The Refugee Council supports separated asylum-seeking children across the regions in the UK.

The Therapeutic Services team provides one-to-one therapeutic intervention and group therapy to individual asylum seekers and refugees presenting with mental wellbeing needs. The team has adapted a psychosocial perspective using our Therapeutic Services Care Model to address the identified needs of clients using a holistic approach.

My View Project has been offering specialist mental health support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The purpose of this post is to provide therapeutic intervention to separated children who have often been through traumatic experiences, including being trafficked, abused and having witnessed horrific events, as a result of upheaval in their country of origin and along their journey to survival. Many have experienced overwhelming loss and separation from family and loved ones resulting in mental distress; others display symptoms of PTSD and may become isolated and anxious. This can lead to related behavioural issues and disruption in their education when their mental health needs are not met.

Working using a multidisciplinary approach, the therapist will engage separated children, either individually or within a group. The therapist will adapt their therapeutic approach in response to what the child may communicate through verbal disclosure or behavioral issues. The therapist will maintain a close partnership with the foster family/accommodation provider, social worker, school and/or other key agencies in the separated child’s life, and, where appropriate, signpost them to other specialist services.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Therefore, all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as ‘spent’, must be declared at the application stage. An offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Repeat checks are initiated every two years.

 

Main Duties & Responsibilities

1. To continue offering specialist therapeutic service, responding to specific needs of the local client population.
2. To deliver specialist, culturally sensitive one-to-one and group therapy (on site/in person or telephone/online) to best meet specific client needs, using the Refugee Council Therapeutic Care Model and Framework.
3. To work collaboratively with the Refugee Council’s Children’s Section and wider stakeholders such as social services, legal services, department of education, the health service and mainstream mental health agencies to ensure holistic client support.
4. To lead on establishing strong relationships with partners and stakeholders, to ensure clients are able to access appropriate support networks and vital specialist services, in particular those who have acute/complex needs.

For more information on the role, please view the JD here.

To apply, please complete the application form found here and email it to recruitment@refugeecouncil.org.uk