Counselling jobs in Dorchester

Want to join an innovative team with a strong focus on staff wellbeing, achieving good recovery rates, and developing your professional knowledge and skills?

If so, why not join the Dorset Steps 2 Wellbeing Service as a PWP. This is an exciting opportunity to join a Low-Intensity Team across Dorset, the successful candidates would be based at either:

Purbeck and East Dorset – Oakcroft, BH21 1RR

Weymouth and Portland – The Annexe, DT4 7TB

North Dorset – Abby Walk, SP7 8BB

Poole – Oakcroft, BH21 1RR

Bournemouth East – Tower Road, BH1 4LB

Bournemouth West – Tower Road, BH1 4LB

Please indicate your preference on the application form.

Dorset Steps2Wellbeing is a dynamic, and progressive service with a friendly and supportive team. You will work within NHS Talking Therapies, providing psychological interventions to people with mild to moderate common mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders and depression.

As a PWP, you will provide initial patient assessments and provide treatment to help support people by:

Provide phone, online, and face-to-face support

Carrying out risk assessments

Liaise with other agencies, signposting and referring patients to services, such as housing, Community Mental Health Team, and employment.
Receive regular clinical supervision

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 7th and 14 th December 2026.

Interviews will be face-to-face at The Conifers, Dorchester, DT1 2PG

You will undertake academic training provided and accredited by the University of Exeter. During the training year, your time will be split between university study and working within the service as a Trainee PWP.

The training programme includes learning how to complete person‑centred assessments, as well as developing skills in delivering CBT‑based Guided Self‑Help interventions for individuals experiencing symptoms of mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety disorders, including Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and OCD.

University study is delivered using a hybrid learning model.

Trainee PWPs work on a hybrid basis within the service, with a minimum of two days per week spent delivering face‑to‑face interventions and/or working from the office.

All Trainee PWPs will receive intensive supervision and workplace support as an integral part of their training.

Experience of working in a setting with exposure to people experiencing mental health difficulties

Employment in this post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which the Trust will cover the cost of.

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Please ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

Driving is essential for this role. You are required to have a full and valid UK driving licence and to travel using own vehicle on Trust business.

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do, and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities, and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion, and expertise in all we do.

You must hold a Level 5 qualification for Graduate Certificate route or a Level 6 qualification for Post Graduate Certificate route.

Or, meet the Apprenticeship route criteria attached to this vacancy.

The training year can be completed as full-time or part-time via the Level 5 qualification for Graduate Certificate route or a Level 6 qualification for Post Graduate Certificate route ONLY. The part-time route is completed over a period of 18 months, as opposed to 12 months for the full-time route, and as either a 0.6 or 0.8 WTE.

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that using AI can be a useful and supportive tool when completing your application. However, we have also seen an increase in the over-reliance of AI tools which is negatively impacting applications as they remove candidate’s individuality, and it becomes much harder to get a sense of who you are and your authentic experience. If you do use AI, it should be used to enhance your application and not to create your supporting statement in its entirety. If we suspect you have used AI to create your supporting statement and this does not match your experience, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net