Counsellor📣 Job Ad

About Misk Schools and the Counsellor Role

Misk Schools, located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is seeking a dedicated Counsellor to join its team. This full-time position is crucial for providing essential mental health support and fostering the social and emotional development of students within the school environment.

Role Purpose and Student Support

The primary objective of the Counsellor is to deliver continuous mental health support to specific students, particularly those identified with additional needs. This involves supporting their overall social and emotional growth through a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that considers each child's life context.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support the assessment and treatment of students with mental health needs, liaising with students, parents, academic staff, and external agencies such as Misk Schools’ approved educational psychologists.
• Provide regular counselling sessions to identified or referred students, addressing concerns such as self-esteem, anger management, time management, academic coping strategies, friendship issues, communication skills, grieving, and depression.
• Conduct specialist psychotherapeutic assessments to determine the most appropriate treatment plans in consultation with other professionals.
• Develop and implement specialist care programmes, offering psychotherapeutic treatment individually or in group settings.
• Observe student behaviour and communication, creating a supportive and safe environment that promotes a sense of belonging.
• Tailor therapeutic approaches to individual children, ensuring age-appropriate and culturally sensitive interventions within the Saudi Arabian context.
• Participate in core group meetings, collaborating with professionals from various sectors (*, schools, hospitals, child protection agencies) to plan support for children and their families.
• Regularly review and monitor the outcomes of assessments and the effectiveness of treatments.
• Offer psychoanalytic and psychotherapeutic advice, training, consultation, and supervision to other professionals involved in a child's treatment plan.
• Liaise with the Assistant Principal's wellbeing team to promote broader wellbeing initiatives, including student talks, staff training (INSET), and parent workshops on mental health priorities.
• Undertake risk assessments and risk management from a child psychotherapy perspective.
• Support the wellbeing and mental health of Misk Schools employees.

Safeguarding Commitment

The Counsellor is integral to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people at Misk Schools. This role requires strict adherence to the school’s safeguarding policies and staff code of conduct, providing direct support to the designated safeguarding lead to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students.

Experience and Professional Development

Candidates for this role should possess 2-5 years of relevant experience in counselling or child psychotherapy. The position requires a commitment to continuous professional development (CPD) by staying current with developments in theory and research. Regular clinical professional supervision from a senior child psychotherapist will be provided.

Additional Duties

The Counsellor will also undertake additional duties as required by their line manager, contributing flexibly to the overall support structure of Misk Schools.