Health And Wellbeing Volunteer Roles in London, Greater London

We are building a team of enthusiastic and personable community engagement volunteers to help us raise the profile of Mental Health Resource within the local community, strengthen relations with local companies and promote and gain support for the charity.

We need a group of community engagement volunteers to provide an active presence at local community events on an ad hoc basis: talking to people to promote our services and encourage engagement with Mental Health Resource.  The sort of tasks that may be involved in the role are: preparing and serving refreshments; taking donations by cash and card; running activities, distributing leaflets and delivering promotional materials to local companies.

We are looking for volunteers with good interpersonal skills who are prepared to volunteer in a variety of settings, at various times.  We require volunteers to have a personal interest in mental health issues and a commitment to Mental Health Resource’s mission and values.  Please note that this role requires the use of a car to travel to events and transport promotional materials.

 About Nurse Lifeline

Founded in 2020, Nurse Lifeline is the UK’s first national, free, confidential, and peer-led listening service for all nurses, midwives, students, healthcare support workers, and their friends and families. Our charity was developed collaboratively by frontline nurses driven to support the mental health and emotional well-being of their colleagues. We provide a safe space for our community to offload and decompress with professionals who share their experiences and understand the pressures they face.

We are now seeking an experienced and dedicated individual to join our Trustee Board to support the next phase of our growth. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of a young, impactful organisation committed to improving the well-being of those in the nursing and midwifery professions.

 Responsibilities of all our Trustees:

- Governance: Ensure that the charity operates within the legal and regulatory framework of the sector and in accordance with its governing document, striving for best practices in governance.

- Strategic Direction: Contribute to determining the overall direction and development of the charity through good governance and clear strategy.

- Financial Oversight: Oversee the effective and efficient administration of the charity, ensuring its financial stability.

- Engagement and Representation: Actively engage with other Trustees and represent the organisation appropriately, bringing your personal experience and perspective to the role.

- Decision-Making: Evaluate performance against agreed goals and targets, participate constructively in meetings, and contribute to collective decision-making processes.

- Conflict of Interest: Declare any conflicts of interest while carrying out your duties.

- Advocacy: Advocate for the charity’s mission through your networks and support its efforts to raise awareness of its services.

- Additional Contributions: Participate in other tasks as they arise, such as attending charity events and supporting organisational initiatives.

 Person Specification

Essential Requirements:

- A demonstrable commitment to the vision, purpose, ethos, and values of Nurse Lifeline.

- A commitment to improving the mental and emotional health of our beneficiaries.

- A commitment to equality, inclusion, and diversity – with the ability to treat all people fairly, honestly, and with respect.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – with the ability to listen, influence effectively, and demonstrate clear reasoning.

- Experience of leading teams and building supportive relationships – with a collaborative approach to decision-making.

- Strategic thinking – the ability to operate strategically, be held accountable, and hold others accountable for the benefit of Nurse Lifeline.

- Impartiality and confidentiality – the ability to demonstrate fairness and respect confidences.

- Knowledge of the Voluntary, Community, or Charity Sector.(Desirable)

- Previous experience in a governance role (Essential)

- Must be a registered Nurse or Midwife (Essential).

 How to Apply

If you are interested in volunteering as a Trustee for Nurse Lifeline, please send an current CV and a covering letter (no more than two pages of A4) explaining why you are interested in the role, any relevant experience, and how you meet the essential criteria outlined above.

 About Nurse Lifeline

Founded in 2020, Nurse Lifeline is the UK’s first national, free, confidential, and peer-led listening service for all nurses, midwives, students, healthcare support workers, and their friends and families. Our charity was developed collaboratively by frontline nurses driven to support the mental health and emotional well-being of their colleagues. We provide a safe space for our community to offload and decompress with professionals who share their experiences and understand the pressures they face.

We are now seeking an experienced and dedicated individual to join our Trustee Board to support the next phase of our growth. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of a young, impactful organisation committed to improving the well-being of those in the nursing and midwifery professions.

