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Volunteer Counsellor Recruitment Programme

Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer counsellor with the Hounslow Youth Counselling Service. We are NOT currently recruiting counsellors to HYCS and we are unsure of when the next selection will be - but probably late 2010. If, after reading this document you are interested in working for HYCS as a volunteer counsellor and you feel you meet the criteria then please email your CV to us and we will put you on our list for the next selection.

In the selection PDFs below are outline details of our selection programme including selection criteria; selection procedure and outline programme. Please also see our latest annual report on this website. HYCS may change any of these details as we constantly review Service needs and best practice to ensure we offer a professional service to young people.
Down load the following PDFs for more details:
At our next selection we will be recruiting volunteer humanistic counsellors who are available for evening and/or day sessions to work with young people, 11 to 26 years old, in the London Borough of Hounslow.

We are looking for counsellors who:
  • Are qualified or have completed a minimum of 2 years humanistic or humanistic based integrative counselling skills and theory training on an approved (by HYCS) course at degree, diploma or Master’s level and be studying in the second or final year
  • Are continuing their counsellor training or have completed 3 years diploma level training
  • OR have qualified on an approved course and are working towards accreditation with BACP or equivalent (UKCP, BPS or IPN)
  • Are interested in working with young people from age 11 up to 26 years old
  • Will be available to see 3 clients per week and have the time and energy for supervision, training and agency development including attending Service meetings and AGM
  • Are in/ have been in personal therapy for the duration of their course
  • Will meet our selection criteria and will be able to complete our selection programme

We will also ask applicants to consider the distance they live from the Service as there are obligations to attend trainings and meetings at the Service regularly in addition to seeing clients weekly.

For those counsellors who do join us we offer:
  • Regular monthly counselling supervision
  • On going in-house training
  • Access to Youth Support Services training
  • Managerial support and supervision
  • Team support
  • Experience of working in a voluntary sector agency
  • The opportunity to develop your skills and experience of working with young people in a supportive environment
  • Opportunities to develop counselling practice in a range of settings: our centre at 78 St John's Road, schools and a YOI prison
  • Small library
Our recruitment and selection process is designed to enable both the Service and the applicants to make realistic decisions about whether to work together or not. The process involves a number of interviews and a residential weekend as well as an induction period and core training. For us to be thorough in our selection this will take some time. HYCS is committed to Safeguarding young people and this is reflected in the approach we take to recruitment and selection of volunteers. Our selection programme is detailed below.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer counsellor with us then please check through the documents to see if we are potentially the right agency for you. Particularly you will need to meet all the selection criteria.

When we are ready to run another selection process then we will ask you to send in your CV (if you have not already done so) and complete an application form and then ring us to book a place on one of the information sessions. Once a programme has been set it will be essential that you make all the dates on that programme.

If you are interested in applying to work with the Hounslow Youth Counselling Service as a volunteer counsellor, please email or write to Mike Lawley enclosing your CV.