Verified Skilled Worker sponsor

Counsellor

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Northampton, NN1 3NR £39,959 – £48,117 a year Permanent Posted 1 September 2026 Apply by 11 September 2026

Home Office register entry: Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Kettering

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

14 Arches, Staff Psychology and Counselling, is a psychology led service, which delivers specialist psychological support to NHFT colleagues. The team currently consists of two part-time Principal Psychologists, who are the Joint Service Leads; Senior Psychologists and Counsellors.

You would be joining the 14 Arches team at an exciting time of service expansion, in order to meet the needs of a growing NHFT workforce. We are recruiting additional Band 6 Counsellors (1.5 WTE permanent) to join the team. The role comprises working directly with individuals and groups, providing training and supporting the development of the service. This will include offering short-term counselling to individual staff around a concern which is impacting them at work. It may also involve facilitating group sessions for staff related to psychological wellbeing as well as presenting about the service and providing training sessions relevant to staff wellbeing.

The post will be line managed by one of the Joint Service Leads. Regular clinical supervision will be provided by either a Senior or Principal Psychologist within the service. We also hold regular reflective practice sessions within the team and encourage engagement with a Community of Practice for counsellors working in NHS settings.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be expected to:

Deliver short term counselling interventions to NHS staff for a range of presenting issues

Contribute to the development and delivery of psychologically informed groups to promote staff wellbeing

Provide initial assessment of clients presenting with multiple and complex issues; select appropriate therapeutic interventions, make decisions regarding referrals to specialist services and facilitate these as needed.

Undertake safety assessments/formulations and development of safety plans for individual clients.

Manage safeguarding concerns and share information to ensure safeguarding in accordance with local and national policy.

Deliver service presentations, teaching/training sessions according to service need

Contribute to service evaluation, audit and research

Attend and contribute to team meetings

Contribute to service development, identify areas for improvement and propose changes to service delivery and working practices.

Provide induction and in-service training to pre-registration counsellors and trainees.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities of the post. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may reasonably be required commensurate with the grade and/or hours of work at the post holders initial place of work or at any other of the Trust's establishments.

About us

Joining this service can offer:

Regular supervision from one of the psychologists in the service
Monthly reflective practice within the team
Opportunity to work within a well established and integrated Psychological Professions Network, which provides access to regular CPD meetings, organisational support and opportunities to connect with psychological professionals working across the Trust.

NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our 'outstanding' rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.

At NHFT we believe that work should be rewarded in every sense which is why we are proud to an accredited living wage employer.

We aim to support financial wellbeing and create an environment where are people feel valued and able to thrive.

Date posted

01 September 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

270-TH330-MH

Job locations

Lotus House

Victoria Street

Northampton

NN1 3NR

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job description/person specification under the Supporting documents section, for full details of the role.

We also welcome enquiries from applicants about the role, if you would like to discuss this opportunity please contact the Joint Service Leads; Dr Marianne Welford, (marianne.welford@nhft.nhs.uk) or Dr Anna Richards, (anna.richards@nhft.nhs.uk) to arrange a time.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

oCounselling qualification and experience aligned with SCoPEd Column B or C & Accreditation with a Counselling Body identified in the SCoPED framework
oKnowledge and experience of a range of counselling approaches
oExperience delivering counselling interventions to adults, with a range of presentations

Desirable

oTraining and/or experience in providing supervision
oKnowledge and/or experience of working with clients from diverse backgrounds
oExperience working within NHS and/or mental health settings
oExperience of providing group-based interventions
oExperience in teaching/training
oExperience working with complexity and a range of clinical severity

Behaviours & Values

Essential

oA clear interest in and commitment to working in psychological wellbeing for NHS staff
oDemonstrate qualities of openness, honesty, compassion and empathy
oActively promote equality, diversity and inclusion in practice

Desirable

oA commitment to showing leadership, motivating and inspiring the team
oEnthusiasm to collaborate with the workforce to try to engage and encourage people to access the service for their own well-being, especially around people who do not typically access support.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.