At A Father’s Child Services CIC (AFCS CIC), we are committed to empowering the next generation of skilled Counsellors and Social Workers by offering comprehensive placement opportunities for students enrolled in master’s degree programmes and courses that allow you to access to the BACP or NCPS Accredited professional standards register, or undertake their proficiency test to access the register.
Our placements provide a supportive and enriching environment where students can gain practical experience, enhance their skills, and contribute to the well-being of our clients.
We also offer additional reduction on prices of Clinical Supervision to in-house students or offer it for FREE where there is a supplement payment from an educational establishment*. Once a student graduates they become part of the AFCS CIC Alumni and graduate of our Community Consortium.
What that means is that as a graduate of AFCS CIC, you will be supported to set up as self-employed or limited company if you want to progress, be guided with issues like governance, website and social platform presence, business planning and be allocated a minimum use of our room space to deliver private sessions each month with your new clients, once you graduate.
What to expect
During your placement at AFCS CIC, you will be immersed in an ethically dynamic and supportive environment created to enhance your learning and professional growth. Our programme offers a range of experiences and opportunities that will prepare you for a successful career in psychotherapy and counselling. Here’s what you can look forward to:
Face-to-Face and Online Sessions. We offer both face-to-face and online counselling sessions, allowing you to gain experience in different modes of therapy delivery. This flexibility ensures that you are prepared to meet the diverse needs of clients and adapt to various therapeutic settings.
Working with Clients Aged 16 and Upwards. Our clinic provides services to individuals aged 16 and upwards, giving you the chance to work with a broad age range and a variety of issues. This diverse client base will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of different life stages and the unique challenges associated with each. We do support young people from 5 years old so working with this cohort will be dependent on your educational institutions requirements.
Mentorship. Throughout your placement, you will receive regular mentorship and clinical supervision at a reduced cost, from our Organisational lead and Director, Michelle Kelly who is BACP Accredited.
This guidance will be crucial in helping you reflect on your practice, navigate challenges, and grow professionally.
Criteria
To ensure we maintain the highest standards and provide a meaningful experience for both our clients and our placement students, we have established the following criteria for those interested in joining our placement programme:
Qualifications. Applicants must be currently enrolled in a counselling programme in psychotherapy or counselling that includes 100 hours of live practice to be able to access the professional standards accredited register.
We do not accept students from other programmes who will not be able to access the professional standards register on completion of their course. We will soon be launching our own Counselling course that will help students meet this criteria.
DBS Check. A current and valid Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and presence on the update service is mandatory for all placement students. We can run a DBS check at the cost of the applicant where necessary, but we expect that professionals working within professional fields should embody these basic industry standards.
Minimum Term. We require a minimum commitment of 12 months for our placement programme. This period allows you to fully integrate into our team, develop your skills, and build meaningful therapeutic relationships with clients. Shorter placements do not provide the depth of experience we aim to offer. We also expect you to attend our Online Community Supervision space fortnightly to engage in discussion around ethical issues and decision making processes.
Cost. To demonstrate commitment to the role and the placement programme, there is a fee of £200*. This fee contributes towards the administrative and training costs associated with your placement.
All students that join our team are offered the opportunity to access our bespoke CPD Accredited train the trainer programmes, our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) deliveries for adults and children as well as any other training that we may facilitate that will enhance your practice.
We expect that anyone making an enquiry to us will have at minimum taken a look at our website to get a sense of the work that we do and why. We also invite you to contact us to discuss a placement once you have sent in a CV.
You can send your CV to: info@afcscic.org
