental health and wellbeing in the context of a school in Saudi Arabia.
- Undertake risk assessments and risk management from a child psychotherapy perspective.
- Receive regular clinical professional supervision from a more senior child psychotherapist.
- Support the well-being and mental health of Misk employees in the schools.
- Keep up to date with developments in theory and research and undertake continuing professional development (CPD).
- Undertake additional duties as and when required by the line manager.
Safeguarding:
The post holder will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and follow the school’s safeguarding policies and the staff code of conduct. They will directly support the designated safeguarding lead as a priority to ensure the safety and well-being of all students at the school.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent vocational professional qualification for counsellors.
Experience:
- +2 years’ successful counselling experience in a school setting or equivalent.
- Evidence of consistently outstanding pastoral care.
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:
- Expert counselling knowledge, with a well-developed understanding of key mental health challenges for young people and up-to-date knowledge of therapeutic responses and treatment.
- Ability to build very effective working relationships, with an understanding of professional boundaries, in the context of a caring professional.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to manage differences in expectations, personalities, and experience in working with students who have a variety of learning, social, and psychological needs.
- Recent evidence of relevant CPD.
- Ability to engage, enthuse, and motivate members of staff and students in the pursuit of optimal mental health and wellbeing for all.
- Ability to organise, plan, and prioritise effectively, managing responsibilities as a Counsellor.
- Data analysis skills, such as using PASS effectively.
- IT proficiency, including all Microsoft and Google office tools.
- Able to work under pressure and prioritise effectively.
- Experience in engaging with the parent body, with professionalism, expertise, sensitivity, and compassion.
