Location: Donegal (main office in Letterkenny, with outreach across the county)
Service Type: Community Counselling & Psychotherapy Service (Children, Adolescents, Families, Adults)
Contract Type: Full-time (30 hours over 4 days per week)
Reports to: Service Director and Board of Management
About the Service
Our community-based counselling and psychotherapy service in Donegal provides affordable and accessible therapeutic support to children, adolescents, families, and adults. Services are delivered in rural and disadvantaged regions where no other counselling provision exists, ensuring equitable access across the county. We deliver multiple modalities of therapy through a team of trainee, pre-accredited, and accredited counsellors and psychotherapists.
Our Counselling Service currently sits under the Raphoe Pastoral Centre in Letterkenny. We are working towards becoming an independent registered charity, a step that will allow us to grow, sustain our service, and deepen our impact. We rely heavily on community support and external funding to maintain services. Our mission is to provide a safe, ethical, and high-quality psychotherapy and counselling services.
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Role Purpose
The Clinical Lead provides strategic and operational leadership for all clinical aspects of the service. They are responsible for ensuring safe, ethical, and effective delivery of therapeutic interventions, embedding robust clinical governance structures, overseeing safeguarding and risk management, clinical complexities, and supporting the professional development of the clinical team. This role includes recruitment, induction, and case management to support therapists, as well as liaison with statutory and community partners to ensure that the service meets best practice and professional standards.
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Key Responsibilities
Clinical Leadership & Governance
- Provide clinical leadership to trainee, pre-accredited, and accredited therapists.
- Develop, implement, and monitor clinical governance structures.
- Act as the designated person for referrals from social workers/ GPs/ other professionals
- Act as the designated person for clinical complexities, offering guidance, consultation, case oversight and case management to therapists individually.
- Ensure practice aligns with ethical frameworks (IACP, BACP, IAHIP, ICP, UKCP, PSI, or equivalent).
- Monitor client journey within the service, ensuring feedback and client voice are embedded.
Referral Management & Client Flow
- Lead on screening calls to assess suitability, risk, and therapeutic needs.
- Manage and oversee waiting lists, referral pathways, case allocation procedures, while working with Finance Support to ensure different funding streams are utilized & reported on appropriately.
- Manage the admin team in uploading and allocating referrals to therapists using the WriteUpp system, ensuring timely and fair distribution.
- Manage the admin team in managing bookings, cancellations, and client requests (letters, reports, etc.).
- Liaise with statutory services (Tusla, HSE, CAMHS, Gardaí) as required.
- Work to minimise waiting times and ensure transparent allocation procedures.
- Discuss any clinical and operational challenges with Director of Service to problem solve for efficiency and effectiveness of service.
Safeguarding & Risk Management
- Act as Designated Liaison Person (DLP) for Child Protection and Safeguarding.
- Oversee compliance with the Children First Act 2015 and ensure safeguarding policies are implemented.
- Engage in case management with clinical team, monitor for high-risk clients (suicide, self-harm, DV, child protection) and support therapists in managing this risk. Liaise and escalate as required with Director of Service on this risk.
- Liaise, inform and dialogue with Director of Service regarding patterns of clinical complexity in the service so that these can be managed more effectively.
- Ensure all staff are confident in safeguarding procedures and mandatory reporting to Tusla.
- Identify CPD and training needs and coordinate professional development opportunities.
Policy Development & Quality Assurance
- Lead the roll-out of clinical policies, operating procedures, and practice guidelines. Develop and deliver training for staff and the clinical team on these.
- Review and update policies in line with evolving legislation, safeguarding, and best practice.
- Ensure effective file management, GDPR compliance, and secure data handling.
- Implement monitoring and evaluation systems to track outcomes, service activity, and effectiveness.
Clinical Supervision & Staff Development
- Ensure an understanding of the different types of psychotherapy available through our service. Get to know and understand therapists ways of working, and what each of them brings to our service.
- Develop and deliver induction training for new therapists, outlining operational guidelines /policies/ ways of working/ practice management tool. Monitor their integration into the team.
- Ensure all contracted psychotherapists attend appropriate external supervision and work with the admin team to ensure they also attend group supervision provided by service.
- Manage and support the admin team to keep up-to-date records of supervisors' qualifications, accreditation, and insurance & Tripartite Supervision Agreements.
Operational & Organisational Contribution
- Support funding applications, reporting and contribute to strategic planning with the Service Director and Board.
- Participate in service management meetings, clinical team meetings and strategic reviews.
- Contribute to organizational policy formulation and ensure effective implementation across the clinical team.
- Represent the service locally, regionally, and nationally in professional forums and collaborations.
- Promote a culture of accountability, inclusivity, and reflective practice.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Accreditation
- Minimum Level 8 qualification in Counselling, Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, or equivalent. Some flexibility may apply here if the right candidate.
- Full professional accreditation with IACP, IAHIP, BACP, PSI, ICP, or equivalent. Some flexibility may apply here.
- Further training in clinical management, supervision, or safeguarding desirable.
Experience
- Demonstrated experience in clinical leadership and/or management.
- Proven record in safeguarding, risk assessment, and interagency collaboration.
- Experience supervising, supporting, and integrating trainee and pre-accredited therapists.
- Experience in referral management, clinical triage, or allocation systems.
- Experience in groupwork delivery is desirable.
Skills & Competencies
- A passion for supporting communities & working from a social justice lens.
- Integrity, trust worthiness and a solid and grounded ethical compass.
- Strong leadership and decision-making in complex clinical contexts.
- Ability to be analytical, problem solve, adapt, and think outside the box.
- Team player.
- Experience in change management.
- Courage to speak up, acknowledge problems and collaborate with the Director of Service to find solutions and implement change.
- Excellent knowledge of safeguarding legislation, ethics, and best practice.
- High-level communication, presentation, and conflict resolution skills.
- Strong organisational and planning ability with financial awareness.
- Competence in Microsoft Office and database systems (WriteUpp or equivalent).
- Ability to motivate and support staff, fostering a positive and accountable team culture.
- Outgoing and approachable, able to build strong relationships across clinical team, agencies and communities.
- Demonstrated commitment to reflective practice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Strong sense of self-care.
- Full driving licence and access to transport.
Terms & Benefits
- Hours: 30 hours over 4 days per week 9-5pm with lunch break. Flexibility required - occasional weekend work necessary.
- Salary: €50,000 – €55,500 FTE per annum (pro-rata, dependent on experience and subject to funding).
- Location: Letterkenny main office with outreach travel across Donegal.
- Benefits: Regular professional development opportunities, supportive environment, on-site parking, community-focused and meaningful work.
- Garda vetting and satisfactory references required prior to appointment.
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Application Process
Interested candidates should submit:
- A CV outlining qualifications and experience.
- A cover letter detailing suitability for the role.
- Names and contact details of two referees.
If you are passionate about meaningful community work and want to see your skills have real impact, we would love to hear from you
Applications should be sent to
Closing Date: 22/09/2025
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: €40,000.00-€45,000.00 per year
Expected hours: 30 per week
Benefits:
* On-site parking
* Work from home
Work Location: In person