Vacancies:

Counsellors for the National Information and Counselling Helpline for Crisis Pregnancy | Nov 2018

Are you interested in being part of an exciting, new and innovative service for women in Ireland? If so, and you are a qualified, accredited counsellor with 3 years of counselling experience this could be the role for you.

One Family is recruiting additional, experienced, professionally accredited counsellors for the new National Information and Counselling Helpline for Crisis Pregnancy which we will deliver on behalf of the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme.

This is a new innovative service designed to support women and their families through the issues associated with crisis pregnancy across Ireland. Following our recent recruitment, the telephone service has now expanded to offer a service from 9am to 9pm, from Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings. The National Information and Counselling Helpline will be provided in the context of abortion services being available in Ireland from 2019.

If you are an enthusiastic, committed and experienced professional counsellor who is committed to women’s sexual and reproductive health, who would like to work in a progressive, voluntary sector organisation– you may wish to consider this post.

Extensive training will be offered in crisis pregnancy counselling, post abortion counselling and telephone counselling skills.

The National Information and Counselling Helpline for Crisis Pregnancy will provide the following:

  • Counselling and listening support for those experiencing a crisis pregnancy
  • Post-abortion counselling
  • Information on abortion, including services that provide abortion in Ireland and abroad
  • Information on the options of parenting and adoption
  • Signposting and referrals to other relevant, professional services.

One Family is Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating families – see www.onefamily.ie for full information. We have been providing non-directive counselling services to women and their families who experience unplanned or crisis pregnancies for several decades.

Person Specification:

Candidates need to:

  • Have a minimum of 3 years proven counselling experience
  • Have a relevant counselling/ psychotherapy qualification
  • Be an accredited member of IACP, IAHIP or another professional counselling body
  • Have experience of working in an team
  • Have a client-focussed perspective
  • Be enthusiastic and motivated
  • Be well organised with good attention to detail
  • Have good ICT skills.

The ideal candidate will:

  • Have experience of telephone  counselling, online counselling or helpline work
  • Have experience of crisis pregnancy counselling
  • Have experience of information provision.

Counsellor role and responsibilities:

  • To provide telephone support and counselling on all options for crisis pregnancy
  • To provide information on abortion/termination  pregnancy services in Ireland
  • To deliver post-abortion counselling
  • Maintain all quality/professional standards and codes of practice
  • Attend relevant internal and external supervisions and trainings
  • Maintain all relevant administration, monitoring information and data
  • Follow all policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines
  • To contribute to evaluations, policy, reports, funding applications etc as requested
  • To be line managed by the National Information and Counselling Helpline Manager and take direction where appropriate on issues relating to clients
  • To maintain the high professional and ethical standard in provision of care to clients.

This service will run between 9am and 9pm from Monday to Friday, as well as Saturday morning.  Staff will be required to work day time and evening shifts of 4-6 hours duration. We are recruiting for posts of between 18 and 30 hours a week; additional hours may be needed so flexibility will be required.

The service will be located in Dublin 7; remote working is not available for this position.  The full time (35 hour week) salary scale is €39,311 – €42,799 for the level of skills required; the salary offered will be pro-rata for 18-30 hours, based on skills and experience.  The post will be for one year initially with the potential for continuation, subject to future funding.

Informal enquiries are welcome.

Application Procedure:

A cover letter addressing the required competencies and a CV, including the date of your professional accreditation, should be sent to:  Counselling Manager, One Family, 8 Coke Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7 or by email to info@onefamily.ie. First round interviews will take place on Friday 23rd of November with second round interviews scheduled to take place on Tuesday 27th November.

Closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 16 November 2018.

One Family is an equal opportunities employer