Work with us

Trainee Counsellor

 

Phoenix Futures have an exciting Trainee Counsellor opportunity for someone looking to gain experience working in psychosocial treatment for substance use, at our Trauma Responsive Women's Therapeutic Community Residential Service, Ophelia House.

We are seeking a dedicated individual, based on your values, willingness to learn new skills and the compassion to deliver the best service possible to the people that use our services.

We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and welcome applications from people with lived experience.

 

Service Area
Oxfordshire Services
Town
Yarnton, OX5 1PB
Status
Full-time
Contract Type
Permanent
Total Salary Pro-Rata
£26,298 plus £2,000 Geographical Supplement
Posted Date
29/10/2026
Closing Date
20/11/2026
Vacancy Reference Number
4459

 

The Role

As a Trainee Counsellor, you will support people at Ophelia House to reach their goals and change their lives for the better. You will be part of a passionate and skilled team, contributing to the provision of tailored interventions and recovery approaches. Your role will include:

  • Shadowing the counsellor whilst they provide support for people with their recovery from drug or alcohol use through 1 to 1 counselling and group work.
  • Learning how to carry out strength-based assessments, and work with individuals to create care plans, and promote visible recovery.
  • Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team made up of Therapeutic workers, Nurse’s and support staff. 

This is a full-time position working 37.5 hours per week.

About You

To join us as a Trainee Counsellor at Ophelia House, you'll be someone who:

  • Is curious and determined, with a drive to succeed and a willingness to learn.
  • Passionate and enthusiastic about making a real difference to the lives of people we support.
  • Demonstrates empathy, compassion and a non-judgemental approach.
  • Working towards a qualified counsellor qualification with BACP accreditation.
  • Has strong communication and relationship-building skills.
  • Is confident using digital systems, including Microsoft Office applications.
  • Is used to working in the substance use field or similar.

Your Rewards

We know that great people deserve great support. When you join Phoenix Futures, you'll become part of an organisation that invests in your wellbeing, development and future career.

In return for your commitment, we offer:

  • Salary of £26,298 plus £2,000 Geographical Market Supplement.
  • 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays, increasing each year to a maximum of 30 days.
  • Commitment to providing a Real Living Wage for you, through accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation.
  • Continuous training and career development via PXL our dedicated learning management system.
  • Benefits including season ticket loan, pension scheme and life assurance.
  • Support through occupational sick pay, eye-care vouchers and regular wellbeing talks and activities.
  • Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance programme including telephone and online access.
  • The opportunity to work as part of a passionate, skilled and supportive team that changes lives every day.
  • A rewarding career where your contribution directly supports people to achieve lasting recovery, wellbeing and independence.

We’ll ensure you get all the support you need to thrive and succeed in your role and find your place amongst our incredible and collaborative team.

About Phoenix Futures

Phoenix Futures Group is a charity with 60 years’ experience and a leading provider of drug and alcohol treatment.

Our values are what define us and ensure we work to the highest standards. We believe in being the best, we are passionate about recovery, we value our history and use it to inform our future.

We work with local authorities, other charities and service providers across the country to deliver innovative programmes and projects that change lives for the better, setting people on the path to health and emotional wellbeing.

We provide a diverse range of services, our expertise in psychosocial treatment and support is the common thread that runs through everything we do. People need psychological interventions, social support, meaningful use of time, sense of purpose and a place of safety to sustain their recovery. At our core, we support people, families and communities to recover from drug and alcohol dependency.

 

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.

We review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received. We therefore encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

 


 

This role will be working in a women’s-only residential service specialising in providing safe therapeutic environments for those who have experienced multiple disadvantage and those who have experienced past trauma. Therefore there is an Operational Requirement for this role to be fulfilled by a female (determined compliant under ACAS guidelines for recruiting applicants with a protected characteristic to do a certain job).[1]

 

#LP