Wellbeing Counsellor – Global Majorities Specialist

35.5 hours per week / £34,475 per annum, pro rata / permanent / working pattern to be confirmed (can be discussed at interview)

YMCA DownsLink Group is the leading charity for children and young people across Sussex and Surrey. We offer safe homes, mental health support and trusted advice.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe, heard and to shape their own future. We work alongside them to make that happen.

We are here for children and young people, many of whom face multiple challenges and need our support.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections – guide us in all our actions.

We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified, experienced Wellbeing Counsellor – Global Majorities Specialist to join our innovative Children and Young People (CYP) Wellbeing Service, the central hub for all mental health referrals for young people in Brighton & Hove.

In this role, you will provide culturally responsive assessments, counselling (both face-to-face and online), and group work for children and young people aged 8–24 from Black, mixed heritage and Global Majority backgrounds. You will create safe, inclusive spaces where young people feel heard, understood and supported to explore their wellbeing.

Alongside this, you will contribute to wider service delivery by supporting assessments and therapeutic interventions for young people from all backgrounds, helping ensure a flexible and responsive service. You will also play an active role in triaging referrals, working collaboratively across the CYP service to promote equitable and timely access to support.

A key part of the role is building meaningful relationships with Global Majority-led and community organisations, helping strengthen partnerships across the city. You’ll also share your expertise with colleagues, supporting inclusive practice, co-production, and equitable approaches to service design, recruitment and delivery.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate.

You will hold a Graduate or Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling or Psychotherapy (minimum two years), alongside BACP accreditation (or eligibility for accreditation) or registration with a relevant professional body.

You will bring experience of working with children and young people aged 8–24 with mental health needs, including delivering evidence-based, low-intensity interventions. You are a confident and collaborative team player, comfortable working under supervision and within a multidisciplinary setting. You will have strong safeguarding knowledge, the ability to run groups or structured activities, and be able to communicate clearly and sensitively, both verbally and in writing.

You will have experience of supporting children and young people from mixed heritage or Global Majority backgrounds, with an understanding of the importance of culturally responsive practice. Knowledge of, or experience working alongside, local statutory and voluntary services will be important in helping young people access the support they need.

Above all, you will be able to work ethically and effectively with children and young people within a time-limited framework, building trust, promoting resilience, and supporting positive outcomes.