Job title: Catalyst Counselling Coordinator/Triage/Assessor
Organisation: Catalyst is a charity – Supporting wellness together, we promote people’s mental health, physical health and overall wellbeing by providing support to the whole person in Surrey and surrounding area.
Main purpose of job: Triage and assessment of service users for suitability for counselling, allocation of service users into counselling, managing the process of counsellor recruitment and supporting volunteer counsellors.
Department: Catalyst Counselling	Location/Branch: Woking / Hybrid
Role reports to: Clinical Service Manager – Lorraine Balaam	Hours: 21 Hours to include: Monday, Wednesday morning, Friday and some evenings
Length of contract: Fixed Term (initially to 31st August 2025)	Salary: £29680 pa FTE

Key Accountabilities for

To undertake telephone, virtual or face-to-face client triages and assessments for the counselling service.
To support the Clinical Service Manager with an oversight of the functions and operations of the service so we can offer a robust and professional counselling service.
To deputise for the service manager at times of service manager absence or workload pressures.
To support the volunteer counsellors and Clinical Service Manager in relation to the functions of providing the Catalyst Counselling contract and Catalyst policies and procedures that underpin our governance and in line with BACP
To support Catalyst Counselling Administrators during peak times and absences.

Purpose of tasks: To ensure clients are suitable for counselling and within our remit

Contacting clients for triage to ascertain suitability for counselling
Leaving messages and following up if a client doesn’t answer the call
Signposting to another service if beneficial for the client
Booking client assessments in the diary
Updating database following triage call
Advising administrator following booking of an assessment
Carrying out assessments
Oversee client suitability for counselling

Purpose of tasks: To ensure clients are allocated into counselling appropriately

Matching client with an appropriate counsellor
Manage the process of allocation and supporting the administration team with the process

Purpose of tasks: To ensure new counsellor applications are suitable for a counsellor placement and on-boarded with resources, processes and knowledge required for counselling

Checking placement applications and suitability for placement
Management of the application spreadsheet
Interviewing new counsellors alongside Clinical Service Manager
Managing the on-boarding process of new counsellors
Preparing College Agreements for signature by Clinical Service Manager
Training new counsellors alongside Clinical Service Manager
Keeping accurate records of supervision attendances and ensuring supervision groups have appropriate number of supervisees

Purpose of tasks: To support counsellors and the administration team

Provide support to the volunteer counsellors and the administration team as required

General terms of reference:

In carrying out the above duties the post holder will:

Work collaboratively across the organisation to offer support to all main functions
Be committed to the role and support Catalyst to be the most efficient it can be
Be someone who believes in fairness and conducts themselves with integrity
Work flexibly across operational sites, including working from home arrangements in agreement with your line manager, as required which may include evening and weekend work
Be motivated to improve personal performance, outcomes, contribution, knowledge and skills
Be professional when partaking in Management, Trustee Board and other work-related team meetings; appraisals, workforce development and supervision processes
Keep abreast of developments in services, legislation and identify good practices where appropriate
Contribute to maintaining safe systems of work and a safe environment for all staff on site or working remotely
Represent Catalyst at external agencies/meetings and support our values and the culture of Catalyst
Assist in ensuring GDPR compliance throughout the service
Adhere to health and safety compliance, ensuring timely and accurate record keeping
Adhere to confidentiality policy
Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade of the post

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at a basic level. Please note past drug and/or alcohol or criminality history will not necessarily discount you from undertaking this role.

Person Specification
	Essential	Desired
Qualifications and experience
Qualified counsellor (minimum Level 4 diploma in Counselling)	✔
A minimum of one year post qualification counselling experience	✔
Experience of working with clients presenting with drug/alcohol and mental health concerns	✔
Experience of taking referrals and conducting triage, assessment for counselling	✔
Experience of using supervision	✔
Identifying and raising safeguarding/risk issues and follow safeguarding procedures	✔
Knowledge and skills
An understanding of confidentiality, consent, information sharing, in line with GDPR	✔
Knowledge of different counselling skills and evidence-based approaches to supporting people with drug, alcohol issues, mental health and associated complexity		✔
An understanding of the issues and needs of the client group	✔
Ability to maintain professional boundaries	✔
Skills in writing triage and assessment notes	✔
Ability to work in an organized manner and work within the administrative processes in place	✔
Ability to multi-task and prioritise effectively	✔
Ability to maintain safety whilst working in the community	✔
Good communication skills	✔
Ability to manage own time and to work effectively – setting up systems where necessary	✔
Information technology
Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel	✔
Ability to enter data onto a database as required by the Service	✔
Personal attributes
Have authentic attributes of Kindness, Commitment and Integrity	✔
Ability to work as a team and support other team members	✔
Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with counsellors, supervisors and team members	✔
Ability to interact effectively with the client group	✔
Ability to maintain Equal Opportunity standards at all times	✔
Ability to be robust when working with the client group as well as demonstrate compassion and willingness to go the extra mile	✔
Ability to maintain respect for the client group, peers and partners	✔
Adaptable to change	✔
Confident and open when dealing with the challenges faced by the client group	✔
Dynamic and self-motivated	✔
Ability to break down stigma and barriers associated with working with the client group	✔
Proactive, motivated and energetic	✔
Ability to work calmly in a challenging environment	✔
Capacity to innovate; work flexibly on your own initiative as well as part of a team	✔

Person Specification