30.5 hours per week / 33,795 per annum, pro rata / permanent / working pattern to be discussed at interview.Our mission

is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.We are recruiting a

Wellbeing Counsellor

and an

Autism and Learning Disabilities Specialist

for the Brighton and Hove Community Wellbeing Service for children and young people (CYP).Our service, led by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with YMCA DownsLink, supports

2-25 year olds

with mild-to-moderate mental health needs. Since 2020, we''ve provided community-based, evidence-based interventions including

cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, low-intensity interventions, group treatments, creative therapies, and social prescribing

all tailored to individual needs and age.In this role,

you will provide counselling that is adapted to ensure accessibility for autistic children and young people, as well as those with learning disabilities. This support will be offered to clients aged 4 to 25 who have a formal diagnosis.If you''re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn''t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable.

You may be just the right candidate.Experience and KnowledgeExperience in individual counselling with children and young people (aged 4+)Experience in counselling children and young people with Autism and Learning DifficultiesTraining/experience in working with children with communication difficulties, including Autism and LDExperience and/or knowledge of local statutory and voluntary agenciesExperience of working in a community settingExperience of carrying out assessmentsTraining / experience in using play and creative techniques in therapyExperience / ability to work autonomously, including working remotely.Skills and Abilities:Ability to establish and maintain empathic, supportive relationships with people in significant distress with their families and/or carersWillingness to receive, understand and communicate confidential client information of a sensitive and often complex nature, including discussing care with family members within boundaries of confidentiality.Proficient to communicate in a sensitive and reassuring manner, with empathy, and where appropriate reassuranceAble to make good use of clinical supervision in a group and/or individual formatSkilled in liaising with other teams and services including external agencies as required for the wellbeing of service usersProficient to assist in assessment of young people''s mental health and make appropriate decisions regarding treatment or referral to other services.QualificationsWe are recruiting a qualified counsellor, who has experience working with children and young people with autism and learning difficulties, delivering face to face counselling and carrying out assessments with young people to include working with high risk and complex issues. You will have a graduate or post-graduate level Counselling Diploma, or equivalent, and a minimum of two years post-qualifying experience, CYP IAPT Autism Spectrum Conditions and Learning Disabilities, or CYP Psychological Therapies for autism and learning disabilities (renamed in 2025). You will also need to be BACP Registered/Accredited or registered with another recognised professional body (e.g. HPC, UKCP).The successful applicant will have experience of managing risk, with effective communication around safeguarding procedures. You will also have experience of multi-disciplinary team working and knowledge of local statutory and voluntary agencies. You will also have experience of using electronic database for case management notes and administrative tasks to include monitoring and evaluation.If you would like any further information or an informal discussion about this post, please contact Conrad.Foote@ymcadlg.orgShould you require any assistance with our application process, please email us at Recruitment@ymcadlg.orgCLOSING DATE: Sunday 14 September 2025 at midnight. We reserve the right to close this advert early if a successful candidate is found, so please submit your application as soon as possible.Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions.

We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this roleAn inclusive workplace

We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.Accessibility

If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children''s and Adults'' barred lists)

check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.

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