 Responsibilities of all our Trustees:

- Governance: Ensure that the charity operates within the legal and regulatory framework of the sector and in accordance with its governing document, striving for best practices in governance.

- Strategic Direction: Contribute to determining the overall direction and development of the charity through good governance and clear strategy.

- Financial Oversight: Oversee the effective and efficient administration of the charity, ensuring its financial stability.

- Engagement and Representation: Actively engage with other Trustees and represent the organisation appropriately, bringing your personal experience and perspective to the role.

- Decision-Making: Evaluate performance against agreed goals and targets, participate constructively in meetings, and contribute to collective decision-making processes.

- Conflict of Interest: Declare any conflicts of interest while carrying out your duties.

- Advocacy: Advocate for the charity’s mission through your networks and support its efforts to raise awareness of its services.

- Additional Contributions: Participate in other tasks as they arise, such as attending charity events and supporting organisational initiatives.

 Person Specification

Essential Requirements:

- A demonstrable commitment to the vision, purpose, ethos, and values of Nurse Lifeline.

- A commitment to improving the mental and emotional health of our beneficiaries.

- A commitment to equality, inclusion, and diversity – with the ability to treat all people fairly, honestly, and with respect.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – with the ability to listen, influence effectively, and demonstrate clear reasoning.

- Experience of leading teams and building supportive relationships – with a collaborative approach to decision-making.

- Strategic thinking – the ability to operate strategically, be held accountable, and hold others accountable for the benefit of Nurse Lifeline.

- Impartiality and confidentiality – the ability to demonstrate fairness and respect confidences.

- Knowledge of the Voluntary, Community, or Charity Sector.(Desirable)

- Previous experience in a governance role (Essential)

 How to Apply

If you are interested in volunteering as a Trustee for Nurse Lifeline, please send an current CV and a covering letter (no more than two pages of A4) explaining why you are interested in the role, any relevant experience, and how you meet the essential criteria outlined above.

A Little Bit of Sunshine UK (ALBOS UK) is seeking to recruit Policy and Campaigns volunteers to support the charity at an important point in its development, its second year of operation, supporting young people to be at the heart of decision making in support services. 

We expect everyone who is part of our organisation to be committed to our values and share our ambition to become a more diverse and inclusive charity. Our vision, mission and values can be found on our website.

What we do

We work closely with young people and communities to shape a future where every young person can access mental health support, feel connected, and live without stigma.

Our policy and influencing work aims to create lasting change by addressing systemic barriers to youth mental health care. We advocate for policies that prioritise mental health, ensure adequate funding, and promote accessibility. 

About the role

As a Policy and Campaigns Volunteer, you will play a key role in supporting our efforts to influence policy, raise awareness, and advocate for improved mental health services for young people. You will work closely with our Policy and Campaigns team to help shape and deliver impactful campaigns and contribute to policy development aimed at creating lasting change.

We are looking for dynamic volunteers who will help us to advocate for change, and work collaboratively with other Policy Volunteers and across the wider charity, to plan, create, and roll out policy and campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in research, analysis and drafting of policy papers, briefing notes, and reports related to mental health issues affecting young people.

• Support the development and creation of campaigns that raise awareness and push for reforms in mental health services

• Monitor relevant policy developments, governmental reports, and key discussions within the mental health sector.

• Help with the development of training materials or toolkits for volunteers and supporters to increase awareness and engagement around mental health policy.

• Attend and contribute to team meetings and brainstorming sessions for campaign strategies and policy priorities.

• Contribute to the drafting of letters, petitions, and policy submissions aimed at influencing decision makers.

• Engage with young people to ensure their voices are heard and included in policy recommendations and campaign efforts.

If you would like to expand your skills in policy work and campaigning and can commit to volunteering 4–6 hours per week, then we would love to hear from you. 

If you would like to have an informal conversation with a member of our team please get in touch with us [email address in Role Description].

Closing date:  14/10/2024 at 10am

Informal interviews will be held as and when suitable applicants apply, but all applications before the closure of the advert will be reviewed. 

