School Counsellor

School Counsellor

Children, Education & Justice Services

Location: Citywide (Edinburgh Schools)

Salary: £33,287–£39,129 (pro rata for part‑time)

Hours: 21 hours 36 minutes per week

We are seeking to appoint appropriately skilled individuals to the post of School Counsellor in Edinburgh Schools. We are recruiting for three part‑time counsellor positions to fill our current vacancies.

These counselling posts are part of an exciting citywide initiative providing counselling as a key component of mental health and wellbeing support within our high schools. Counsellors will also offer counselling to pupils aged 10 years or over in the associated primary schools.

• Work with secondary and associated primary schools to oversee the effective delivery of counselling services to 10‑18 year olds within the school learning community.
• Provide line management through the school and regularly liaise with the Team Leader for the School Counselling Service to ensure appropriate levels of supervision and to support the citywide strategy for counsellors in schools.
• Be integrated into the whole‑school approach to emotional health and wellbeing, working in partnership with the wider school team and other key partners.
• Agree and provide appropriate levels of counsellor contact during school holidays.
• Deliver counselling services to pupils aged 10 years or over in associated primary schools.

• Fully qualified counsellor and registered with an appropriate organisation such as COSCA or BACP.
• Approved by the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007; required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check.
• Provide an Overseas Criminal Record Check if an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out of the UK in the last 5 years.
• Successful candidate will meet all pre‑employment checks satisfactorily.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We encourage applications from women for senior roles, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions, care‑experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently under‑represented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience.

Disabled and care‑experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we’re recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will include an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.

Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range. Flexible working arrangements are happy to discuss.

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View School Counsellor job pack.