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School Counsellor (Cambridge)

CANDIDATE PACK

Open Letter from our CEO

Dear Candidate,

Astrea is an ambitious, dynamic and young trust with a mission to tackle historic educational disadvantage. Our academies are based across South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire, often in areas which have experienced generationally poor educational opportunities. Our role is to change that. We want to play our part in the social regeneration of these areas.

We have grown rapidly over the last four years and now educate around 14,000 students in 27 academies. Whilst our educational outcomes have improved over the last 4 years, they are not yet as strong as we would like them to be, nor as strong as our students and communities deserve.

With this in mind, we are entering a new period in our development. We are increasingly clear and specific about our vision for behaviour, curriculum and teaching quality, but our sense of what defines us is still evolving. With this in mind, we are looking for leaders who:

Want to be part of our journey to outstanding, shaping our vision, and helping us to unlock the collective power of our system. If you’re a solo flyer, our Trust is not for you.

Share our commitment to an inclusive, aspirational and academic education for all pupils.

Believe that in a Multi-Academy Trust, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and that it is our collective responsibility to get the best outcomes for all our pupils.

Bring expertise, aspiration, courage, and a collegial approach. We are brave for our communities and we welcome challenge and ambition.

Are authentic, visible and driven.

Bring an academic perspective to their work, supported by well-researched, well-evidenced approaches that make us think and push the trust’s practice forwards

Want our schools to be joyful places to learn, underpinned by expert teaching, brilliant curriculum, broad opportunities for learning and excellent consistent behaviour in every classroom.

For our part, we commit to challenging you, inspiring you, supporting your development and giving you access to leadership opportunities not only within your own school, but also across our Trust as your role develops.

Best Wishes

Rowena Hackwood

CEO at Astrea Academy Trust

Job Description

JOB TITLE:
School Counsellor

REPORTING TO:
Senior Counsellor

SALARY RANGE:
Band 3; £27,125

ACTUAL SALARY IF PRO RATA:
£21,700

CONTRACT TYPE:
Part-time (4 days a week), Permanent

WORKING PATTERN:
30 hours a week (0.8FTE) / 52 weeks

Role Description

Purpose Main Duties and Responsibilities

To provide a high-quality counselling service to pupils experiencing a wide *To offer counselling to pupils for a range of issues including learning range of emotional difficulties, ensuring that safeguarding and the welfare problems, difficulties with peers, behavioural difficulties in the classroom, and care of all children and young people is promoted. and emotional issues which may arise as a result of traumatic experiences;
To provide support, guidance and advice to parents, carers and the schools in Cambridge. * To facilitate, alongside other colleagues, group sessions on issues, which may include conflict resolution, anger management and self-esteem, as examples;

• To liaise with Senior Leaders, including Designated Safeguarding Leads,

Designated Senior Leads for Mental Health, SENCOs and other school colleagues, as necessary;

• To liaise with external professionals, such as GPs, and CAMHS, as necessary;
• To keep suitable case records on each counselling / group session securely, in accordance with GDPR;
• To attend regular supervision and maintain knowledge through training;
• To attend multi-agency meetings, where appropriate;
• To provide regular audit information such as pupil characteristics and needs in order to inform future training needs and professional development.
• To continually review and evaluate the service;
• To work with other Astrea Therapeutic Team colleagues to support the development and delivery of relevant training as and when needs are identified;
• To undertake additional duties and responsibilities, as reasonable.

Person Specification
Experience Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Previous experience of working as a counsellor for children and young The ability to work with patience, tolerance and sensitivity people Ability to build and form good relationships with pupils, parents / carers, colleagues and external agencies, including social care and the police
• Demonstrable understanding of the developmental, emotional, social and educational issues of children and young people An open-minded and sensitive approach when dealing with children and young people
• Knowledge of local mental health and CAMHS service The ability to explore emotional issues with children and young people * Knowledge of the Children’s Act and legislation pertaining to children Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and work to tight deadlines.

