My View Psychological Therapist (Separated Children)

About us

Founded in 1951, the Refugee Council exists to support people who come to the UK in need of safety and speak out for compassion, fairness and kindness. We achieve this by providing expert advice and casework, building the capacity of refugee community organisations, and working with allies across society to change government policy.

Our vision for refugees to be welcome to live safe and fulfilling lives contributing to the UK has never been more urgent and needed. Today 27 million refugees and 84 million displaced people around the world need of safety, dignity and welcome. We are determined to secure public and government support for safe routes for all people seeking safety, and a fair, effective and compassionate refugee protection system.

About the role

The purpose of this post is to provide therapeutic intervention to separated children who have often been through traumatic experiences, including being trafficked, abused and having witnessed horrific events, as a result of upheaval in their country of origin and along their journey to survival. Many have experienced overwhelming loss and separation from family and loved ones resulting in mental distress; others display symptoms of PTSD and may become isolated and anxious. This can lead to related behavioural issues and disruption in their education when their mental health needs are not met.

Working using a multidisciplinary approach, the therapist will engage separated children, either individually or within a group. The therapist will adapt their therapeutic approach in response to what the child may communicate through verbal disclosure or behavioural issues. The therapist will maintain a close partnership with the foster family/accommodation provider, social worker, school and/or other key agencies in the separated child’s life, and, where appropriate, signpost them to other specialist services.

Hours: Part-time, 28 hours per week.

Contract: Maternity cover until 31st March 2026.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To proceed and maintain the specialist therapeutic service already in place, responding to specific needs of the local client population and working closely with the East Sussex local authority.
2. To deliver specialist, culturally sensitive one-to-one and group remote therapy (telephone/online) to best meet specific client needs, using the Refugee Council My View Therapeutic Care Model and Framework.
3. To work collaboratively with the Refugee Council children team and wider stakeholders such as social services, legal services, department of education, the health service and mainstream mental health agencies to ensure holistic client support. This may occur across different regions in particular those who present acute/complex needs or in the case of the clients’ transfer to other locations.
4. To take responsibility for soliciting appropriate referral by engaging with local statutory agencies, community groups and project partners.

For more information on the role and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button.

Closing date: 3 February 2025.

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.