SCHOOL COUNSELLOR (HPCSA REGISTERED COUNSELLOR)

Job Title: School Counsellor (HPCSA Registered Counsellor) – Gqeberha
Location: Gqeberha, South Africa
Designation: Full-time, 2-year contract, Start Date: ASAP
Salary Range: Commensurate with experience, plus school-paid HPCSA fees, indemnity cover and CPD budget
Closing Date: Applications are reviewed as they arrive; the post closes once filled

Ubuntu School

The Ubuntu School offers students an exceptional education and a transformational pathway out of poverty. Our team instills confidence, creative expression, character growth, and social skills through a flexible, evolving, and child-driven learning model. Through a nurturing environment, high-quality instruction, and world-class wraparound support, we provide everything South Africa's most vulnerable children need to thrive.

Position Overview:

A school counselling post with real influence. Ubuntu is looking for an HPCSA Registered Counsellor to bring professional mental health support to our approximately 250 learners (Grades 1–10). You will counsel learners, serve as Designated Safeguarding Lead, build staff capability in trauma-informed practice, and sit on the senior management team, leading the school's wellbeing work. You will be seeing learners from week one, so you need to be able to run your own caseload, but you will not be doing it alone.

What We Provide:

• A retained sessional psychologist for referrals, so you are never left holding a case outside your scope
• HPCSA annual fees and professional indemnity insurance, paid by the school
• An annual CPD budget, with protected time to use it
• Your own private consulting room, and admin support with scheduling and filing
• A written commitment that you will never be responsible for discipline. The counsellor is never the punisher.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Provide short-term individual and group counselling, screening and crisis response within the Registered Counsellor scope, and refer onward when needed
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead: manage disclosures, statutory reporting and liaison with DSD, SAPS, clinics and partner NGOs
• Facilitate restorative conferences and give the Principal written wellbeing input where needed, without disclosing session content or deciding consequences
• Design and deliver a social and emotional learning (SEL) and prevention programme across the grades
• Train and coach staff in trauma-informed and restorative practice
• Chair the Student Support and Safeguarding Committee and report wellbeing trends to leadership
• Maintain clinical and safeguarding records to HPCSA and audit-ready standards, and work with parents, caregivers and community referral partners

Required Qualifications:

• Current HPCSA registration as a Registered Counsellor (PRC number) in the independent practice category
• BPsych, BPsych Equivalent, or Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling, incl. the 720-hour practicum (a BA/BSocSci Honours in Psychology does not qualify)
• Minimum two years' post-registration practice, including at least one year working directly with children, adolescents or young people
• Trauma experience and strong record-keeping; able to run your own caseload from day one
• Fluent in English; isiXhosa strongly preferred
• Clear criminal record and National Child Protection Register (NCPR) checks
• Not eligible: intern psychologists, student or intern counsellors, and anyone currently registered for supervised practice
• Advantageous: safeguarding/DSL training, school or NGO experience, and restorative practice or SEL experience

Application Information & Method

• Email apply@ubuntupathways.org with “School Counsellor – Registered Counsellor” as your subject line
• Send your CV (including your HPCSA PRC number), saved under your name AND surname, and a cover letter of no more than two pages
• In your cover letter, tell us about a young person you could not help as much as you wanted to, and what you did with that.
• Shortlisted candidates will be asked for copies of their qualifications and HPCSA registration card, and two professional references (one of whom supervised their clinical work). They will meet the Principal and visit the school.
• Appointment is subject to HPCSA iRegister verification and background checks. If you have not heard from us within 30 days of applying, your application was unsuccessful.

Please only apply if you are an HPCSA Registered Counsellor registered for independent practice. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.