Lead Counsellor – Wimborne, Dorset

Company: Waythrough
Apply for the Lead Counsellor – Wimborne, Dorset
Location: Sutton on Sea
Job Description:

Overview

As the Lead Counsellor within our alcohol and nonopiate support service, you will play a central role in ensuring the delivery of high quality, client-centred therapeutic support. You will work across our Dorset services to lead on the clinical integrity of our counselling provision, ensuring residents receive safe, effective, and compassionate support. You will oversee the full therapeutic pathway from assessment through to intervention, ensuring best practice, safeguarding, and quality standards are upheld across the service.

Responsibilities

  • Provide clinical leadership for the counselling function, ensuring safe and effective therapeutic delivery.
  • Recruit, supervise, and support counsellors and trainees working within the service.
  • Offer expert guidance on complex and high risk cases, supporting decision making and escalation.
  • Oversee the assessment and referral process to ensure timely, robust, and client-centred pathways.
  • Lead on quality assurance for therapy provision, including monitoring, feedback, and auditing.
  • Review and maintain clinical notes and ensure compliance with service policies and professional standards.
  • Regularly review and update therapeutic policies, processes, and safeguarding practices.
  • Build and maintain effective relationships with external agencies to support safe, coordinated client care.

About us

Waythrough was formed in 2024 following the merger of Humankind and Richmond Fellowship. Together, we’ve created one of the largest mental health and social support charities in England.

Every year, we support around 125,000 people through nearly 200 services and it’s all made possible by our 3,500 brilliant staff and volunteers.

Job responsibilities

About the Role

As the Lead Counsellor within our alcohol and nonopiate support service, you will play a central role in ensuring the delivery of high quality, client-centred therapeutic support. Working within the HAGA/STAND partnership, you will lead on the clinical integrity of our counselling provision, ensuring that residents receive safe, effective, and compassionate support.

You will oversee the full therapeutic pathway from assessment through to intervention, ensuring best practice, safeguarding, and quality standards are upheld across the service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

About the Role

As the Lead Counsellor within our alcohol and nonopiate support service, you will play a central role in ensuring the delivery of high quality, client-centred therapeutic support. Working within the HAGA/STAND partnership, you will lead on the clinical integrity of our counselling provision, ensuring that residents receive safe, effective, and compassionate support.

You will oversee the full therapeutic pathway from assessment through to intervention, ensuring best practice, safeguarding, and quality standards are upheld across the service.

Person Specification

Key Requirements

  • You will have:
  • A recognised PGDip (or equivalent) in counselling or psychotherapy.
  • Substantial face-to-face client experience within substance use, mental health, or related support settings.
  • Experience providing clinical supervision or supporting the development of other therapists.
  • Registration with a PSA-accredited professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP).
  • A strong understanding of safeguarding practices and the ability to make confident clinical decisions.
  • Excellent communication, organisational, and case-management skills.
  • A commitment to delivering high quality, person-centred therapeutic services.

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.

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Posted: June 30th, 2026