NRC Volunteer Counsellor Role

Why become a Volunteer Counsellor at NRC?  

We recruit Qualified Counsellors who have trained to a minimum of Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling or are currently working towards this. Volunteering with us means you will have access to expert professional training, helping you develop specialist knowledge and experience on the impact of sexual violence. You’ll work with women and men, boys and girls from the age of 14 upwards who have experienced sexual violence.

Why do we have volunteer counsellors?

NRC has been delivering support for over 34 years through a small staff team and a much larger team of dedicated volunteer counsellors. It is because of our committed volunteer counsellors that we have been able to provide a service free at the point of contact for survivors of rape, sexual violence and abuse. We provide you with specialised training in understanding the impact of sexual violence, so your practice in this area of work is effective and you can provide the highest quality of support for those in crisis, or wishing to move on in their lives. Our volunteer counsellors mean that in 2022/23 we were able to support almost 950 individuals.

What you can expect as a Volunteer Counsellor at NRC.

Prospective volunteers for NRC receive thirty hours of specialised training in understanding the impact of sexual violence delivered by our in-house expert staff. As part of this you’ll be asked to submit a course journal, book review, course portfolio and file of evidence. Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be ready to begin working with us.

You will have the opportunity to work with 3 or more clients a week. Monthly group clinical supervision is provided. A  You can engage in regular peer group support meetings along with continued CPD in line with BACP requirements. A  You will be part of an extremely supportive environment which will help you flourish and progress as a Counsellor. A  In line with our opening hours, you can volunteer with us for sessions during the day or evening to fit in around your current commitments.

Following successful completion of our specialised training programme around the impact of sexual violence you will complete a full induction of the organisation. We’ll then match your level of skills and experience to clients who have already received a full assessment by our Client Assessor.

Counselling and training take place with a blend of on-line and face to face training sessions.  Counselling takes place from our office in Northampton, there may also be opportunities to also volunteer in Kettering, Corby, Daventry, South Northants, Wellingborough or East Northants at a client’s GP Surgery or other appropriate venue.

We ask that volunteer counsellors commit to NRC for a minimum of two years.

Our agreements with volunteers are not intended to be a legally binding, and may be cancelled at any time at the discretion of either party.

Key Responsibilities for Volunteers

If you become an NRC volunteer counsellor, you’ll:

  • be asked to remain an active volunteer counsellor with NRC for a minimum of two years
  • provide a minimum of three counselling sessions per week
  • attend and prepare for monthly clinical supervision sessions
  • benefit from learning and complying with the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy
  • receive on-going training and continued professional development via a minimum of two internal workshops each year
  • Complete data entry on our DPMS database

If you’d like to talk to us about becoming an NRC Volunteer Counsellor and to find out more about this opportunity to help others and enhance your professional skills, please call 01604 250721 and ask to speak to the Counselling Team Co-ordinator or one of the NRC Team.

If you prefer you can complete our Volunteer Counsellor Application Pack and send it on to us at [email protected] and someone from the team will get back to you.