There are several ways in which you can work for Relate Worcestershire (please click on the title for more details):

• As a Counsellor
• As a Supervisor
• As a Volunteer
• As a Trustee

Please click on any of the above for brief details or click here to see further details about these opportunities on Relate's Central Office website.

Work as a counsellor

Relate Worcestershire welcomes applications from people wishing to train to be a fully qualified Relate counsellor.  Relate counsellors are skilled professionals whose knowledge and training enables them to help clients come to real understanding of the difficulties they face.

Once trained, Relate offers its counsellors excellent opportunities for personal growth and development and further training.  It is possible to specialise in a particular form of relationship counselling such as family counselling or counselling for young people.  As a Relate counsellor you can work with us in a variety of ways:

• as an employee
• as a self-employed counsellor
• as a volunteer

As many of our services are offered at weekends and evenings, the opportunity for flexible working enables you to fit Relate work around other commitments.

Requirements

As these courses are designed for mature students, applicants will normally be aged 25 and above.  It is also advisable to have adequate word processing and IT skills before beginning training.

Selection 

Relate employs a selection process to identify people who have personal characteristics and life experience which suit them well for training and work as couple counsellors.  Selection of trainee counsellors involves highly developed standardised procedures to ensure equality of opportunity for applicants, the avoidance of discriminatory practices, and to ensure that trainees of a consistently high quality are recruited.

Training Courses

• University Advanced Diploma - Introduction to Couple Counselling (1 year part-time)
• PGDip/MA  in Relationship Therapy  (3 years, part-time)

For further details about becoming a Counsellor and for details of the training involved, please see www.relateinstitute.ac.uk , or call Sarah Jeffery on 01905 28051 for further details.

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Work as a supervisor

All Relate counsellors receive close professional support in the form of regular ongoing supervision from a Relate supervisor.  The role of a Relate Supervisor is to deliver supervision to practitioners and ensure that the services delivered to clients meet Relate’s standards of quality, safety and accessibility.  Supervisors also offer advice and consultation to Relate staff on practice issues such as confidentiality.

To become a Relate supervisor you need to hold one of the following:

• the Relate Graduate Certificate
• the Relate certificate in couple counselling
• an equivalent recognised qualification in couple or family counselling

You should also be an experienced relationship or family counsellor and/or psychosexual therapist.  You can then apply for selection for the Relate Supervisor Training.

If you are an external applicant meeting the above criteria you can apply for a supervisor's post if you have completed training equivalent to the Relate supervisor training programme.  Currently all candidates for this training will have been selected through the Relate supervisor selection process.

For further details about being a Supervisor and for details of the training involved, please see Becoming a Supervisor at Relate national's website, or call Jo Ringshall on 01905 28051.

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Work as a volunteer

There are often opportunities to help us for a few hours a week by acting as a receptionist assistant.  You would need to be sympathetic to the aims of the Relate organisation.  Please contact us on 01905 28051 for further details if you are interested in joining us.

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Work as a trustee

Relate Worcester is a registered charity, and the Board of Trustees is responsible for its overall management.  It monitors all major decisions on behalf of that charity, with each member able to exercise a vote.  The Board approves the strategic direction of the charity as proposed by the management executive, and must feel confident that the charity is well managed and meeting its objectives.  Trustees are also responsible by law for the financial security and transparency of their charities.  As a Relate Worcestershire Trustee you can look forward to serving your own local community and you could also participate in national consultative forums.

Experience

The Board of Trustees needs people with a range of skills and experience.  Some which may be particularly helpful include:

• management
• finance and business
• legal
• public relations
• information technology
• fundraising

Ideal requirements

• a commitment to Relate's mission, which is to promote health, respect and justice in couple and family relationships
• efffctive communication skills
• ability to contribute to policy decision-making
• ability to identify with the needs of people whose relationships are breaking down
• understanding of the benefits of Relate's work in education and training
• ability to work effectively in a team

If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, then please contact us.

For further details about being a Trustee, please see Becoming a Trustee at Relate's national website, or call Jo Ringshall on 01905 28051.

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