Please note that you must be 16 or over and be willing to undergo the DBS process to be appointed to this volunteer role.

Volunteer Role Title: Volunteer Driver

Aim of volunteering role:

To be part of the volunteer team that enables and empowers people affected by dementia to socialise and live well. You will help to ensure people living with dementia are not isolated and able to reach their potential.

Tasks:

1. To drive a mini bus to collect our day Support Clients in the morning and take them home in the afternoon.
2. To support our clients to safely embark and disembark from the minibus.
3. To report any maintenance or safety issues with the drive route or minibus to the Transport Coordinator.

Activities:

1. To collect Day Support Clients from their own homes and bring them to our Day Support Centre.

Time:

Variable shifts Monday – Saturday 8.45 am -10.30 am or 2.30pm – 4.30pm the times are approximate according to traffic. It is preferable to do both morning and afternoon trips.

 Place of work:

Base will be Safeharbour memory wellbeing Centre, Coldharbour Road, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 8AE

Skills required:

1. The ability to drive in a safe manner
2. Possession of a D1 driving licences
3. An interest in the diverse needs of people affected by dementia.
4. A good communicator, a sense of humour, flexibility and a team player.
5. A commitment to confidentiality.
6. An understanding of professional boundaries, safeguarding and health and safety.

Benefits offered:

1. Induction programme
2. Additional optional ‘in house’ training
3. Ongoing support
4. Expenses paid
5. Full insurance cover
6. Volunteer recognition events

References:

Two references required.

Volunteers will also be required to undergo criminal records checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The Pelvic Radiation Disease Association (PRDA) is looking for a Chair of Trustees to provide strategic leadership for the charity, working in partnership with our Operations Manager and supported by a committed team of Trustees.

Who we are

Pelvic Radiation Disease (PRD) is a long-term side-effect (‘late effect’) of pelvic radiotherapy treatment affecting an estimated 100,000 people in the UK.  People affected by PRD often have a complex set of symptoms affecting the bowel, bladder, sexual function or other functions for many years after radiotherapy, sometimes only appearing several years after radiotherapy treatment

PRDA is a small UK charity whose objectives are to see that the effects of PRD are minimised, that people affected by PRD are given the best possible care and treatment, and that PRD is accepted as a serious problem and given the attention it deserves.

Duties of the Chair

In addition to the duties of a Trustee, the Chair will:

• Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board, ensuring that PRDA achieves its mission.
• Work in partnership with the Operations Manager and team to achieve our mission.
• Lead the board in ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation.
• Optimise the relationship between the board and PRDA’s staff and volunteers.
• Plan and chair the board meetings and the AGM, with others as appropriate.
• Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for PRDA. 

What PRDA is looking for

Each trustee must have:

• a commitment to the vision and aims of the Pelvic Radiation Disease Association
• willingness to meet the minimum time requirement 
• integrity 
• strategic vision 
• good, independent judgement 
• an ability to think creatively 
• a willingness to speak their mind 
• an understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship 
• an ability to work effectively as a member of a team and to take decisions for the good of PRDA.

Ideally, trustees should also have one or more of the following: 

• Understanding of the impact of Pelvic Radiation Disease on people’s lives either through personal or professional connections, or be willing to learn about this; 
• Prior experience of committee/trustee work; 
• Knowledge of the type of work undertaken by PRDA (helpline, support groups, online support, health professional engagement, awareness-raising) and/or fundraising for a small charity, and
• Leadership skills.

Please see the full job description for more detail. 

For an informal discussion about the role please contact David Jillings, PRDA Treasurer & Vice-chair.

DCF are a family-founded charity focusing on supporting children and young people's wellbeing. We provide youth groups, workshops and 121 support in schools and in the community. 

This is an exciting, key opportunity to develop our income generation, therefore supporting us to reach more young people.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop and lead our fundraising approach as an organisation.  Our CEO currently has a very active role overseeing all areas of the charity.  We are looking for someone to take the lead on developing our fundraising strategy and submitting grant applications.

