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Job summary

Main area
Cancer Counselling
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 34 hours per week
Job ref
432-HR659-25
Employer
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Colchester and Ipswich hospitals
Town
Colchester and Ipswich
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
17/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust logo

Cancer Counsellor

NHS AfC: Band 7

We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.

Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits

Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of the ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole.  The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.

 

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen, for someone to join our team of cancer counsellors at ESNEFT. We are looking for a motivated and experienced counsellor with the skills to offer therapeutic support to cancer patients and their relatives. 

As part of a cross site collaborative counselling service, you will work 34 hours per week across 4 or 5 days, based in the Cancer Wellbeing and Information Centre at Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals. Subject to room availability and needs of the service you will work at least 2 days at Colchester (Monday and Tuesday) and 1 day in Ipswich (Wednesday or Friday). Other time can be worked from home. Regular outreach clinics are held in Clacton and counsellors also provide telephone support from home. 

You are required to have previous experience of working as a counsellor, ideally in a secondary care setting. You will be BACP accredited or working towards accreditation with substantial experience of counselling clients and time-limited work. You will support cancer patients and their loved ones who may present with a range of needs, such as trauma, grief and loss to effectively manage the challenges and ethical dilemmas presented in this area of work.

 Macmillan supports learning, development and networking, through access to education grants, events/ conferences and an online learning platform.

If you have the expertise and passion, we look forward to hearing from you!

Main duties of the job

You will work as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team, including counsellors, clinical nurse specialists, doctors, information staff and volunteers. Part of the role will be to facilitate education, clinical supervision and reflective practice to cancer services staff, as well as raise the awareness of the benefits of counselling to other health professionals.

You will have the ability to be flexible, have good organisational and problem-solving skills; prioritising workload effectively and working collaboratively to continually evaluate and improve services. Working independently you will be responsible for the administrative duties, record keeping and data collection and analysis associated with the role. You will lead on the bookings of the clients referred and liaise with the Wellbeing centre staff regarding room bookings. You will be confident in multi-tasking and able to demonstrate excellent IT and telephone skills. 

Working for our organisation

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes. 

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff. 

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options. 

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services. 

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients. 

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.  

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant demonstrable post qualification experience as a counsellor.
  • Experience of working in a healthcare environment
Desirable criteria
  • Previous experience of counselling in a cancer care

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • BACP / UKCP accredited counsellor or working towards accreditation
  • Qualified Counsellor who has completed a BACP accredited or equivalent course.
Desirable criteria
  • Supervision qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Proven ability to use a range of therapeutic interventions and techniques.
  • Knowledge of specialist therapeutic techniques acquired through continual professional development.
Desirable criteria
  • Specialist training in therapeutic techniques used in loss/bereavement or cancer care.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

No smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.NHS Pastoral CareDisability confident committedStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthHappy to Talk Flexible Working

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Morven Hurding
Job title
Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07831 502183

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Colchester General Hospital
Telephone
07789651269
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