• Awareness of range of needs of people from diverse ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds A clear understanding of handling sensitive data and the implications of data protection * Clear understanding of Astrea; its values and relevant systems and procedures, and a commitment to promote and support theseEducation and Qualification

• Demonstrate a commitment to own professional development
• Counselling qualification at Level 4 Diploma, or above (or equivalent)

the course completed needs to have included 100 integrated hours of Demonstrate personal and professional integrity, including modelling the

Astrea values
counselling contact and enable registration as a qualified counsellor with a recognised professional body Display strong partnership skills to exhibit the capability of managing external stakeholders

• BACP membership, NCS membership or equivalent Ability to work without close supervision as well as being an effective team

(Please include your membership number on your application) member

• Further therapeutic training or qualification in working with children and Solution focused and the aptitude to displaying willingness young people (desirable) A solid knowledge of Safeguarding in Education
• Ability and willingness to travel across Cambridgeshire

Skills and Knowledge

• The ability to prepare and write factual reports and produce factual This is not exhaustive. and statistical information as required (desirable) Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Posts are subject to enhanced DBS checks. For further details on the recruitment process, please
• The ability to work with sensitivity, tact and diplomacy review our Recruitment Pack. This can be found attached to each vacancy

About Astrea

Astrea is an ambitious, dynamic and young trust with a mission to tackle Objectives for pupils: historic educational disadvantage and raise quality standards across all of our Encourage all children to be confident, hard-working and schools. Our academies are based across South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire, ambitious, regardless of background often in areas or at schools which have experienced generationally poor educational opportunities. Our role is to change that. We have grown rapidly Transmit a core body of knowledge to all pupils and the ability to think for over the last four years and now educate around 14,000 students in 27 themselves in order to be aware of the world around them academies and settings. Whilst our educational outcomes have improved over the last 4 years, they are not yet as strong as we would like them to be, nor as To be active and thoughtful participants in their local community strong as our students and communities deserve. With this in mind, we are entering a new period in our development. We are increasingly clear and To be successful in achieving their qualifications at both GCSE and A Level specific about our vision for behaviour, curriculum and teaching quality.

A knowledge-rich education:
Key Characteristics of our academies: By a knowledge-rich education we mean a rigorous and extensive,

• High aspirations, with a firm emphasis on academic attainment knowledge-based education that draws its material and methods from the best and most important work in both the humanities and the sciences.
• A knowledge-rich curriculum that develops a general knowledge of the world not simply for progression for the workplace, but for the love of the acquisition of knowledge The aim of a core-knowledge education is not primarily to prepare pupils for a job or career, it is more to transform their minds so that they are
• A calm and purposeful learning environment built on mutual respect and able to make reasonable and astute judgments and engage fruitfully in centralised behaviour systems conversation and debate – not just about contemporary issues, but also
• Outstanding pastoral care with the provision of specific trust delivered about the universal questions that have been troubling mankind

SEMH services where appropriate to the pupil throughout history.

• Standardised reading and arithmetic catch-up programmes for pupils where this is relevant that are taught by specialists We want children to leave our schools with the confidence that comes from possessing an essential general knowledge. A knowledge- rich
• Active parental and community involvement education should not confine itself to the Western canon, but should
• A broad range of extra-curricular activities including sports, music, embrace other cultures and traditions. What that canon includes will performing arts and academic clubs be subject to review, but will always be closely connected to the history and the present nature of the society in which we live, including our international connections.

View the Astrea 2025 Strategy here

Astrea Talent Programme
Astrea Academy Trust are delighted to be part of such an important movement, which will ensure we have the guidance to challenge attitudes towards disability, tap into wider talent We believe that everyone has talent. At Astrea, we want your pools and help all individuals across the Trust fulfil their career to flourish, nurturing potential through the Astrea Talent
potential and realise their aspirations. As a Disability confident Programme. This provides a defined career pathway, with
employer we have pledged to promote a culture that ensures associated personal and professional development way points and
there are no barriers to the development and progression of opportunities, funded by the Trust, wherever you start on the
disabled staff. pathway. From apprentice to senior leader, we are devoted to

growth and fulfilment. We want you to realise your ambition plus competence towards a brilliant education for all our pupils, giving them the opportunities they truly deserve.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Salary: From £21,700.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free parking
• On-site parking

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Cambridge: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 30/04/2023