There is flexibility in how the role could develop and we would value your expertise in how best to diversify our income and sustainability. 

We currently deliver services in two boroughs (Croydon and Merton) and have a 5 year plan to expand to four boroughs. 

The role would include: 

1. Develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies to support the financial needs of the organisation.
2. Identify grants and funding opportunities and draft, submit and manage application forms.
3. Support the Income Generation Volunteer to identify and cultivate relationships with potential donors, sponsors, and partners to expand our donor base and increase fundraising opportunities.
4. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising efforts, tracking key metrics and making necessary adjustments to improve results.
5. Stay informed about trends and best practices in fundraising, incorporating innovative approaches to enhance our fundraising strategies.
6. Maintain accurate records of donors, donations, and fundraising activities.

What are we looking for?

Are you a good listener, able to show empathy and understanding as well as being able to spot the positive things in life? This could be the perfect role for you!

We are looking for volunteers who have a couple of hours a week to give on a regular basis to make friendly calls to people living with epilepsy who are feeling lonely or isolated.

“It made me feel like I wasn’t alone and has given me confidence within myself.”

You don’t have to have epilepsy yourself and your check-in calls don’t even have to be about epilepsy, sometimes people want to forget about that for a while and instead have a friendly conversation about what’s on telly, their favourite sport or their hobby.

You might be able to encourage them to get out and make more connections in their community but even if all you do is make someone laugh you have brightened their day and made a difference.

What's involved?

There is a DBS check to ensure we keep everyone safe and some basic training to enable you to get started. You’ll then be ready to start making calls. Calls typically last 30 minutes so depending how much time you have to give you can make a difference to two or three people a week, maybe even more!

Calls can easily be made over the phone or if you prefer over video call it's up to you which you prefer.

The role is flexible so that you can choose a time to volunteer that suits you. We only ask that you stick to that same time and day each week as it makes it easier for the service user to remember when to expect a call. We also ideally want you to be able to volunteer for at least a year so that service users have a consistent experience.

You’ll be fully supported by our befriending team and you’ll get to join our volunteer community with regular volunteer meet-ups. Our volunteer portal makes it easy to connect to other volunteers in your area or with shared interests and to be part of our volunteering community.

Would you like to join our board and help us protect and grow the Kingston Women’s Centre? The Clinical Trustee role ensures the Clinical practice of KWC staff and volunteers are kept in line with BACP ethical standards and KWC’s Policies and Procedures.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Strategic 

·  To assist and advise in the formation of the KWC’s strategy with particular regard to ensuring KWC has the clinical expertise to deliver the strategy. 

2. Clinical 

·To offer advice and support to the Clinical Manager in the development of KWC’s clinical services.

·To support the Clinical Manager in the development of innovative and developmental concepts for volunteers, staff and service users where appropriate.

· To assist the Clinical Manager, staff, and Board members in networking within the clinical sector.

· Where needed to support the Clinical Manager in the recruitment of Supervisors.

· To make recommendations to the Board of appropriate clinical changes to KWC’s Policies and Procedures and controls.

· To ensure the Board receives appropriate information on the activities that affect the clinical running of KWC. 

3. Governance

· To ensure the Board is aware of its clinical duties and responsibilities and the need to comply with legislation and BACP code of ethics. 

· To ensure all clinical policies, procedures and any appointment of external clinical advisors are reviewed on a regular basis.

· To monitor and report to the Board and offer solutions to any clinical concerns.

5. Key Qualities/Experience 

· Experience in a Senior Clinical role; ideally currently working in counselling, psychotherapy and or supervising counsellors and psychotherapists.

· Experience in developing Clinical Services and of working within the community.

· Good communication/interpersonal and decision- making skills.

· Ability to work collaboratively and constructively as a member of the Board.

· Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the role of Trustee.

· An understanding and acceptance of legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship.

· Good independent judgment, strategic perspective, and vision.

