ID: 1895 Job Title – Domestic Abuse Counsellor
Service: Family Action Portsmouth Abuse and rape Counselling Service (PARCS)

Salary:
- starting at £28,884 FTE per annum, rising to £31,698 (£11,554 - £12,679.20 per annum for 14.8 hours per week)

Location: Portsmouth PO4 office based

Sessions will be face to face, online or phone expected to work 1 evening per week, there might be occasional weekend events to attend. Our office space is wheelchair accessible.

Hours: Part-time (14.8 hours per week).

We offer flexible working arrangements - please see below for more details.

Contract: Fixed (until 31st March 2027 with 1 year extension dependent upon funding)

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:
At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

Working within a time-limited therapeutic model, you will provide one-to-one counselling to people affected by domestic abuse, supporting survivors to process their experiences, build resilience and move forward in their recovery. Counselling is delivered both face-to-face and online as part of PARCS’ wider holistic support offer, which also includes specialist therapeutic groups for people accessing the service.
You will be qualified to a minimum of Level 5 Diploma in Counselling and be a member of BACP, UKCP or another recognised professional body. You will hold recognised professional accreditation or be working towards accreditation. Experience of working with domestic abuse, trauma-informed practice and diverse communities is essential, alongside strong skills in clinical risk management, assessment and the sensitive handling of confidential information.
Our approach is holistic and humanistic, recognising each survivor as an individual and understanding their experiences within the wider social and cultural contexts of domestic abuse. We are particularly interested in candidates who have a strong understanding of violence against women and girls (VAWG), intersectionality and anti-oppressive practice, and who can bring these principles meaningfully into their therapeutic work.
As a Domestic Abuse Counsellor for adult clients (18+) you will play an important role in creating a safe, supportive and empowering therapeutic environment in which survivors can regain their sense of self, recognise their strengths and work towards recovery on their own terms.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an established specialist service that values survivor voices and is committed to inclusive, progressive and accessible support. You will help us continue to develop our work in Portsmouth, ensuring that our practice remains trauma-informed, responsive to the communities we serve and grounded in our commitment to equality, inclusion and social justice
Supervision and ongoing professional development are core to this role, with both clinical and line management support. This position requires a commitment to working within a trauma-informed framework centred on healing, resilience, and the empowerment of survivor.

Main Responsibilities:
1. To provide inclusive counselling for a diverse range of adult survivors of domestic abuse, in line with the commissioned timeframes and objectives.
2. To undertake initial assessments with new clients and be able to assess need, risk and to record the assessment as part of the allocation process.
3. To maintain confidential, up to date and accurate records of all sessions, carefully considering the sensitive nature of the work, regarding statutory investigations and court proceedings.
4. To use outcome tools to measure and monitor client well-being, to assess on-going risk, promote safety, collate data and to welcome service feedback.
5. To liaise with referrers and other professionals and agencies as appropriate and where required, including signposting.
6. To represent PARCS as needed internally and externally, including attending meetings, networking opportunities, and promoting the services available to survivors of domestic abuse.
7. To work collaboratively as part of the clinical team, contributing to the development and delivery of trauma-informed services, sharing insights, and supporting team goals.
8. There will be 3 hours of paid group clinical supervision per month (no more than 4 supervisees per group, in line with BACP guidelines) plus line management supervision with the PARCS Adult Team Manager and Clinical Lead.
9. Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service
10. To attend in-house Family Action training and clinical supervision.
11. To provide the PARCS management and coordinator team with relevant monitoring information relating to the project inclusion within comprehensive monitoring reports for commissioners.
12. To work in conjunction with the Adult Team Manger/Clinical Lead coordinator to ensure counselling is in line with Family Action procedures in all relevant areas including Safeguarding, Data Protection, Equality & Diversity and Health & Safety.
13. To understand and comply with Family Action’s procedures for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
14. To ensure the implementation of Family Action’s Equality & Diversity Policy and Ethical Policy in every aspect of your work and positively promote the principles of these policies amongst colleagues, service users and other members of the community.
15. To comply with Family Action’s Health and Safety Policy, Data Protection Policy and to protect your own and others’ health, safety and welfare.
16. To work flexibly as may be required by the needs of the service and carry out any other reasonable duties as required.

Main Requirements (for details check the job description and person specification):
• You will be client centred and committed to ensuring there is equality of access to the service and that service users are treated with dignity and that their specific needs are prioritised to improve their sense of wellbeing.
• You will have a strong track record in quality, performance, and safeguarding. With a client-facing approach, you will be passionate about engaging our service users in all aspects of our work including co-production.
• This role will be office-based in Portsmouth and include one evening and occasional weekend shift per week.
• There will be 3 hours per month of paid clinical supervision plus line management supervision with the Clinical Service Manager.
• Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced DBS
Benefits:
- an annual paid leave entitlement that commences at 25 working days FTE, and after 1st April 2027, rises to 30 working days FTE plus bank holidays
- up to 6% matched-pension contributions
- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions
- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers
- cycle to work scheme
- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities

To Apply:
• Click the ‘Apply’ link below and fill out our digital application form
• Closing Date: Thursday 23rd October 2026 at 23:59.

Interviews are scheduled to take place from week commencing 2nd November 2026 in person, with slots throughout the working day and early/late slots available.