Senior School Counsellor

Reporting to the Vice-Principal, Student Development, the Senior School Counsellor / School Counsellor will perform the following duties:
**1. School-wide Counselling system**
- To plan, implement and oversee the counselling service of the whole school in consultation with Vice-Principal/Student Development.
- To develop strategies for early identification of students with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and providing a support system for them.
- Establish network with other professional agencies and relevant social agencies with the view of easing referrals and accessing specialist consultants.
- To develop evaluation strategies and instruments to assess the school counselling programme.
- Plan and implement training for teachers on counselling and well-being related issues.
- Plan and conduct training for parents based on identified needs in counselling and well-being related issues.
- Be on-call availability after normal working hours for emergency needs as required.

**2. Consultation**
- To provide professional advice on school counselling matters to school senior management.
- To provide consultation and training to staff on how to support students in distress.
- To guide new teachers in helping students with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

**3. Counselling Services**
- To provide individual and/or small group counselling to students, and where appropriate, consult with relevant school personnel regarding students being counselled.
- To work with families of students being counselled, and conduct home visits where necessary.
- To provide counselling to complex and/or high risk cases and where appropriate, consult with relevant school personnel regarding the students being counselled.
- To refer students and their families to community resources for specialized assistance where necessary.
- To provide regular feedback, within boundaries of confidentiality to the school administration and teachers concerned on the work done with the students being counselled.
- To support School CARE (Caring Action in Response to an Emergency) Officers in managing crisis.

**4. Developmental Programmes**
- To design and implement programs to meet students’ specific social and emotional needs, such as transition between levels and transition issues, stress management, anger management, and coping with grief and loss, etc.
- To work in partnership with the student development team in planning and implementing school-wide guidance curriculum to enhance students’ social and emotional development.
- To work with a group of student Peer Support Leaders to develop activities and programmes to support a positive school culture among students.

**5. Administration**
- Be the Case Manager for Additional Support System in MOE School cockpit.
- To maintain accurate and complete student records on case referrals and consultations as required by regulations.
- To track and maintain data on counselling cases and prepare quarterly reports on the cases and provide trend data as feedback for improvement of programmes.
- Conduct relevant tests to assess students’ suitability for learning support and guidance.
- Liaise with school examination committee to ensure that SEN students given concessions due to their learning needs.
- To maintain and complete records on students given concessions (school-based and/or IB-based) for their examinations.
- To track and maintain data on SEN cases and prepare quarterly reports on the cases and provide trend data as feedback for school learning support processes.

**6. Communications**
- To be service-centric and build rapport with internal and external working connections.
- To ensure School Management’s views and feedbacks are considered, communicated and implemented effectively.

**7. Professional Development**
- Complete at least 50 hours of continuing professional education in areas related to Counselling Theory, Counselling Content Areas with an accredited educational or training institute every two years (at least 30 hours for School Counsellor)
- Work with a school-appointed counselling supervisor as part of professional development.

**Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Knowledge/Skills)**:
**Education and Experience**
- Degree in Counselling from a recognized university with post-graduate diploma or masters in Counselling or equivalent.
- Those without a degree and with professional Counselling qualification may be considered.
- At least 10 years of full time work experience as a counsellor and at least 5 years of experience in a leadership position at a family counselling centre or its equivalent (preferably in an area related to youth) for the role of Senior School Counsellor **or **at least 5 years of full time working experience as a counsellor and at least 3 years of experience working in a family counselling centre or its equivalent (preferably in areas related to youth) for the role of School Counsellor.
- Registration with Singapore Asso