Link Age Southwark is a vibrant local charity providing support to over 800 older people in Southwark who are feeling lonely or isolated. Our vision is for friendly local communities where older people and those living with a diagnosis of dementia can thrive in their later years.

All our volunteering opportunities are within the London Borough of Southwark, predominantly south of the borough - Camberwell, Peckham, Nunhead, Dulwich and around. 

Befriending is at the very heart of Link Age Southwark's services. Lots of the older people we work with are feeling lonely and in need of a little extra social company. Our fantastic volunteer befrienders visit an older person once a week, sharing a cup of tea and a chat together.

Demand for our befriending service continues to grow and we are looking for new people to join our existing team of volunteers so that we can support as many older people as possible. 

This role requires:

• volunteering for approximately 1 hour a week to visit an older person
• a commitment to volunteer for a minimum of 6 months
• a cheerful and friendly personality
• good communication/listening skills
• attendance at a volunteer induction and other relevant training opportunities
• completion of a full Disclosure Barring Service and character reference check
• a commitment to working within the policies of Link Age Southwark, in particular health & safety, confidentiality, safeguarding and equality and diversity

Becoming a volunteer with Link Age Southwark is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and get to know more about your local community.

We cover all reasonable expenses and we are happy to provide references for volunteers who have completed 6 months of volunteering with us.

Please note that all our volunteering opportunities are within the London Borough of Southwark, predominantly south of the borough - Camberwell, Peckham, Nunhead, Dulwich and around. 

Will you share your counselling or psychotherapy skills as a counsellor or therapist to join an online counselling service for patients and families affected by a chronic pain condition (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)?

We're looking for 2 qualified counsellors, psychotherapists or psychologists ideally with some experience of working with chronic pain patients or lived experience of chronic illness, who may want to volunteer their skills supporting our adult service users (aged 18 & over) and help us to continue developing a mental health support service. 

As a Volunteer Counsellor/Therapist you’ll be providing remote counselling/therapy support services to adults aged 18 and over many of whom are isolated and in need of mental health services. You’ll be providing one-to-one counselling/therapy sessions online via Zoom or by phone. With your recognised counselling qualifications and experience you will be an asset to our small charity and to our services users.  

Depending on your qualifications, skills and experience, our volunteer counsellors / therapists provide person centred counselling (general talking counselling) or integrative counselling, or specialist services such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), ACT, CFT and EMDR for CRPS patients, or their families & close relatives.

People will be referred both by health or legal professionals as well as having patients and carers themselves referring into to the service.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your counselling and therapy skills, organisation, communication and team working skills.

Most importantly you’ll be providing essential services that help make sure no one has to face CRPS alone. Be the hope for CRPS.

What the role involves

This role may vary depending on needs, but is likely to include:

• Undertake a client assessments, followed by person-centred counselling (via Zoom or phone) to our clients, offering up to 20 sessions for each client plus 4 psychometric assessments

• Providing one-to-one counselling sessions to clients aged 18 & over

• Update our database with the client’s basic information and session attendance

• Maintain succinct, relevant session notes and store these confidentially and securely in acccordahce with GDPR

• Attending and participating in peer supervision support

• Attend CPD training to ensure your knowledge stays current

• Participating in volunteer meetings
• Maintaining client confidentiality, upholding data protection and equal opportunities principle

• Attend monthly Supervision and peer support sessions to ensure safe working practices

We can support you to develop the skills you need for this role, including a full induction. You will have a chance to discuss your role and any additional needs with us. We can offer you a supervisor as well as expenses for annual insurance and an external supervisor if required.

What you need for this role

Essential

• Be a member (including student membership) of one of the recognised organisations (see below)
• Level 4 Diploma level qualifications as a minimum (unfortunately no students at this time), Degree or Masters in Counselling, Counselling/Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, Art Therapy, EMDR 
• Minimum of 100 hours supervised
• Proof of professional indemnity insurance annually - we may consider paying this as an expense but commitment to the charity is required
• A valid DBS certificate (enhanced version), which is less than three years old and renewed every three years (the charity can provide where necessary)
• Able to keep people’s personal data safe

• Willing and able to provide counselling via Zoom from a private location with a stable WiFi connection

• Able to support a minimum of 3 clients a week, being three hours of your time for counselling sessions plus time for administration. We ideally hope you to offer the charity a minimum commitment of six months.

