Counselling jobs in Taverham

ABOUT THE ROLE

This post combines two connected workstreams in a single contract: remote crisis text response and one-to-one support for young people in Norfolk who are educated otherwise than at school (EOTAS). Three days a week you work from home as a crisis text responder on the NXG Thrive platform.

NXG Thrive is launching our 24/7, all-age crisis text support service, commissioned across the East of England. It gives anyone in a mental health crisis, or worried they are heading towards one, a free, confidential way to reach a trained practitioner by text, day or night, without needing to speak on the phone. As a responder, you will pick up live text conversations, using text-based active listening, grounding and safety planning to help each person move from crisis towards a calmer, safer place. Every contact gets a human response within five minutes, and any sign of immediate risk to life is escalated straight away to the on-shift supervisor. It is fast, entirely message-based work, different in pace and format from your EOTAS sessions, but drawing on the same core skills: careful listening, sound judgement under pressure, and confident risk assessment.

The remaining two days a week you work on our Norfolk County Council EOTAS contract. Each young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and cannot currently attend school, often because of anxiety, school avoidance or health needs. Norfolk commissions an individual one-to-one package for each of them, of 3 to 15 hours a week over 38 term-time weeks.

You are the face of the project in Norfolk. You meet each young person and their family in person to introduce NXG and then stay with them as their named keyworker and main relationship for the whole package. You deliver their one-to-one Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) support, and in packages under 10 hours a week you also deliver their wellbeing coaching and Barclays Life Skills sessions. Most sessions are online. Face-to-face sessions take place at the young person's home, in a bookable Regus office or in a public space such as a library. There is no group work in this role.

Each package is designed and managed by our Package Coordinator, who plans the timetable, staffing and reviews. Your EOTAS days never fall on crisis text days, and they are never timetabled for the morning after an evening shift.

Both strands serve the same purpose: reaching young people in mental health crisis at the point they need support. The combination gives you crisis practice and long-term one-to-one key working in one role, which is unusual in a single contracted post, and it opens progression routes that neither strand offers alone.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Meet each young person and their family in person to introduce NXG, and act as their named keyworker throughout their package.
• Deliver one-to-one SEMH support, online or in person, helping young people manage their emotions, rebuild routine and confidence, and get back into learning.
• In packages under 10 hours a week, deliver online wellbeing coaching and Barclays Life Skills sessions, so the young person works with no more than two staff.
• Work to each young person's plan and timetable, agreed with the Package Coordinator, keeping the same days, times and places each week.
• Contribute to reviews at week 6 and every half term, and to the young person's EHCP annual review, including written progress reports.
• Record attendance at every session, including every cancellation and the reason for it, and report a young person's non-arrival at once so the commissioner is told within 30 minutes.
• Record every safeguarding concern and pass it without delay to NXG's Designated Safeguarding Lead, or to the Deputy DSL when the DSL is unavailable.
• Risk-assess every venue before first use, make sure an adult with parental or delegated responsibility is present throughout home visits, and work to lone-working procedures.
• Provide crisis text support on the NXG platform, meeting a five-minute human first response and escalating high-risk contacts immediately.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Essential

• Three years' experience of crisis text, helpline or similar crisis support work.
• Experience of supporting young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, or of youth work.
• Living in Norfolk, within reach of the Norwich area, and able to travel independently and reliably across the county.
• Confidence building trusted one-to-one relationships with young people and their families, both online and in person.
• Safeguarding training and a working knowledge of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, or the ability to complete Norfolk's required training before your first EOTAS session.
• Lone-working training, or willingness to complete it before your first EOTAS session.
• A clear commitment to de-escalation and to avoiding restraint and restrictive interventions. Any de-escalation training you hold must be accredited.
• Excellent written communication. A significant part of this role happens in text, and you will write progress reports for reviews.

Desirable

A degree in psychology, social work, counselling, youth work, education or a closely related field; current registration with BACP (Accredited member or above), HCPC, UKCP, NMC, BPS (Chartered Member) or Social Work England; experience with EHCPs, EOTAS, alternative provision or children in care; knowledge of SEND; competence in CBT, DBT, trauma-informed care or an equivalent evidence-based approach; familiarity with Barclays Life Skills or ASDAN; a current first aid certificate; lived experience relevant to the role (see below).

LIVED EXPERIENCE

We value lived experience alongside professional qualifications. Personal experience of mental health difficulties, of using crisis services, of the care system, or of exclusion and education outside school can make you a more effective practitioner, and we would encourage you to apply.

Whether you tell us about it is entirely your choice. You can reference it in your application if you would like it considered, and you are welcome to say as much or as little as you wish. Choosing not to mention it will not count against you, and we will not press you for personal detail at the interview.

The health declaration we ask for an offer stage is about what support or adjustments would help you do the job well. It is not a screen for anyone with a mental health history.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Salary £28,000 to £31,000 annually.
• 28 days' annual leave including bank holidays.
• Funded training required by Norfolk County Council: SEND, trauma-informed practice, safeguarding and KCSIE, first aid, and health and safety, plus lone-working training.
• Clinical supervision from our Designated Safeguarding Lead, peer case review, annual appraisal and 24/7 debrief support.
• Travel costs will be covered for any travel beyond 20 miles from your base location, with mileage claims reimbursed at the HMRC rate of 45p per mile.

BEFORE YOU APPLY

We are commissioned to work with children and young people, and we follow safer recruitment. It is worth knowing the following before you start an application.

• Applications must be made on our application form. We cannot accept a CV alone, because we need your full employment history and other details required by Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2026).
• Appointment is conditional on an Enhanced DBS check with children's and adults' barred list checks, obtained by us. A certificate issued to a previous employer is not sufficient. DBS checks are renewed at least every three years.
• Norfolk County Council needs your full details, including your Enhanced DBS, before you can work with any young person on the contract. All checks are seen and recorded before your first session.
• We will also need evidence of your right to work in the UK, two photographic identity documents, two references including one from your current or most recent employer, verified qualifications, a health declaration covering any adjustments you may need, and a self-declaration about any criminal record.
• We carry out an online search in line with KCSIE 2026. We will inform you before we do, and you will have the chance to comment on anything it raises.
• Interviews include safeguarding scenario questions.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and require a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Reasonable adjustments are available at every stage. Contact .

Altwork Global is the recruiting company for NXG Enterprises (Pty) Ltd.

Pay: £28,000.00-£31,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person