Volunteer Counsellors Recruitment Process
We offer placements to counsellors who want to accrue hours in order to qualify, or for accreditation purposes. Volunteer counsellors who wish to register their interest for our next recruitment day please email c.v. to the office at info@allowme.com.
Please note the recruitment day is an essential part of our recruitment process.
Trainee applicants will need to be studying on a course that satisfies the following criteria:
- Provides in-depth training in counselling or psychotherapy to practitioner level.
- Will include at least 400 hours of classroom – based tuition.
- Requires a supervised placement of at least 100 client hours, such as with The Counselling Partnership.
- Requires students to be in therapy weekly whilst they are in training.
Following application there is a selection process. Successful applicants will be asked to:
- Attend our Recruitment Day
- Email copies of any certificates or diplomas they have already completed which relate to their counselling work.
- Email a photo of themselves.
Following recruitment day
- Selected applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
Following the interview selected applicants will
- Be asked to provide references
- Attend our induction process.
- Provide a DBS certificate.
- Be offered a placement subject to counselling venue and supervision group compatibility.
Counsellors are required to:
- Pay £25.00 a month by Standing Order to subsidise supervision and administrative costs
- To offer a maximum of three counselling sessions per week. Counsellors working in the evenings are sometimes requested to work in teams, which means even if you have just one client you are required to stay for the three hour duration.
- Commit to the service for a minimum period of eighteen months, giving two months’ notice of the intention to resign. Initially, all volunteers are offered a three-month probationary contract which will be extended after a successful probationary review. After this, placements will be reviewed annually.
- Operate according to the policies and procedures of The Counselling Partnership. This includes a commitment to working respectfully with individual difference in line with the agency’s policy on Equal Opportunities.
- Fulfil the administrative responsibilities delegated to them as regards procedures for note keeping, communication and the handling of funds.
- Participate in regular supervision sessions provided by The Counselling Partnership in addition to any other supervision arrangements they may have set up.
- Pay attention to their own personal development, including personal therapy.
- Participate in regular counsellor meetings which take place every two-three months.