Desirable

• Knowledge of chronic pain or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Previous experience as a chronic pain or CRPS counsellor or psychologist 
• Committed to our values
• Willing to develop skills and experience
• Enjoy working as part of a team
• Effective administration skills, planning and organisation skills
• Approachable, presentable, enthusiastic

We also welcome training counsellors and counselling/clinical psychologists who are looking for placements.

Once we’ve assessed your application, you may be invited for interview. If you are successful, we will arrange for you to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service DBS or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check.

Recognised Organisations You Must Be A Member of:

• British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)
• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP)
• EMDR Association UK
• Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
• General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)
• British Society for Clinical Hypnotherapists (BSCH)
• National Council for Hypnotherapists (NCH)
• United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• The National Hypnotherapy Society (HS)
• National Counselling Society (NCS)
• Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP)
• National Register of Hypnotherapists & Psychotherapists (NRHP)

Making a difference

What impact will the opportunity have?

You will join the charity during a critical and challenging period where referrals are on the rise and your expert knowledge and experience will be invaluable to our success. You will have a key role in not only developing a counselling service for our clients but also ensure we provide counselling services and mental health support to our CRPS patients & their families who are in need of our support and inclusion on a regular basis. With your help we will expand our support and mental health services to ensure our service users receive mental health support that they may not have been offered.

What's in it for you as the volunteer? 

You would be a part of our small, friendly, forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching people affected by this rare, painful and debilitating chronic pain condition and to provide them with psychological support whether they are patients, their partner, relatives, friends or carers. As this service is rapidly expanding, you would have a key role in developing our counselling and psychotherapy programme and to complement our support services that we offer. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a real difference in our clients' life which is already isolated and painful, who may not have received any psychological support.

DCF are a family-founded charity focusing on supporting children and young people's wellbeing. We provide youth groups, workshops and 121 support in schools and in the community. 

This is an exciting, key opportunity to develop our income generation, therefore supporting us to reach more young people.  

We are looking for someone to take the lead on planning events and managing donor relations.  There is flexibility in how the role could develop and we would value your expertise in how best to diversify our income and sustainability. 

We currently deliver services in two boroughs (Croydon and Merton) and have a 5 year plan to expand to four boroughs. The role would include: 

Work with the Fundraising Strategic Lead to develop a range of fundraising strategies
Identify and cultivate relationships with potential donors, sponsors, and partners to expand our donor base and increase fundraising opportunities.
Plan and execute various fundraising campaigns, events, and initiatives.
Collaborate with the team to support creation of compelling fundraising materials, including solicitation letters, email campaigns, and social media posts.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising efforts, tracking key metrics and making necessary adjustments to improve results.
Maintain accurate records of donors, donations, and fundraising activities.

*THIS IS A VOLUNTEER ROLE*

**Please only apply if you are available to volunteer in Southwark every Thursday 09:30-12:30**

About the Role

We are looking for a sunny, dedicated person to support our regular Thursday morning Writing For Wellbeing group at the Southwark Wellbeing Hub. This is a hybrid group which can include up to 8 people attending in person and up to 5 people attending online. The Workshop Assistant will support the Workshop Facilitator to manage the room, ensuring everyone has the support they need and that the online participants feel included in the group.

The role will include the following:

- Helping to set up the tea and coffee station before the workshop, making drinks for participants during the workshop, and helping to break down the station at the end of the workshop

- Managing the Zoom room (letting in participants, responding to people in the chat, sending writing prompts to each participant in the chat, sharing the screen for visual prompts)

- Offering support to participants that need additional guidance or confidence building, if the Workshop Facilitator is already helping someone else

The workshops are very lively and a lot of fun. We encourage discussion, self-expression and lots of laughter. As the Workshop Assistant you will be able to join in with the group and the activities each week so you can unlock your own creativity too.

