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OACAS works out of our own
premises at 6 Bridge Street Wynd, Kirkwall, We have two main
counselling rooms plus 2 counsellors offices/counselling
room, a reception, and the Managers office, a
board/training/common room, and toilets.
OACAS
currently employs 2 full-time and 4 part-time paid staff,
and as such we are always
happy to have volunteers who are
willing to help out for a few hours a week.
All new unqualified volunteer
Counsellors receive Alcohol Focus Scotland basic training in
substance misuse and Counselling theory delivered over 6
weekends.
After about 2 years of supervised practice (at least 120
hours of client contact time) the Counsellor may put forward
their portfolio for accreditation.
As part of the portfolio-building
process all trainee counsellors (and indeed all qualified
Counsellors) are expected to access additional training as
available in Orkney and we endeavour to send workers to the
mainland also for training, funding permitting.
Some Counsellors wish to advance
their abilities by accessing Post Graduate Diploma courses
in Counselling, and, funding permitting, we will assist.
We have been fortunate also in
attracting several Post Graduate Diploma holding Counsellors
as volunteers.
We are Orkney’s only COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in
Scotland) Recognised Counselling & Counselling Skills
Organisation.
We are also a BACP (British Association of Counselling &
Psychotherapy) organisational member.
Would you like to be involved?
Practice Supervisors
With the
number of trainee Counsellors set to increase we have a
growing need for additional Practice Supervisors;
Individuals with sound recent experience of Counselling work
are preferred, but those with supervisory experience only
can be considered. Training will be given over 2
weekends in Glasgow/Edinburgh. For more details,
please contact the Manager.
Receptionists/Cover people
Much of our
contact work with clients occurs in our Kirkwall Office in
the early evening, between 5.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. It
is always necessary to have the Office manned whilst
Counselling is taking place, to maintain a safe and quiet
environment for client and Counsellor. If you could
offer a couple of hours now and again, and wish to gain an
insight into the sort of work we do, please contact the
Manager.
Board Members
Several of
our long-serving Board members have had to tender their
resignations recently, as they have changed employment, left
Orkney, or both. Working on a Board of Management
might not seem from the outside to be exciting, but we can
again offer an insight into the management of a fast-growing
organisation, team working in the voluntary sector,
partnership working with the statutory sector, training
events and an understanding of strategic and operational
planning. Alternatively you may just wish to help with
an alcohol/drugs/generic Counselling agency, and “put
something back” into Society.
If you interested in any of these positions
please contact the Manager Simon Gordon.
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