There is no experience necessary to join our team, but you will need to be confident using basic technology and ready to support and encourange a range of people with varying needs and abilities.

**When you apply, please include a short note on why you would like to volunteer in this role**

About Us

In a Wordsmiths' Writing For Wellbeing Workshop, attendees are guided through structured writing activities and games to enable them to create and share a mixture of fictional and true stories based on their own experiences. All exercises are designed to guide the attendees to focus on memories associated with positive emotions but the prompts are always subjective enough that no-one will struggle to think of what to write about. The group setting allows each person to firstly build confidence by sharing work that they have created from nothing, and secondly to build empathy towards other people in their community by hearing their stories in their words.

Wordsmiths' workshops are designed to be inclusive of all abilities and experiences - the goal for each attendee isn't to create a perfectly worded masterpiece, the goal is to enable a creative way to communicate and to understand their own thoughts and emotions.

Are you a Clinical Supervisor interested in supporting counsellors and therapists?

Burning Nights CRPS Support has a highly skilled counselling and therapy team who provide counselling and psychotherapy to adults and children who have been affected by a debilitating pain condition, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This team is expanding rapidly and we are now looking for a volunteer Clinical Supervisor to join this team ensuring we can continue the provision of our vital emotional support services to this community. We would ideally like to take on a Clinical Supervisor - one supporting the therapists who deal with adults.

All our Counselling and therapy team help to develop our growing mental health support service for patients, families and carers affected by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). As a volunteer with the CRPS Counselling & Therapy Service, your skills and experience as a Clinical Supervisor will be providing support to therapists who offer therapy to vulnerable individuals, many of whom are isolated and in need of mental health support.

Depending on your qualifications, skills and experience, you will provide Supervisor support for counsellors or psychotherapists who provide counselling support or specialist services, such as general talking (person centred) therapies, integrative therapists, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for CRPS patients, their loved ones and carers. The service currently offers specialist support to anyone over the age of 5 who is affected by CRPS.

Key Tasks and Objectives

• Facilitate Clinical Supervision one to one and group sessions on a monthly or fortnightly basis (online)

• Administer this supervision from invitation through to record keeping

• Maintain appropriate clinical records of all work and to report, along with any concerns on individuals or their practice to the Chair of Trustees

• Commitment to ongoing supervision of supervision practice at Burning Nights CRPS Support as well as engaging in separate own personal supervision as/if appropriate

• Work flexibly as part of a small team as necessary to provide maximum coverage for supervision, such as in the event of emergencies

• Abide by all Burning Nights CRPS Support policies and procedures

• Adhere to BACP, BABCP (or other appropriate therapies governing body) Ethical Framework

Key Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Psychotherapy/Counselling qualification with a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in a similar field

• Qualification in Clinical Supervision - ideally level 7 or above (could also suit experienced counsellors who require a placement during Clinical Supervision placement, or experienced counsellors wishing to gain experience in supervision)

• Accreditation/registration (or working at the level of or towards this qualification) as a Supervisor with BACP/HCPC/BAPT or equivalent

• Significant proven experience of supervising individual counsellors/psychotherapists from a range of training backgrounds 

• Appropriate and proven clinical experience of working with clients with a range of difficulties including complex medical health issues, loss and bereavement. Ideally experience of working with clients living with or affected by chronic pain or chronic conditions

• Willingness to engage in any Burning Nights CRPS Support training

• Understanding of issues regarding confidentiality and management of risk within a counselling service

• Good administrative skills

• Understanding of the voluntary sector

• Commitment to on-going engagement in personal supervision

• Knowledgeable of and committed to equalities’ provision

Desirable:

• Appropriate and proven clinical experience of working with clients living with or affected by chronic pain or chronic conditions

• Being able to supervise therapists who work in therapy such as CBT, ACT, EMDR etc

• Experience of working within a low-cost / free voluntary sector counselling setting

• Experience of working within the voluntary charity sector